Just where to begin with Saturday's wild night at the SSE Arena? Lewis Crocker remains undefeated and as it stands, will move on to challenge for the IBF welterweight title, but did so due to Paddy Donovan's disqualification at the end of round eight.

Donovan had been on top, banking every round on two of the scorecards, but had been his own enemy at times with use of the head and elbow seeing points deducted in rounds six and eight. However, it would get worse when he threw a shot after the bell that decked Crocker and referee Marcus McDonnell felt he had no other option but to wave it off.

It sparked chaos in the stands with a mass brawl breaking out involving a large number of people that took a few minutes to sort out as confusion also swept around as to what exactly had happened. But it was declared a win by DQ for Belfast's Crocker, meaning Donovan suffered his first loss but in a fight in which the Limerick had seemed to be well on his way to winning.

It left more questions than answers and the chances of a rematch are probably high, although whether the IBF order one is another matter as there is little dispute that the shot that ended it all was late.

But there is also little debate where this fight seemed to be heading and between the point deduction and disqualification in the eighth, Crocker had legitimately been dropped, wearing the scars of battle from early in the fight with a cut over one eye and nasty swelling under the other.

"That's not how I want to win a fight," said Crocker.

"But I heard the bell, couldn't see because I'm getting hit with the head all night. I dropped my hands and that's what caused the knockdown.

"Our plan was to work in the second half of the fight as as I said, I couldn't see with this (swollen) eye. I was getting hit with the head and the elbow at one stage that wasn't caught. I heard the bell, dropped my hands and a punch came out of nowhere."

The mood was a mixture of disappointment and anger in the Donovan dressing room with the fighter visibly upset and his coach, Andy Lee seething at referee McDonnell.

"It's hard to put it into words really," said Donovan.

"I've worked very, very hard for this tonight. It's an emotional time. I thought I'd Lewis gone. I dropped him, I went in for the finish,  landed a combination, the bell went, didn't see no ref, continued the combination and I thought I'd knock Lewis out. But my manager put in an appeal and let's get the rematch back on the road."

Lee was not for mincing his words, adding: "Marcus McDonald, I don't know him personally, I have nothing against him personally, but his performance tonight was nothing short of a disgrace.

"Lewis was hurt. He fought a great fight but he was hurt badly. Paddy had him down, on the way to finishing him, the bell rings. It's so loud in that place, you can't hear a thing. The referee is supposed to be here. Firstly, to save the fighter. He should be ashamed of it because Lewis shouldn't have took that punch, Paddy shouldn't have lost that fight. End of."

Lee could not be argued with regarding the noise inside the arena as the roof almost came off during the ringwalks and provided a deafening backdrop for this eagerly-anticipated battle.

From the off, Crocker covered up to head and body, giving Donovan little to aim at although the Limerick man was busier and it began to open up in the second as they both got through with shots on the inside, but Donovan was dictating the terms and seemed into a flow, seeking to target the body in order to open up  gaps.

A cut appeared over Crocker's right eye in the third and a welt emerged on the other side in the fourth with Crocker complaining to the referee about what he felt were fouls, yet there were visible signs that 'The Real Deal' was making a dent his speed was hugely effective as he was first to land when they were at middle distance. 

Donovan had been warned on a couple of occasions for use of the elbow and in the sixth, it was once too many as a point was deducted.

Still, the sense was that Donovan was in the lead on the cards and Crocker needed something to get a bit of momentum to bring his crowd back to life and a couple of shot shots did that in seven, but Donovan's use of the head saw him on the end of another scolding and perhaps fortunate not to lose another point.

His response was to up the pace as he threw in flurries, closing out the round in good style and seemed to be on top in the eighth as he marched forward, but did indeed lose that second point for use of the head and on extremely thin ice. 

Again he upped the pace and a shot into the mid-section has Crocker down. The Belfast man rose and threw some wild shots as they heard the bell, but Donovan wasn't done and perhaps in an effort to show he was having the final say, threw well after the bell on a vulnerable Crocker who was down and there was no option but to call it.

Crocker lands with a left
3Gallery

Crocker lands with a left

It was an unsatisfactory end to it, but Crocker's manager, Jamie Conlan felt the referee was left with no option but to disqualify Donovan and although there is talk of a rematch, insists his man will go after that shot for a world title.

"The fight was hostile, it was intense, it was high octane, and it was dirty - and it was a disqualification," he opined.

"But the way the fight ended was unique. He committed fouls, has to be reprimanded. He got two points took off him .On the third one, he gets disqualified. That's the rules. 

"At this moment in time, we're next in line to fight for the IBF world title. So all intentions are looking for Lewis Crocker to be fighting for the world title."

But a rematch may be on the cards and whether that comes down to the IBF opting to offer one to Donovan or Crocker deciding he would like to settle the debate is to be seen, but promoter Eddie Hearn is certainly keen on the idea and believes it is a stadium fight.

Donovan throws a right
3Gallery

Donovan throws a right

"The fight was massive tonight and a rematch would be twice the size," he said.

"I would like to see it because I think it's a huge fight. I think really it's going to come down to the IBF, if I'm honest. If they ordered a rematch, the rematch is on. But if not, maybe Lewis Crocker says: 'No, I'm good, thanks. I'm  just going to sit back and wait for my shot for the world title'. 

"If you get 8,000 tonight, how many do you do for a rematch? Windsor Park is a stadium that would be great to fill. It's really in Lewis Crocker's hands until the IBF make their decision. But there's going to be a lot of demand for the rematch and probably a lot of pressure as well. But ultimately, it may be out of everybody's hands once the IBF make their decision."