Category News

IBF welterweight world title: Lewis Crocker v Paddy Donovan

Venue: Windsor Park, Belfast Date: Saturday, 13 September

The rain poured, but not that many seemed to care.

Saturday, 8 August 2018 was a significant night in the career of Carl Frampton, who topped the bill at Windsor Park in Belfast.

It may not have been his first outdoor show in his home city – that famously came in September 2014 when Frampton won his first world title at the Titanic Slipways – but it would turn out to be his final foray in a boxing ring in Belfast.

If the 16,000 in attendance by the mouth of Belfast Lough survived the bitter cold on a night which is now firmly part of boxing folklore, the rain at the home of Northern Irish football four years later was a walk in the park.

A defence of the interim WBO featherweight title against Australia’s Luke Jackson may not have been top of Frampton’s wishlist for such an occasion, but it remained a huge draw with more than 20,000 packed into the stadium and a ninth-round stoppage for the home favourite.

“People always said ‘it must be a childhood dream to box at Windsor Park’, but how could it be to box at a football stadium? The dream at the start was about winning world titles, but I was lucky and privileged to do both,” Frampton told BBC Sport NI.

“The atmosphere was great. People talk about the rain, but I don’t remember that as we were under a canopy in the ring.

“I remember for the ring-walk, Jamie Moore [coach] told me not to get into the zone just yet, but take it all in. If you looked at my face, I was smiling and happy to be here, before you get in the ring and that changes.

For the fans that packed into Windsor Park, it was not just the sight of Frampton to get excited about as that night also marked the return of Tyson Fury in the second fight of his comeback.

The 10 rounds against the overmatched Francesco Pianeta were entirely forgettable, but the same couldn’t be said for what preceded it.

Then WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder was in attendance to run his eye over Fury, whom he would fight next in the first of their memorable trilogy that December.

At Friday’s weigh-in at the Europa Hotel, the American was in full hype mode, yelling ‘Bomb Squad’ – in reference to his ‘Bronze Bomber’ ring moniker – completely oblivious of his surroundings as the hotel once held the unenviable status as Europe’s most bombed hotel during the Troubles.

If this raised eyebrows, what would follow that evening would enter either infamy or folklore.

Wilder and middleweight champion Billy Joe Saunders got involved in an altercation in a city restaurant which culminated in Saunders throwing chicken at the heavyweight before being chased through the Belfast streets by an infuriated Wilder in front of stunned onlookers.

Although the heavyweight hoopla could have overshadowed Frampton on his big night, that added distraction served as a blessing for the Belfast man.

“Fight week was special,” Frampton recalls.

“The fact Fury was on the undercard, I quite liked, as it took a bit of the limelight off me in terms of media obligations, so it wasn’t as hectic for me. It was still my show and it was always selling out regardless.

“Fury’s fight wasn’t the most exciting in the world, but I can say the heavyweight of the time and former unified champion were on my undercard.

Lewis Crocker, who featured on that 2018 undercard when out-pointing William Warburton, is now the star for what is a historic night as he and Limerick’s Paddy Donovan fight for the IBF welterweight title – the first time two fighters from the island of Ireland have contested world honours.

However, it’s not the first world title to be contested at the stadium.

Earlier on that 2018 card, Paddy Barnes sought to win the WBC flyweight title in just his sixth professional outing against Cristofer Rosales.

The three-time Olympian, a close friend of Frampton, was bidding to make Irish history by becoming a world champion in the fewest fights, but despite a bright start, a crunching right hook to the body from the Nicaraguan would end the argument in the fourth round.

“I was still trying to decide what way to fight, ‘will I stand with him or will I box him?’ because I was having success doing both,” Barnes reflected.

“Then he caught me as I was throwing at the same time and I felt the full force of it. Victor Loughlin (referee) started counting but I don’t know why as I was never going to be able to get up.

“That fight I made less than I did against some journeymen, but money comes and goes. Legacy and history was more important than the money and I have no regrets whatsoever.

On Saturday night, Frampton will be on the other side of the ropes as the stars of today go into battle with the prize of the IBF welterweight title – one of boxing’s marquee divisions – in a rematch of a title eliminator Crocker won by disqualification in March.

Some of the all-time greats have reigned in the 147lb division, including Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao, Oscar De La Hoya, Felix Trinidad and ‘Sugar’ Ray Leonard, all the way back to the great ‘Sugar’ Ray Robinson and even Hillsborough native Jimmy McLarnin – regarded as the best Irish fighter of all time.

The significance of joining this club is not lost on the fighters and indeed, Frampton who predicts big things for this weekend’s winner.

“Paddy and Lewis get the chance to fight for a legitimate world title, so in some sense this is a bigger fight than mine,” said Frampton.

“It’s two Irishmen fighting for a world title for the first time; great for the city, great for the fighters and I’m looking forward to it.

“It’s going to be a hard fight for both.

Thomas Tuchel’s England World Cup blueprint faces the acid test against Serbia in the hothouse atmosphere of Belgrade’s Rajko Mitic Stadium.

England coach Tuchel only has seven more games before he names his squad for next summer’s World Cup, but the vital signs of serious progress have yet to be detected.

The dull 2-0 victory England ground out against Andorra made it four wins from four in qualifying. England will take a stride towards the showpiece if they can add another three points against Serbia.

England’s results have been flawless, they are yet to concede a goal – but performances have been drab, devoid of inspiration and lacking a clear identity under Tuchel since he succeeded Sir Gareth Southgate after Euro 2024.

Tuchel’s side have disposed of Andorra, twice, Albania and Latvia in a routine manner, but on Tuesday night England will enter hostile territory in Belgrade for a test of temperament they have yet to face under the German.

Serbia have been hit with a partial stadium closure reducing the near 52,000-capacity by 15% after supporters were guilty of bad behaviour, including “discrimination and racist abuse” against Andorra in June.

The environment is still expected to be boiling inside this atmospheric stadium – home to Red Star Belgrade – with conditions also likely to be extremely warm against Dragan Stojkovic’s talented side, who had a 1-0 win in Latvia on Saturday.

Even the tunnel has assumed legendary status – a two-minute, 240 metre walk from dressing rooms to the pitch. The tunnel is largely unchanged from when it was built in 1963, emerging from behind the goal where Red Star’s ‘ultras’ congregate for club games.

The ceiling is low and claustrophobic, the tunnel decorated with graffiti – all designed to act as inspiration for this highly-motivated Serbia team. If Dan Burn is selected, the 6ft 7in Newcastle United defender is unlikely be able to stretch to his full height walking out.

England captain Harry Kane knows what is awaiting the team, saying in Belgrade on Monday: “It’s going to be tough. It will be a difficult evening but we have had these games before and we’ve handled them well.

“It will be even more hostile and they will try to make it as difficult as they can for us.”

And there is no doubt Serbia will offer a threat to England.

Juventus forward Dusan Vlahovic will be a danger man, along with former Real Madrid forward Luka Jovic, now at AEK Athens.

Kane and company will be confronted by the formidable figure of Nottingham Forest central defender Nikola Milenkovic, but the spotlight will be on Tuchel and the search for indicators of progress in what has been, so far, a low-key and colourless transition from the Southgate era.

England are currently five points ahead of Serbia at the head of qualifying group K, having played a game more. Victory would surely put them in an impregnable qualifying position, but there was a steely confidence about coach Stojkovic when he addressed the media, along with Milenkovic, here on Monday.

Stojkovic was guarded when asked whether former Fulham striker Aleksandar Mitrovic, who has three goals in qualifiers, would start against England.

Tuchel was predictably upbeat about the win against Andorra, even though thousands of fans inside Villa Park voted with their feet, leaving well before the end.

He described this meeting with Serbia as “proof of concept” – and it will certainly be a more accurate measure of the direction England are taking under Tuchel than knocking aside stubborn minnows such as Andorra, ranked 174th in the world.

And Tuchel has no doubts, despite the evidence of laboured performances, that he is on the right track, saying: “I see what I see. I feel what I feel. I am convinced we will get better and better.”

He added: “We prepare for everything, we are in a very emotional sporting country – they have world class sportsmen, amazing talents in football and will have quality. We will face individual quality and a lot of emotion.

“It is our first away game together in a traditional stadium. I think the occasion will bring out the best in us.”

Tuchel’s job is simple. Win the World Cup, hence the 18-month contract and the belief he will then move on, irrespective of the outcome in Canada, Mexico and the United States.

And Tuchel has certainly upped the ante in public, suggesting this latest camp is a new phase of his World Cup planning, saying: “It was always in my head, on a white piece of paper, to use the first two camps to learn a lot and then use camps three, four and five for more competition and narrow it down.”

Tuchel has been using Kane as his striker, but whether he adopts a different system from the 4-4-1-1 shape remains to be seen, having utilised three central defenders in his coaching career.

With the clock ticking down, international camps at a premium and every moment with his players vital, the visit to Serbia is not only the toughest qualifier England will face – it is the ideal opportunity for Tuchel to put a personal stamp on the side, with so far little sign of an upgrade on what Southgate was delivering when he reached successive Euros finals.

Tuchel’s England have yet to fully reveal themselves with good performances; expected victories but pallid displays have even hinted at regression as opposed to progression.