Paddy Donovan believes victory over Lewis Crocker in Belfast on Saturday will allow him to go on and dominate the welterweight division.
The two Irishmen meet in a rematch of their March fight at Windsor Park Stadium in what is likely to be a crowd of some 20,000 raucous fans.
Donovan was handily winning their first fight until he struck Crocker after the bell to close the eighth-round and was disqualified.
It had been an eliminator for the IBF title, and after the IBF ordered an immediate return, Jaron Ennis vacated the title, meaning they now meet with the vacant belt on the line.
Donovan believes the division is there for the taking.
“I can’t sit there and lie to you and say that welterweight is closed off and there are some amazing fighters,” said Limerick’s Donovan. “I think everybody is beatable now in the welterweight division. I think for this part of my career coming through it’s probably the best chance I’m gonna get to become a world champion. Everybody can beat everybody. Nobody’s perfect.
“They all have flaws; every single fighter. I believe 10 or 15 years ago, the welterweights were a lot higher standard than they are today, and I’ve seen that and I’ve studied it. I’m not stupid. I’ve put so many hours looking at these fighters and I believe every one of them is vulnerable.”
The Andy Lee-trained Donovan is 14-1 (11 KOs) and ready to fulfil his promise.
“I believe Conor Benn, Mario Barrios, Norman Junior, all these champions and fighters that are there as champions or on the brink of becoming champions are beatable,” Donovan went on.
“There’s no denying the fact that the welterweight division right now I think is wide open, I think it’s a great time for me to push through. I obviously think I’m good enough to become the world champion.”
There are big names, and Donovan knows fights will be easier to make if he is bringing a title to the negotiating table.
“Domestically we have Conor Benn, one of the best fighters in the world in the UK, it’s a potential big fight, massive fight that I'd love to make. Manny Pacquiao is still hanging about, Norman Jr, Mario Barrios, Devin Haney, all these fighters so it's a great time to be in the mix of the best fighters in the world. I believe this fight will just put me in the right position to challenge the best fighters in the world.”
Donovan is also full of confidence knowing he was in control in the first fight with Crocker.
While Belfast’s Crocker believes things will be different this time, Donovan remains certain he carries an edge going into fight week.
“Look, I'm looking forward to getting the job done against Lewis Crocker,” Donovan added.
“Every fight is different, it’s a contact sport, but I can’t deny the fact that if I was to pick a guy for a world title right now in the welterweight division, if I had a chance to pick Lewis Crocker and he was in the mix, I’d pick him first to fight. I think I’ve got the read on Lewis. I think I’ve got the ability to beat him no matter if it’s in Belfast, Dublin, Limerick, Cork, wherever in Ireland. It comes down to two athletes in the ring, and I just think I’m the better athlete.”
