Paddy Donovan pictured on a recent trip to New York.
PHOTO BY JAY MWAMBA
You start with the looks. Movie star looks that can rival many a Hollywood star. The handsome face remarkably belies his brutal profession – a sport the 23-year-old has practiced since age four. Introducing Paddy “The Real Deal” Donovan, the welterweight sensation widely touted as the best prospect in Irish boxing.
Nearly four years into his exciting career, the Limerick southpaw is 11-0 with eight of those victories via KOs. Donovan, who was in New York recently, is knocking on the door to stardom.
He’s trained by Andy Lee who shares co-management duties with New York lawyer Keith Sullivan. Guiding Donovan’s career is Matchroom – arguably boxing’s leading promotional outfit.
“Paddy’s a sensational talent, one of the best talents I’ve ever seen in boxing,” said Lee, who, as a protégé of the legendary Emanuel Steward, and the last world champion out of Limerick, knows a thing or two about talent. “He can punch, can box – he’s a good-looking kid [and] he’s going from strength to strength.”
Lee has been with Donovan since the former amateur standout turned pro in 2019. They train in Dublin.
“We were with Top Rank – nothing bad to say about Top Rank -- we had a great relationship with them,” said Lee.
“We’re now working with Matchroom. [Paddy] had his first fight on the Katie Taylor undercard, he had a good stoppage win and we’re looking for him to fight around August, and then November again.”
That impressive Matchroom debut was in Dublin last May on the Taylor-Chantelle Cameron card. Donovan dominated and then dropped Sam O’maison in the sixth stanza of their scheduled eight-rounder at the 3Arena, forcing the Yorkshireman’s corner to throw in the towel.
“Paddy is a great fighter,” said Eddie Hearn, the towering Matchroom boss whose past and present clients have included world champions Anthony Joshua, Canelo Álvarez, Gennady Golovkin, Oleksandr Usyk, Vasyl Lomachenko and Katie Taylor. “When we return to Dublin, we expect him to be in a big fight there.”
That could be in November, likely on the Taylor-Cameron rematch [the latter won the first meeting, inflicting a first defeat on the previously undisputed world super lightweight championship].
“It’s going great so far,” said Donovan. “It’s a great connection me and Andy working together [and] yeah, we got very big plans together.
“I'm the hottest fighter coming out of Ireland and have been the last several years been the most talked about fighter, so there’s a lot of expectation. But I’m looking forward to the ride and looking forward to the journey.”
DONOVAN LEGEND
From a boxing family – his dad, Martin, was an amateur welterweight and later his first trainer -- Donovan started boxing at age four.
“I came out of a town called Ennis [Co. Clare], right beside Limerick City,” Donovan recalled. “I trained in Limerick City all my life, in one gym, Our Lady of Lourdes. I was very, very successful; 173 amateur fights, 166 wins; so a very great amateur career, I guess.”
He was a 13-time national champion. “From the age of 11 right up to before I turned pro – every single year.”
He won a silver medal at the 2016 World Championships, punctuating an extremely successful amateur run.
At age 19, Donovan turned pro with Lee. “And here we are,” he noted.
Lee, who also works with his cousin, heavyweight champ Tyson Fury; heavyweight title contender Joseph Parker and super middleweight Jason Quigley, had more praise for his fellow Limerick man: “He’s got it all. He’s way more talented than I ever was. He’s disciplined. He works hard, he’s got to get the experience and learn a little more. That’s all he needs.
“He fights at 147 [pounds], but he’s a puncher. It’s very hard to get him sparring because he knocks a lot of the sparring guys out – big gloves, head gears and all. It’s very hard to get him sparring, so I think we’ll be sending him to America to get some sparring.”
Keith Sullivan from the law firm Sullivan & Galleshaw, joined Team Donovan as co-manager last year. With Galway roots, Sullivan is also a big believer in the massive prospect. “He’s a very exciting fighter,” he started. “He has a very slick style, he’s fast and he’s powerful.”
Sullivan pointed out that Donovan’s last five opponents had a 75 percent winning record. And giving trainer and co-manager two thumbs up, he added that there’s no one better in the business to guide Donovan to a world title than Lee.
