The winner of the all-Ireland clash between Paddy Donovan and Lewis Crocker should be in line to fight the IBF welterweight champion Jarron “Boots” Ennis.
Donovan, 14-0 (11 KOs), and Crocker, 20-0 (11 KOs), meet at the SSE Arena in Belfast on March 1 in a fight that will do brisk business – so much so that the promoter Eddie Hearn is hoping to have the venue’s capacity increased for fight night.
The contest represents a final eliminator for Ennis’ title.
“That is confirmed with the IBF,” Hearn told Matchroom. “Crocker-Donovan is a final eliminator for the mandatory position for Jarron Ennis. It is a massive fight.”
For the past 12-to-18 months, the Irishmen have appeared to be on a collision course – which is why Hearn expects a busy night in the former Odyssey Arena.
“The response for that fight – we’ve got a problem,” the promoter continued. “Because the date in that arena would only allow us I think five or six thousand, because there’s something else in, on the Sunday or something. So I said to Frank Smith, ‘You’ve got to get that arena as big as possible, because the demand has been massive, and I want a real lively undercard the night as well’.
“We’ll sell the whole Odyssey out if we’re allowed. So hopefully we can go from six to nine [thousand] or whatever it is.”
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