AMERICAN writer Jimmy Cannon called it ‘the red light district of sports’.
His description won’t be far off tonight — as the meeting of Lewis Crocker and Paddy Donovan in Belfast will be boxing porn for Irish fans.
It is a battle between two explosive young knockout artists who know how to deliver the money shot.
Amateur stoppages are rare but both lads became known for flattening foes at a young age.
Since going pro, the same rules have applied.
Crocker, 28, stopped his first six opponents and his 20-0 slate includes 11 early finishes, which does not really tell the tale of the power he possesses.
The 26-year-old Donovan, at 14-0 and trained by Andy Lee, has also ended 11 of those bouts before the final bell.
It is a world title eliminator and a complete rarity in Irish boxing as two rising stars are pitted against each other as they climb that greasy pole towards a shot at the belt.
It is even being called the greatest Irish derby of all time with both camps showing supreme confidence.
Mick Conlan, who beat Laois’ former IBF champion TJ Doheny in a 2021 Belfast derby, summed up how tight this one is.
The two-time world title challenger told The Rocky Road podcast: “It’s two guys who are great fighters — both of them have world-title potential.
“Both can punch. Paddy can punch, no doubt he can punch.
“But Andy saying he punches . . . they believe he punches harder than Crocker and that half worries me because it makes me feel like they’re going to stand in front of him and they’re going to try and fight him.
“For Paddy, that worries me, because Andy might be saying that, but Adam Booth said to me that Crocker was the biggest puncher, pound for pound, that he’s ever took on the pads.
“He’s took David Haye, he’s took George Groves, he’s took Andy Lee — and he’s saying Crocker is the biggest puncher.
“I’m going, ‘Holy God, that guy must punch if he’s saying pound-for-pound he punches harder than these guys’.
“It’s an interesting fight. I believe Lewis late but anything can happen.
“You flip back and forth and you can see different scenarios and you know why both guys can win.
“But something for me leans towards Lewis by a late stoppage.
“If Paddy thinks, and this what I’ve heard, they’re going to stand in front of him? I don’t know how long it lasts.
“Lewis can take a punch, we haven’t seen Paddy hit by a big proper welterweight yet — and Lewis hits like a heavyweight.
“But how hard can Paddy hit Lewis, to hurt Lewis? He hits very hard, he hits very sharp, his body punching is fantastic. He’s probably the better technical boxer.
“This is what baffles me about Lewis — because Lewis can box. He has skill.
“But the guy loves to hurt people, to go to war, hit them hard and often. He loves hurting people.
“They can play that against him where they’re making him throw and counter. Or he could just break him.”
The bookies cannot split them and have given the same odds for both men.
SunSport has it 51:49 to Donovan — possibly getting the edge due to his sheer accuracy — but it is that close.
Conlan added: “I know the punch you’re talking about — the back hand to the body — I know the exact one, because he’s landed it on a couple of people and he lands it well.
“He’s a good fighter, a great fighter, with a great boxing brain.
“It’s whether or not he’ll be willing to take the risk of what’s coming back.
“But something tells me that Lewis will break him down.”
OTHER ACTION
The battle of local pals Tommy McCarthy and Stephen Ward offers firm support on the undercard.
Home hero Pádraig McCrory will take on England’s Craig Richards over ten rounds at light-heavyweight.
Olympian Kurt Walker faces a testing tussle with Leon Woodstock.
Tipp title hopeful Shauna Browne has been parachuted in for a collision with fellow unbeaten ace Elif Nur Turhan of Turkey.
And there is another all-Irish derby in the form of the Ruadhan Farrell v Gerard Hughes rematch.
