Belfast Bound – Paddy Donovan to fight on Conlan – Marriaga Undercard
Main attraction hopeful Paddy Donovan [8(6)-0] will be handed the chance to show the wider boxing public what the fuss is all about when he fights on another Michael Conlan card later this summer.
‘The Real Deal’ will appear alongside Top Rank stablemates Conlan, Kurt Walker, and Kieran Molloy in Belfast on August 6.
The Andy Lee trained fighter will compete at the SSE Arena for the first time against a yet to be confirmed opponent on the undercard of Conlan versus three-time world title challenger Miguel Marriaga.
Donovan has been down as one to watch since his standout underage amateur days and has cemented his status as a unique prospect since turning over.
The Limerick fighter’s early step-up wins over Jumaane Camero and Siar Ozgul particularly caught the eye but the fact they played out away from any serious spotlight meant they didn’t catch widespread attention.
A hand injury saw him take more routine keep busy fights in his last two. The OLOL graduate still managed to shine with an Irish Boxing Awards nominated stoppage win over Jose Luis Castillo at last year’s Feile before becoming only the third man to stop Miroslav Serban in Scotland in February.
It’s said the older brother of busy pro Edward Donovan has a journeyman aversion and had to be persuaded to take a step back late last year and early this year, suggesting now his hand is healed he will be keen to secure the type of fight that will help him step back into the spotlight.
