Lewis Crocker and Paddy Donovan go head-to-head at Belfast's SSE Arena tonight in a bout that is being billed as a final eliminator for the IBF World Welterweight title.
So whoever comes out on top of this all-Ireland encounter, there should be a world-title decider coming to these shores in the not-so-distant future.
The winner will become the mandatory challenger for the IBF crown, which is currently held by Jaron 'Boots' Ennis.
The champion is looking to unify the division in April against WBA belt holder Eimantas Stanionis, so there will be a lot of negotiations ahead, however, Crocker or Donovan should secure a world title shot at some stage, most likely within the next 12 months.
Promoter Eddie Hearn is planning for either scenario, whether he looks towards another Belfast world champion to follow in the footsteps of Anthony Cacace, Carl Frampton and Ryan Burnett, or travels south along the Shannon to see Donovan mirror Andy Lee’s feat of winning the world crown.
Either way, tonight’s fight continues the recent revival of the Irish professional men’s scene, since the crowning of Cacace as IBF super featherweight champion, having long played second fiddle to the Katie Taylor-dominated women's boxing world.
Others are approaching world level, including Aaron McKenna, Callum Walsh and Pierce O’Leary, which augurs well for the sport on the island, however, all eyes will be on this Belfast bout in what looks set to be an intriguing battle of styles of two unbeaten fighters.
Crocker has been in the paid ranks since 2017, enjoys a flawless record of 20 wins, and was crowned European champion back in 2020, however, his career stalled when he did not fight in 2022 before making his way back up the ladder in the division.
A different approach under new coach Billy Nelson in Scotland has seen his star shine in recent years and Crocker made light work of the all-Belfast encounter with renowned brawler Tyrone McKenna in December 2023.
Two more wins last year has led to the clash with Donovan and there is little to separate the fighters in what is widely being touted as a classic 50:50 encounter.
Donovan, of course, has been in the spotlight since arriving on the scene with three rapid-fire wins throughout the last three months of 2019.
Fighting under the tutelage of fellow Limerick man Lee, Donovan appears to possess all the credentials to make it to the top with his engaging style and image to match.
With just 14 professional fights under his belt – his first 10-round bout was little over a year ago – there is an element of the fast-track to his rise to world-title eliminator, however, he proved that he is certainly on the right path by beating Lewis Ritson in Leeds last May.
Those nine rounds, before the knockout, are the furthest that Donovan has been taken since moving into the paid ranks and while he now finds himself in a 12-rounder with Crocker, very few expect it to go the distance.
Crocker is renowned for his heavy hands and is widely regarded as having one of the most powerful punches in Irish boxing, while Donovan also possesses power and will attempt to prove too elusive for his Belfast opponent.
Both fighters are full of confidence coming into the bout, however, there is also a mutual respect, which shows that they are well aware of each other’s strengths.
At the pre-fight press conference, trainer Lee made a point of insisting that this fight was not a battle of traditions, following some previous references to a Celtic-Rangers rivalry.
Crocker grew up a mere stone’s throw from the press conference venue, the Europa Hotel, on Sandy Row, yet just like with the aforementioned Frampton and Burnett, politics and religion are left outside the boxing arena, maintaining that proud Belfast tradition that has existed since the days of Barry McGuigan, Dave 'Boy' McAuley, and Wayne McCullough.
"That is not what it is about," said Lee. "This is two great fighters, and you are in for a treat, their styles will match, and they are going to go at it from the first bell.
"I’ve talked Paddy up since the day he turned pro in 2019, the first time I saw him in the national stadium, I was blown away. Everything I’ve seen since then has only confirmed that, and Saturday night will be the unveiling of the new superstar in the welterweight division, Paddy Donovan.
"Paddy is the type of guy that thrives in the limelight, the more attention he gets, the happier he is. We’ve prepared mentally as well as physically, and he’s ready for that environment.
"I don’t think the fight ends by decision, whether it’s Lewis winning or Paddy winning, one of these guys is going down as they both punch very hard. I believe in my man and Billy believes in his, so we’ll see, but I think Paddy wins by knockout, I’ve envisioned, we’ve trained for it and that’s what we’re going for."
Donovan comes into the fight in incredible condition, having worked in camp with fellow Lee-trainee, Joseph Parker, who secured a victory in Saudi Arabia last weekend, beating late stand-in Martin Bakole.
As it turns out, Lee is looking to make it a double this weekend as Crocker’s trainer Nelson was also in the opposite corner to the Limerick man for that heavyweight clash.
But Nelson is quietly confident that his fighter will be the last man standing at the sold-out Belfast show, having prepared meticulously for Donovan’s style in the company of former world champion, Josh Taylor.
"Training has just been so good," said Nelson. "The very, very best of sparring, and Lewis has been exceptional in the full camp. I don’t believe there are many welterweights that punch harder than him in the world, and I fully expect a knockout win."
Crocker himself looked extremely relaxed and quietly confident ahead of the bout, putting the pressure on Donovan to perform, almost happy to take on the role of underdog against a potential poster boy for the division.
"I’ve always said Paddy is good, he’s the next superstar and I’m only British [title] level in his eyes, I feel that all the pressure is on him, he should be taking me out in one or two rounds if that’s the case, but I’m here to upset the party."
And as for Donovan’s ill-advised Old Firm comments in the build-up, Crocker believes that they will do nothing other than strengthen the Belfast bond as he looks to emulate the likes of Frampton by becoming a regular headline act by the banks of the River Lagan in the city’s Titanic Quarter.
The proud Sandy Row native felt that his Protestant background ruled him out of getting selected for the 2015 Commonwealth Youth Games, when the Ulster Boxing Council (UBC) did not pick him despite being recommended by the Irish Amateur Boxing Association's head coach for Ulster.
Crocker took a case against the UBC in 2018 and received a hefty settlement, having been supported by the Equality Commission.
The boxer's cross-community credentials are beyond doubt, having boxed out of West Belfast's Holy Trinity club in Turf Lodge, coming through with fellow professional fighters Caoimhin Agyarko and Sean McComb.
Crocker also won seven All-Ireland junior titles and represented Ireland at the European Schoolboy Championships back in 2011, winning bronze.
And Crocker also made the point that this quite unique fight of two quality Irish professionals going head-to-head at the top level was not meant to be divisive across his city nor the island of Ireland, but rather just a battle of two boxers from two different cities.
"It’s not North v South, it’s Belfast versus Limerick. All of Belfast is behind me," said Crocker.
