New Faces: Paddy Donovan

Paddy Donovan - Photo by Mikey Williams/Top Rank Inc via Getty Images

Jan

by Anson Wainwright |

NEW FACES: PADDY DONOVAN

Age: 25

Home country: Limerick, Ireland

Weight class: welterweight

Height: 5-foot-9 (175 cm)

Amateur record: 166-7

Turned pro: 2019

Pro record: 12-0 (9 knockouts)

Trainer: Andy Lee

Manager: Andy Lee and Keith Sullivan

Promoter: Matchroom Boxing

Twitter: @PaddyDonovan23

Best night of pro career and why: One night stands out for Donovan above all so far.

“My last fight (November 25, 2023) on the Katie Taylor undercard at the 3Arena Dublin,” Donovan told The Ring. “To win such a hyped fight on Irish soil in front of a sold out Irish crowd, doing it in tremendous fashion, means my name is a real challenger going forward at the welterweight division.

“On top of the amazing night, Eddie Hearn regards me as the best fighter coming out of Ireland. With a big year planned and a life changing time ahead, I do think it all started with just that one win last time out. Everywhere I go I’m noticed and I love the attention, even though sometimes in my city (Limerick) it’s hard to the normal things I once did. I do love when I’m noticed everywhere I go. To have so many young kids wanting to see me and hold the belt reminds me of when I was young.”

Worst night of pro career and why: The 25-year-old had to fight through a hand injury, which understandably hampered his performance .

“I fought Siar Ozgul who previously [fought former] world champion [Viktor Postol],” he said. “he said.” The fight started well until I landed a left hand to the head and broke my left hand really bad in the first round. I continued to fight in pain until the fourth round when I knocked him out.”

What’s Next: Donovan will look to continue to build on what he considers a career-best win when he faces Williams Andres Herrera on Saturday.

“I am looking forward to putting on an amazing show in the famous Ulster Hall venue where I made my professional debut and got a knockout,” he said. “The crowd went wild. I’m looking forward to doing the same on the 27th.”

Herrera (15-2, 6 KOs) turned professional in 2018. The Argentine fighter won his first three before coming unstuck against compatriot Joel Mafauad (MD 6). The 27-year-old returned with 12 consecutive wins in his homeland before losing in Canada to Josh Wagner (UD 10).

Donovan should have too much for Herrera, however, it will be interesting to see if he can force a stoppage against a man who hasn’t been previously stopped. If he can do that it would help continue his mission statement.

Paddy Sullivan (left) and Keith Sullivan (right)- Photo by Team Sullivan

Why he’s a prospect: Donovan was a 13-time national champion at various different levels. He represented Ireland at many tournaments from the age of 11.

However, one particular tournament stands out: “Winning the AIBA World Junior Championship silver medal was my best achievement for my country.”

Although the Olympics is seen as the pinnacle of the amateur side of boxing, it wasn’t meant to be for Donovan.

“I turned pro before the Olympic games, I had previously beaten Aiden Walsh in the Olympic qualifiers,” he explained. “He went on to win a bronze at the Olympic Games, but I had just turned professional with Top Rank.”

Donovan has sparred with notable fighters such as junior middleweight contender Josh Kelly, as well as rising junior welterweights Richardson Hitchins and recently minted European champion Adam Azim.

He feels several things set him apart from the competition.

“I believe my best strengths as a fighter is my boxing, my footwork, to know when to land precisely at the right time,” he said. “I also believe I’m an extremely big puncher for my weight division.”

Former middleweight world champion Andy Lee has known Donovan since he was a youngster winning Irish national titles.

“We started working together in 2019 after I watched him box and saw his talent,” said the boxer turned trainer. “What impressed me was his speed. Speed of hand, feet and thought. How he made adjustments and improvised in the moment.”

Matchroom boss, Eddie Hearn, is particularly excited about the recruitment of Donovan.

“I can’t tell you how many times a day – people who I respect, trainers, managers – say, ‘I’ve got a kid that is really special,’ and I’m like, ‘OK,'” said Hearn. “And Andy Lee for three or four years has been telling me how special Paddy Donovan is. Obviously, he started his career with Top Rank and I was watching from a far thinking this kid looks good. Once we got the opportunity to work with him again, we took it.

“Lucky for him, the timing was good with the two big Irish shows, he won the first one but for me it was the last performance, the standout performance, the knockout that really made him catch fire.

“He’s a good looking kid, he’s got an exciting style, love the link up with Andy Lee, he’s a really good talent, smart fighter, can really punch. We hear he’s doing fantastically well in his sparring against top guys.

“So for us he’s a big part of our plans, particularly as we continue to expand in Ireland. He’s back out on January 27 and then he’s back out on Katie Taylor card, probably in May. He’s ready to start moving quickly, I think he’s a very exciting prospect. Big star for the future. ”

Why he’s a suspect: Outwardly there is no obvious flaw, he has developed nicely. However, he not content to stand still.

“There is always something to improve on as a young fighter,” he said. “I always like to learn and listen to my coach, Andy Lee. I would like to continue in the gym outside of camp. I’m trying really hard for the next couple of years and reap the rewards.”

Lee also believes his fighter has room for growth.

“Paddy is very accomplished, but he can always improve,” said Lee. “I think picking up experience is the key now and as he steps up in competition, he will get that in his fights.”

Andy Lee (left) and Paddy Sullivan (right) – Photo by Team Sullivan

Hearn concurs with Lee.

“Just the experience, and I think sometimes when you’ve got that kind of style, he’s a fighter who fights of reflex and flow, sometimes when you get to a certain level. Like you saw with Sunny Edwards, once you saw someone who can change up the pace it gets a little bit difficult,” said Hearn. “I think he just needs to mature a little bit as a fighter, get the experience.”

Interestingly, the fighter was allowed to leave Top Rank, who are renowned for having the best matchmakers in the business.

“We left on mutual terms,” he explained. “I have not one thing bad to say about Top Rank. They were exceptional to me and my team when I started working with Top Rank.

“Our aim was to keep busy, then Covid came, and my professional career slowed down on top of having a bad hand injury. We could not get the fight that we wanted, so we said it was for the best. We went to Matchroom and Eddie Hearn, and they can provide us with the right fights going forward.”

Hearn was also quick to downplay the fact that Top Rank is no longer associated with the fighter.

“It’s difficult when you have an Irish fighter and you’re an American promoter,” said the loquacious promoter. “That can work on the East coast, but really if you’re an Irish fighter you need to be fighting in England and particularly Ireland, and luckily now with what we’re doing, we’re going to do more and more shows in Ireland, so we were the right fit for him.”

Storylines: Donovan, who was born in Ennis, Ireland before moving south to nearby Limerick, enjoyed a good childhood.

“I had a great father and mother who took care of a family of 10 kids, me included,” he said. “It wasn’t easy, but they managed to do a great job, not just with me, but with all my family, growing up in a big family of brothers and sisters, and also having 100 cousins. You could say there was some wild times.

“I grew up really close to my younger brother, Edward. He is also a professional fighter now with an 8-0 record. We did everything together from sitting in the police station, waiting mum and dad to pick us up, to being in the gym shortly afterwards. You could say we were just like any young kids wanting to explore more than we should have. But we were grateful to have a great dad who made sure we were good as we got older.”

Donovan’s father kept his young son’s in the gym and it paid off.

“Between me and Edward we have 25 national titles, a European, World gold and silver,” he said. “And between us now as professionals we have 19 fights with zero losses.”

“The Real Deal” has an active few months planned for him: “We have three fights lined up: One on the 27th, another on May 20th in Croke Park in Dublin, and then my homecoming in my city of Limerick during the summer.”

Donovan has loftier ambitions further down the road.

“My goal in boxing is to become world champion, an Irish sports icon, and to be able to have young kids from my city look up to me and say, ‘I want to be just like Paddy Donovan,'” he said. “To bring the world title to my city would be a dream and to let my dad hold the belt and thank him for keeping me off the streets and in the gym all these years.”

Away from boxing, he likes to spend time with his wife, Ellie and their children. He also enjoys all types of sports amongst other things.

“You can say I am an all-around athlete,” he said. “I love to play hurling, which is Ireland biggest sport.

“I like hunting rabbits. Bringing my little girls swimming and to gymnastics. That’s it really, you could say I just like being a dad.”

Fight-By-Fight Record

2023

Nov. 25 – Danny Ball – TKO 4

May 20 – Sam O’maison – TKO 5

April 1 – Luis Da Silva – TKO 1

2022

Aug. 6 – Tom Hill – PTS 8

Feb. 26 – Miroslav Serban – TKO 6

2021