Nelson is Croc’s Pillar – Lewis Croker credits coach with massive turnaround
The man more than happy to play the boxing villain is Lewis Crocker’s hero.
‘The Croc’ has enjoyed a massive career turnaround in just six months, going from forgotten man to Belfast headliner and potentially the boxing mad city’s next leading man.
The Belfast welter credits Billy Nelson for that turnaround, stating the Scottish coach got him back to himself and back on track.
With his career stalled after an Ulster Hall win in 2021, the fighter, who has been billed as special since his underage amateur days, was somewhat lost.
The 27-year-old relocated to Scotland to train and seems to have found himself and now returns to the same famous Belfast venue on the back of a win over Tyrone McKenna and with a potentially massive year on the horizon.
“All of the credit goes to Billy Nelson for getting me back to where I want to be,” he tells Irish-boxing.com when taking in the press conference surrounds in Belfast fight week
“I was looking at the billboards earlier and it’s ‘Crocker – Felix’ Dazn and Matchroom. I was looking at the date as well January 27, it doesn’t seem that long ago I was on the Conlan-Gill card, everything has just taken off from then,” he adds before discussing Nelson’s impact further.
“Billy got me back to where I want to be as a person. He got my career going. We gel lovely in the gym together and when we work on stuff it pays off.”
Expanding on the negative place Crocker found himself in he adds: “It was just mentally, I hadn’t fought in a year and a half, I was over here and I was having a terrible time then I went over to Scotland and Billy helped me out with so much and got me back to where I need to be.”
Where Crocker is at is in the spotlight. He headlines the first Irish card of the year tonight when he fights Jose Felix Jr, the Mexican who defeated Gary Cully in May.
‘The Croc’ is aware of the threat the big punching Felix carries but is confident of victory none the less.
“I put my life on the line, each and every time – no problem. I’m there for a fight, every time. He likes to come and fight and so do I – let’s have it. This is why I work so hard every day. This is the year of Lewis Crocker. We’re starting 2024 with a bang.”
Crocker vs. Felix headlines Matchroom’s first show of 2024, fast-rising Cruiserweight contender Cheavon Clarke (7-0, 5 KOs) faces the biggest test of his career to date when he meets Belfast’s former European Champion Tommy McCarthy (20-5, 10 KOs), Limerick Welterweight talent Paddy Donovan (12-0, 9 KOs) aims to start 2024 with a bang against Argentina’s Williams Andres Herrera (15-2, 6 KOs), Wolverhampton Welterweight Conah Walker (12-2-1, 4 KOs) returns against Cardiff’s Lloyd Germain (9-0, 1 KO) following his brilliant win over Cyrus Pattinson, Guildford prospect Giorgio Visioli (1-0, 1 KO) fights for the second time as a pro in a six-round Super-Featherweight contest with Longbridge’s Samuel Pikire (4-2), Newham’s Leli Buttigieg (1-0, 1 KO) returns to Belfast for his second pro fight against Estonia’s Artjom Spatar (4-4, 1 KO) at Super-Featherweight and Lisburn Featherweight Kurt Walker (9-0, 1 KO) joins the card as a late addition.
