Lewis Crocker’s Trainer Predicts Conor Benn Knockout After Securing World Title

Windsor Park witnessed an electrifying night of boxing as Lewis Crocker defied the odds to defeat Paddy Donovan and capture the vacant IBF welterweight world title. Following the dramatic victory, Crocker’s trainer is already looking ahead to a potential showdown with Conor Benn.

In a highly anticipated rematch in his hometown of Belfast, Crocker (22-0, 11 KOs) entered as the underdog against Donovan (14-2, 11 KOs), who had previously lost via a controversial disqualification. This time, Crocker displayed greater control, scoring knockdowns in rounds three and five, ultimately securing a split-decision victory to become the new champion.

Speaking exclusively to Boxing News, Crocker’s trainer Billy Nelson acknowledged the closeness of the bout but stood by his fighter’s performance.

“It was a very close fight, but I thought we just nicked it. We were strong in the middle rounds and scored a couple of knockdowns, so I believe we did enough to win. It was tight, though,” Nelson said.

Immediately after the win, Crocker called out fellow Matchroom fighter Conor Benn (23-1, 14 KOs), anticipating that his newly won world title could spark a major domestic showdown.

Nelson expressed confidence in Crocker’s ability to end the fight decisively against Benn: “You’ll see a completely different fight if Conor Benn steps in the ring. Lewis will knock him out.”

Currently, Benn is unranked in the IBF welterweight division, having not competed at 147 pounds since April 2022. He is slated for a middleweight rematch with Chris Eubank Jr this November. Should Benn return to welterweight, a title challenge in early 2026 would likely require a comeback win.

Meanwhile, Crocker’s first title defense is expected to be against the winner of the upcoming IBF eliminator between Liam Paro and David Papot, who will likely become the mandatory challenger.