Dylan Moran slams Paddy Donovan for “publicity stunt”
Dylan Moran [17(6)-1(1)] has told Paddy Donovan [10(7)-0] to stop speaking his name and start writing it in a formal contract.
The Waterford and Limerick welters have been linked ever since Donovan inadvertently suggested to Irish-boxing.com that Moran wouldn’t be ‘fit to hold his bags’.
There has been plenty of verbal sparring since, leading to genuine fan excitement surrounding the potential link-up and bad blood between the protagonists.
The last dig thrown saw Donovan criticize his Munster counterpart for not accepting an offer to step in late and replace Declan Geraghty as his Ring King’s ‘Homecoming’ opponent this weekend.
Donovan claims the offer was a publicity stunt and that his fellow ‘Real Deal’ knew the fight would be wasted with such a short lead-in.
The Déise fighter, who fights Mauro Godoy at the SETU Arena this weekend, is also bemused as to why the onus to make the fight is upon him.
The self-managed fighter says, considering Donovan has Top Rank backing, he should be sending official offers.
Moran says he wants action, not social media words.
“These guys are with the big promoters, send me the offer and I’ll come, put the money on the table and I’ll come to Limerick,” a passionate Moran told Irish-boxing.com.
“I’ll come, no problem, if you start talking figures and start talking platforms not just shouting on social media. They throw social media in my face but every time I open the phone they are shouting about me.”
Moran also suggests the latest offer to fight was a publicity move on behalf of Donovan and his coach Andy Lee. The Dungarvan claims Team Donovan wouldn’t have allowed the fight to go ahead on April 8.
“It was completely wrong and they knew it wouldn’t happen. It was a publicity stunt from them, they are playing the game and fair play to them. We are on a collision course it’s going to happen and I believe when it happens it’s going to be big. I’m excited about it.”
There is a degree of sense to what the 28-year-old says, although no doubt the Donovan fans will claim it’s just a smart way to avoid the fight.
Moran is adamant that isn’t the case and assures the now much-hyped match-up will happen.
“This is going on for a while now and I’ll sum it up for you – me and Paddy Donovan are going to fight,” he adds before suggesting things have to be right.
“When me and Paddy Donovan fight, things need to be correct on all levels, mainly a business sense. It needs the right stage, it needs the right publicity, the right build-up, maybe TV, and we need to wake up the next morning with the right amount of money in the bank,” he continues before once again asking for a formal offer.
“Until that’s given to me, I’ve no interest. I’ve never once been given an official offer from anybody in Ireland especially not Donovan.
“So, until he sends me an offer on paper ticking all those boxes I’m not entertaining it anymore. Until you do that stop mentioning my name.
There were some who wondered if the verbal sparring would take its toll on Moran, particularly as he is based virtually on his own in Germany and without in-the-know stablemates to bounce things off.
However, he welcomes the noise, once he gets the chance to have his say.
“This is business, it’s the boxing game, and what’s worse than being talked about? Not being talked about.”
