Sought after talent Paddy Donovan to debut on massive Feile card?
Paddy Donovan looks set to have chosen one of the many promoters after his signature and could make his pro bow as early as August 3.
Irish-Boxing.com understands the talented Limerick welterweight, who had pro offers from numerous established promoters to consider, is close to confirming a Summer debut.
This site has been informed the 20 year old slick operator will punch for pay for the first time on the massive Michael Conlan Vladimir Nikitin Feile under card in the first week of August.
Earlier this month talk intensified surrounding the southpaw who was said to be strongly considering an early move to the paid ranks after his flash and effective approach caught the eye of a number of promoters around the world.
READ: Paddy Donovan considering big pro move
It now seems, having explored a number of options, the 20-year-old, who won everything at national level as a teenager as well as a World Junior silver medal, will almost certainly ditch the vest.
According to multiple sources on the Limerick scene, the fighter’s pro debut should be confirmed soon and will be officially announced once some small details are ironed out.
There is was no indication as to whom the southpaw plans to sign with, but if his debut as revealed to us does play out at the Falls Park on August 3 it would be safe to predict he has teamed up with MTK or Top Rank or possibly both.
The Feile show is for all intensive purposes a Top Rank and MTK event and will be aired on ESPN. It’s unlikely that if Donovan was leaning toward any other big promoters he would get a slot on the card, unless it was acquired by MTK, who you could surmise may be looking to sign him to a management deal.
Donovan, who is said to have been advised by Andy Lee, was over with his fellow Limerick southpaw in Booth’s Gym last week.
Speaking on Off The Ball, former world champ Lee confirmed that the OLOL talent was there just to spar emerging star Josh Kelly, but some, without any real foundation, are doing their own math and suggesting he may team up with the ‘Dark Destroyer’.
A link up with Booth, who trains Conlan and Burnett, would certainly add to any MTK narrative as the respected trainer, who manned Lee’s corner on the night he won a world title, is an adviser for Mack The Knife Global.
Donovan finished runner-up in the National Elite Championships final to reigning champ and EU bronze medallist Kieran Molloy – who is also on the radar of big promoters. He subsequently lost out in Last 16 of the European Under-22 Championships to Russian home favourite Vakhid Abbasov. These were two decisions were verdicts he objected to – and two occurrences which seem to have pushed him in the pro direction.
