Belfast fighter Crocker spent most of the opening round marching forward with his hands high and tight, his elbows tucked, with southpaw Donovan looking for separation to let his fast hands go and its was the latter who was the busier.
The contest began to open up in the second as they both got through with shots on the inside, but Crocker was more economical as he seemed determined not to waste anything by throwing for the sake of it, yet this was allowing Donovan to get into a flow although he was forced to work non-stop.
A cut appeared over Crocker’s right eye in the third with referee McDonnell signalling it came from a punch and it was becoming a gruelling battle as the boxers traded up close.
Donovan seemed to use downstairs as his target with Crocker bringing the uppercut into play but he would find himself with a huge welt under the left eye by the end of the fourth.
These were visible signs that ‘The Real Deal’ was making a dent – his speed was hugely effective as he was first to land when they were at middle distance.
Donovan had been warned on a couple of occasions for use of the elbow and in the sixth, it was once too many as a point was deducted.
Still, there was a sense that Donovan was in the lead on the cards and Crocker needed something to get a bit of momentum to bring his crowd back to life.
A couple of shots did that in the seventh, but Donovan’s use of the head saw him on the end of another scolding and perhaps fortunate not to lose another point.
His response was to up the pace as he threw in flurries, closing out the round in good style and he seemed to be on top in the eighth as he marched forward, but did ultimately lose that second point for use of the head.
Again, he upped the pace and a shot into the mid-section had Crocker down. The Belfast man rose and threw some wild shots as they heard the bell, but Donovan wasn’t done and inexplicably threw well after the bell on a vulnerable Crocker who was down and there was no option but to call it.
Just what happens next is hard to say as Crocker moves to 21-0 and Donovan is now stuck with a first loss, but as it stands it’s the Belfast man moving on to a welterweight title shot, although a rematch may not be out of the question.
