Lewis Crocker insists he is ready and eager to take on Irish rival Paddy Donovan next after beating Kona Walker in a hard-fought 10-round contest on Saturday night.
The welterweight contenders fought out one of the best bouts of the year in Birmingham and although Belfast's Crocker emerged victorious, both Crocker and Walker left the ring with greater reputations.
After a hard-fought battle, both fighters achieved everything they set out to do, but their opponents proved tougher, more physically fit and more determined than they'd imagined.
As stated before the fight, Crocker regularly landed ferocious power punches on Walker that would have immobilised a lesser fighter, but the 29-year-old from Wolverhampton took it all and kept moving forward.
Meanwhile, Walker maintained a strong pace throughout the bout, taking Crocker to a level he'd never seen before, and rather than crumbling under the pressure as Walker expected, Crocker held his own against Walker, stepping to the canvas and landing ferocious combinations even after the final bell rang.
After ten hard-fought rounds, the judges preferred Crocker's clean, hard punches to Walker's sawing attacks and awarded him a narrow, unanimous decision victory.
“He came forward and I had to box for a few rounds. I used my jab well. It was a great fight and I thought I won in the second or third round. It was a good fight and a tough test. Well done Kona Walker,” the 27-year-old Crocker said after the fight.
“I felt like I landed the bigger punches on him. I wasn't hurt once during the fight, but I hurt him a few times. His pressure was very good and we put on a good fight for the fans.”
“We had a lot of respect for each other and there will always be nothing but respect between me and him. I'm sure he'll come back, he'll win the belt and maybe we'll face each other in a few years.”
“I'm a 147-pound fighter, I believe I'm two fights away from a world title and I'm ready for whatever comes next.”
One of the two bouts is looking increasingly likely to be a fascinating all-Ireland showdown with the unbeaten Donovan at 14-0 (11 KOs). The slick southpaw from Limerick beat Lewis Ritson last month and with both fighters now cleared in the schedule, the door could be clear for a showdown in late autumn. Crocker, 20-0 (11 KOs), knows a meeting between the two is inevitable.
“100 per cent. I think it's the biggest fight in Ireland so it's absolutely going to happen. It doesn't matter if it's the next fight or the two fights, it's going to happen,” he said, only to hear Donovan, who was sitting ringside, say neither Crocker nor Walker could live with him.
“Yeah, I'll go. I'll fight him next, no problem. I don't think it's safe for him. Let's see,” he said.
“I'll fight anybody. Eddie Hearn knows I'm the guy. I'll fight anybody, whatever the name is. I'm ready to fight. Whatever the name is, let's give it a go.”
