South Belfast man makes the first defence of his WBO European welterweight title in Bolton tonight
HAVING claimed his first professional title last time out, Lewis Crocker will look to start climbing the ladder towards further honours when he makes the first defence of the WBO European welterweight strap against Germany’s Deniz Ilbay in Bolton on Friday night (live here).
The 24-year-old South Belfast man produced a career-best performance to claim the title and improve to 12-0 against Louis Greene back in August, so it all seems to be coming together for ‘The Croc’ as the challenges get tougher.
The former Holy Trinity amateur made a blistering start to life in the pro ranks when turning over in 2017, living up to his power-punching reputation with six-straight knockout wins.
That run came to an end against the uber-durable William Warburton at Windsor Park in August 2018 when he went the distance for the first time and a further four victories on the scorecards would follow.
Crocker may be known for the dynamite in his fists, but he is no slouch when it comes to the fundamentals and having once again linked-up with trainer Dee Walsh, it appeared against Greene that he had found the right combination.
Perhaps chasing the stoppages left him a little predictable for a spell, but having gone back to basics, he looked much more balanced in his title win with the boxing skills unlocking the door for an impressive finish.
Still in his early 20s, Crocker is still short of reaching his peak, so the road ahead seems full of promise for the Sandy Row man who is determined to push on this year, beginning on Friday against Ilbay.
“I’m delighted that I’m fighting again and it’s great to get back in the swing of things,” he said.
“Ilbay has won several titles and has been in there with world class opposition, so I’m expecting my toughest test.
“My mindset hasn’t changed whatsoever, I’m still as hungry as ever and I definitely don’t plan on losing my belt.”
Crocker had built his career on undercards of some big events including that night at Windsor Park, but having got the opportunity to be front and centre against Greene, he rose to the occasion with toughness, skill and the tools to close the show.
That proved that the lights were not too bright for the talented Crocker and having had a taste of being the star attraction, he is hungry for more as his reputation continues to grow throughout the boxing community.
“Headlining another show is quite special, and it’s all good experience for me and my progression throughout my career,” he continued.
“Training has been great and all the boxes have been ticked.
This Friday it’s just about going in there and putting on a good performance. The plan is to win this fight, and then add more titles to my resume and remain unbeaten.”
He will face a tricky customer tonight with Ilbay coming to the ring with a record of 22-2.
The 26-year-old from Cologne has picked up a couple of fringe titles in his career, with his two defeats on points.
The German has 10 stoppage wins so he appears to carry enough pop to keep opponents honest, but perhaps his promise of fireworks may not be the best course of action against a man who is arguably Irish boxing’s biggest puncher.
A victory for the German would help catapult his career onto the next level, so he can’t be taken lightly and will arrive in England full of confidence he can spring the surprise.
“I’m excited to be standing in the ring again and to be able to deliver fireworks,” he said.
“In the past year I have become stronger and improved on a lot of things. I’m so excited to fight in front of such a huge audience, even if they are only behind their TVs.
“I will be pleased once I’m sitting on the airplane on the way back from the UK to Germany, because that means the fight did happen and I will be the WBO European welterweight champion. Winning that title is all I want right now.”
Lewis Crocker is happy to be the headline attraction for the second time 
Such a scenario is not one that the defending champion is even willing to entertain given his career now seems to have real traction.
Ranked at number 14 in the world by the WBO whose welterweight champion is none other than Terence ‘Bud’ Crawford, Crocker will not be happy to simply settle for what he has.
Instead, there is the potential for him to do something really special in the sport and that is exactly what he is targeting.
Ilbay will ask questions on Friday, but to reach that next level these are the tests Crocker must pass in style and having ticked every box to date, another impressive showing will open the door to bigger and better opportunities.
“I’m a champion now so it’s different,” he agreed.
“People want to take the belt from me. It’s taken me 12 fights to get that belt and I won’t be letting it go.
“The end goal is to win even bigger titles, and each fight is a steppingstone to get where I want to be. I’m progressing well enough and getting right opponents at the right time.”
