BELFAST – Now is the time for Paddy Donovan to make right those who have always believed he could be something special.

If he does, he will move closer to fights with the very best in the world at 147lbs.

First, on Saturday at the SSE Arena in Belfast, Northern Ireland, the Limerick hopeful must get by his toughest test to date, against Belfast’s Lewis Crocker. 

Both are undefeated and the fight has generated a huge amount of enthusiasm from the Irish public. 

Eddie Hearn indicated that the winner could be a fight or two from the likes of Teofimo Lopez or Devin Haney, and that clearly excites Donovan.

He meets Crocker in an eliminator for the IBF welterweight title, although it is likely the champion Jaron Ennis will be looking in another direction. That means the winner could fight for the vacant title. Win that, and they’re in the territory the promoter discussed.

“I believe ability-wise, I’m as good as any one of them in ability,” Donovan told BoxingScene on the eve of his biggest fight. “It’s just fame has them boys above all of us, I think. For me to win this fight and for the ability to fight them I think I have the ability to beat them, so to be put in the mix with them is major for me, my family, for the Irish boxing, for sports in general. But, ability-wise, I believe I can hang with any one of them.”

Crocker, 28, is bringing a noisy crowd, but while Donovan’s fans will likely be outnumbered, they will still be heard. A tinderbox is expected on a night that has captured the imagination here.

“Belfast is a crazy place,” Donovan grinned. “The atmosphere can be quite towards him or it could be 50-50. There’s a lot of Irish boxing fans down south; a lot of people support me from Belfast and I know there’s thousands travelling to see me fight, so to say it’ll be hostile. I don’t know. We’ll see. But I’m just prepared for Lewis and prepared to fight him in the ring and quit out the crowd as much as I can and concentrate on the job I have in hand. It’s going to be electric. It’s going to be big. It’s something that you want as a fighter, you want to be in these positions. There’s 9,000 people in the arena but you’re the one standing up there, so that alone is a win-win and yeah, [I’m] just excited to get through all that and just let the bell go, close the doors, lock the doors, leave the 9,000 people and let us entertain.”

There has been plenty of back and forth between both the fighters and the camps, but it has remained respectful. Pride is on the line and there is clearly admiration from each side. That said, Donovan implies that too much has been made of Crocker’s power. Crocker has 11 stoppages from his 20 wins.  

“Yeah, he’s a good fighter, he’s probably the best opponent I’ve fought,” Donovan admitted. “Again, you don’t know until I’m in there how good he is, but so far his career has been good, so we’ll see. He’s [got] 50 per cent knockouts; he’s a strong fighter. He’s dangerous. He’s wild, but when you have 50 per cent knockout that means 10 of his opponents, most of them being journeymen, have gone the distance, so we’ll see. If he’s what they say he is, we’ll get to see it on Saturday.” 

Donovan’s coach, Andy Lee, has always been high on the skills of his charge, but Donovan has, at times, been criticised for failing to dazzle in some of his fights on his way to being 14-0 (11 KOs).

Aged 26, Donovan believes now is the time for him to start showing what he is capable of.

“I think this is it, we’re going to see the really start of something special and I mean that,” Donovan said. “I think this is going to be my best performance. Boxing, fighting, outside, inside, you’re going to see everything. I’ve got the best team, I’ve worked with George Lockhart, I’ve worked with Andy more, I’ve put in more work than I possibly thought I could imagine and my diet and nutrition has been on point for the first time in my career, so I’ve done everything right.” 

He also is saying all of the right things about the big occasion, and how he will feel comfortable when the pressure is cranked up on Saturday.

“I love when people say, ‘Oh, Paddy’s fighting, oh that’s Paddy Donovan’. I get a thrill from this. Some people, it’s different. I love being in the limelight. I love these events. I love being a part of these big platforms and I’m just excited to fight – just fight.” 

Of course, it is former the world middleweight champion Lee who will be inspiring Donovan. Along with Carl Frampton, Terence Crawford, Kell Book, Bernard Dunne, and Willie Casey, Donovan has been inspired by those who came before him. 

Lee was a venomous puncher, and also a southpaw, who created a highlight reel of stunning finishes. 

He scored 24 knockouts in his 35 wins and it was climbing off the floor to stop John Jackson in Madison Square Garden that most stays in Donovan’s memory.

“Jackson was probably the best that you can think of and the most vivid in everyone’s mind,” he said. “I think that was the best. I’ve seen so many highlights of it. Yeah, it’s a memory that you’d never forget, really.”

Lee first caught sight of Donovan a few years later, fighting in an amateur tournament, and Lee’s reputation not only as a boxer but for having an astute boxing brain that had learned plenty from both coaches Emanuel Steward and Adam Booth instantly appealed to the impressionable Donovan. 

“For Andy to come out of retirement [as a fighter] and to turn up a professional boxing coach for me to be his first fighter, for him to make the decision to go down that road to be a coach and to pick me, select me as his first fighter was an amazing feeling,” Donovan revealed. “I’ve been his first fighter, he’s been through some good fighters since, but yeah, we’re here and to win this fight and fight for the world title would be brilliant for me to give it back for all the work Andy’s put into me.” 

It is also time for Donovan to show what Lee has long discussed; to take the handbrake off and show the gifts we have long heard about.

“You see,” said Donovan. “It’s what Andy sees in the gym. He sees the sparring partners and the way I perform all the time. It’s a natural thing for me. I don’t at it look like, ‘Oh I have to impress Andy or I have to impress anybody’. It’s just who I am and it’s great to hear things like that coming from someone that is so high calibre and has been a world champion, so yeah, it’s brilliant. It’s a great feeling and it’s great to live up to these kind of things and perform.”