ON Friday evening Limerick’s Paddy Donovan took a big step closer to his dream of winning a world title by defeating Karen Chukhadzhian in a IBF welterweight eliminator.
The impressive comeback performance was his first since the devastating loss against Belfast’s Lewis Crocker in Windsor Park last September. Fighting in Mannheim, Germany The ‘Real Deal’ dropped his opponent twice before getting the decision. Ukrainian Chukhadzhian’s record was 26-3 going into the bout so he was certainly no push-over and could have been a risky fight for Donovan who couldn’t afford to lose for the third time in a row.
Donovan moves to 15-2, his two losses coming at the hands of the Lewis Crocker. The boxing world will be licking their lips at the prospect of a trilogy fight between the pair, which could be in Croke Park later this year.
However, Crocker has the not-so-small task of defending his world title against Australia’s Liam Paro in Brisbane in June. As the away fighter, Crocker will have to work even harder to ensure victory against a seasoned opponent and ex-world champion in Paro.
Irish boxing fans will want the fairytale of a trilogy bout as part of Katie Taylor’s final dance in Dublin’s Croke Park, but the IBF welter-weight division remains hotly contested and both Crocker and Donovan will be focused on one thing: being world champion.
