Born: January 10, 1999, in Ennis, Clare County, Ireland

Resides: Limerick, County Limerick, Ireland

Pro Record: 14-1 (11 KOs)

Reigning WBA Inter-Continental Welterweight Champion and

Ireland’s 2023 Fighter of the Year

IBF #3 & WBA #10

At the age of 26, world welterweight contender Paddy “The Real Deal” Donovan is a rising star from Ireland who clearly has unlimited potential, supported by predictions from his fellow Irish Travellers and world champions Tyson “The Gypsy King” Fury and his cousin, “Irish” Andy Lee, who serves as Donovan’s head trainer and co-manager with New York City-based lawyer Keith Sullivan, previously a Deputy Commissioner of the New York State Boxing Commission.

Displaying incredible hand-and-foot speed, along with devastating power, the slick counter-punching southpaw Donovan also has Hollywood-type looks and a rapidly growing brand, which unquestionably translates into a boxing superstar of the future.

Paddy is one of 10 children who were born into boxing, starting at the age of four under the guidance of his father, Martin (known as Gugu) Donovan. He was a celebrated Irish amateur boxer, starting at the age of 11, who trained in the Our Lady of Lourdes St. Saviors Boxing Club in Limerick.

A 13-time Irish National Champion, Paddy compiled an amazing 166-7 amateur record, including a silver-medal performance at the prestigious AIBA World Championships in 2016.

Donovan closed out 2019 in style, stopping Oscar Amador (10-24) with another left in the third round at Bolton Whites Hotel in Bolton, England. Donovan fought two more times in 2020, defeating Des Newton (8-15) and Jumaane Camero (10-6), respectively, by way of a first-round technical knockout in Bethnal Green, England, and six-round unanimous decision (60-55) in South Kirby, England.

2021 was a dark year for Donovan; he suffered an injured right hand and, more significantly, Paddy lost two relatives who committed suicide, leading to his deep depression. He did fight twice  in 2021, recording a fourth-round stoppage when Siar Ozgul (15-5) was unable to continue after four rounds in Bolton, along with a first-round knockout of Jose Luis Castillo (9-5-1) in Belfast.

A regrouped Donovan opened 2022 in February with a six-round technical knockout in Glasgow, when Miroslav Serban (13-8) retired because of an injury to his left ear. Donovan’s first scheduled eight-round bout followed in August of 2002, in which Paddy won every round enroute to a unanimous decision (10-2) over Tom Hill (10-2) at The SSE Arena in Belfast.  

Donovan finally had an opportunity to fight for the first time as a pro in Ireland, on an April 1, 2023 show, co-promoted by boxer Jason Quigley and Barry Walsh at National Stadium in Dublin. Paddy floored his Brazilian opponent, Luis Eduardo Souza Borges da Silva (11-2-1), four times until the referee finally halted the action with 10-seconds remaining in round one.

After fulfilling his contractual obligations with Top Rank, promotional free agent Donovan immediately signed a deal with Matchroom Boxing. It paid immediate dividends, as Paddy fought on DAZN under a mega-fight on May 20 between Irish boxing icon Katie Taylor and Chantelle Cameron for the undisputed world super lightweight title at 3Arena in Dublin. Donovan took full advantage of this platform, compelling Sam O’Maison’s (17-4-1) corner to throw in the towel during the sixth round.

Donovan returned to 3Arena on November 25 for his first scheduled 10-round bout against the England Welterweight Champion Danny Ball (13-1-1), again on DAZN in the third to last fight on a card headlined by the Taylor-Cameron rematch. This was Donovan’s time to shine, which he did and more, decking Ball twice in the fourth round, after which his corner threw in the towel. Donovan captured the vacant World Boxing Association (WBA) Continental Welterweight title and the WBA No. 15 world rating.

Donovan was selected as Ireland’s 2023 Fighter of the Year. 

In his first title defense on January of 2024, at Ulster Hall in Belfast, Northern Ireland, Donivan decked tough Argentinian Williams Andrews Herrera (15-2) twice in round seven, in which the fight ended by way of a technical knockout. 

Donovan made his second title defense on May 25, 2024, taking on former British Lightweight Champion Lewis Ritson (23-3), at First Direct Arena in Leeds (England, UK). Paddy patiently broke down Ritson, moving and attacking with an emphasis on delivering body shots, and took control in the eighth round, pinning his opponent on the ropes and punishing him. The damage Ritson suffered in round eight left him ready to be finished and Donovan did just that 32-seconds into the ninth round for a technical victory that elevated him in the IBF and WBA ratings, in addition to cracking the WBC’s top 15. 

In what was billed as “The Greatest All-Irish Fight of All-Time, arch-rivals 14-0 Donovan and 20-0 Lewis “The Croc” Crocker, fighting out of Belfast, Northern Ireland, clashed in a sellout at The SSE Arena in Belfast this past March 1 in an IBF World Welterweight Title Eliminator.

Despite fighting in his opponent’s hometown, Donovan dominated from start to finish to the point of thoroughly bruising and battering Crocker through eight rounds. The judges scored the first seven rounds 69-63, 69-63 and 67-65 in the Irishman’s favor. Donovan knocked Lewis down earlier in the eighth round with a right hook. Moments later, the Limerick fighter was shockingly disqualified by referee Marcus McDonnell for hitting Lewis, who was trapped on the ropes, a mere fraction of a second after the bell sounded to end the round. Donovan threw the unintentionally late punch because he was unable to immediately hear the bell over the 8,000 raucous fans screaming at what appeared to be a major victory for Donovan, in addition to the referee not adequately performing his ring duties. 

The timekeeper’s 10-second warning was not audible on any of the multiple videos recorded by DAZN, the broadcaster of the event, and Atty. Sullivan also included that in his appeal to the IBF. Since the timekeeper never rang the 10-second bell, referee McDonnell never shouted the customary 10-second warning, not positioning himself near the fighters to give the visual indication to them that the round was nearing the end and to be ready to separate the two at the bell. This positioning was especially needed for safety reasons because Donovan was seriously damaging Crocker by throwing a rapid series of blistering combinations. Oddly, the referee walked backwards away from the two fighters during the final 10 seconds of the round instead of positioning himself close enough to step between the two fighters as the bell sounded. He never called time or yelled stop at the bell and appeared himself to be caught off guard when the bell rang.

Team Donovan successfully appealed the highly disputed outcome to prevent Crocker from fighting for the International Boxing Federation (IBF) World Welterweight Title, requesting and winning a favorable decision as the IBF ordered an immediate rematch between the two boxers, once again, in the IBF World Welterweight Title Eliminator. 

Paddy “The Real Deal” Donovan is promoted by Matchroom Boxing, co-managed by Atty. Keith Sullivan and past world middleweight champion Andy Lee, who is also his head trainer.

FIGHTER PROFILE

Fighter’s Name:  Paddy Donovan
Nickname: “The Real Deal” or “The Gypsy Prince”
Age: 26  
Born (date and place): January 10, 1999 in Ennis, Ireland
Lives: Limerick, Ireland
Pro Record, Titles, Accomplishments: 14-1, 11 KOs – WBC Continental Champion 
Rankings: No. 3 International Boxing Federation, No. 10 World Boxing Association, Ireland No. 1, No. 14 European Union Boxing 
Height: 5’ 9”
Weight Class: 147-pound welterweight
Stance: Southpaw
Style: Boxer-puncher more than traditional Irish brawler 
Amateur Titles, Accomplishments: 13-time Irish National Champion, silver medal at the prestigious AIBA World Junior Championships
Promoter: Matchroom Boxing 
Co-Managers: Former world middleweight champion Andy Lee and New York City lawyer Keith Sullivan
Head Trainer: Andy Lee
X (formerly Twitter): @PaddyDonovan23
Instagram: @paddy_realdeal_donovan
Facebook: /PaddyRealDealDonovan