On the Las Vegas strip, it is easy to lose focus and direction. It is designed to have that effect: neon lights disorientate, windowless casinos without clocks pump oxygen into the room to encourage gamblers to part with their last dollar and every vice can be easily indulged.
Most 21-year-olds faced with such possibilities would soon succumb to temptation, but Paddy Donovan is anything but ordinary. The welterweight experienced ‘Sin City’ for the first time at the beginning of the year but left with renewed focus and determination.
Donovan was in a position that few novice professionals get as he trained alongside Tyson Fury ahead of the ‘Gypsy King’s’ rematch with Deontay Wilder. Donovan’s trainer, Andy Lee, was keen for his protégé to familiarise himself with the experience of a fight-week for a world title clash, certain in the knowledge that the ‘Real Deal’ will find himself in a similar position in a few years’ time.
The trip was an inspirational one, as the Limerick fighter got to witness a fellow traveller succeed on the biggest stage.
Donovan is now more determined than ever to ensure that one day he will replicate the success of Fury and, former WBO middleweight champion, Lee.
Photo: MTK Global
Tonight, Donovan faces his first step up in opposition as he takes on Jumaane Camero, at Production Park Studios, South Kirby.
Donovan is keen to make a statement, with the memories of Las Vegas still at the forefront of his mind.
“It was the experience of a lifetime,” Donovan recalled as he spoke to Boxing Social over the phone from his hotel room. “Being in camp with Fury, being around these guys, seeing how they handle everything; the interviews, the press conferences, the weigh-ins, stuff I’m not used to yet at the big, big, big time. It’s great being around guys like that, just being a part of their training, just walking beside the likes of Tyson Fury in the daytime, going for little runs in the morning. It was a special moment and one you won’t forget. You couldn’t have imagined the fight going any better for Tyson Fury and us as his supporters.”
Donovan (4-0, 3 KOs) diligently gleaned knowledge from his more illustrious campmate at every opportunity, studying how Fury prepared and conducted himself. The youngster’s professionalism, enthusiasm and talent evidently caught Fury’s eye as he took the time to offer Donovan some words of encouragement.
“There was one point when we were in the car together and we were on the way to training,” he said. “Tyson was in the front passenger seat and I was in the back, we looked up and saw a big picture of him on a billboard. He was just staring at himself and he pointed up and said: ‘That’s where you want to be’. These things stay with a young, hungry fighter like me. I loved every minute of being there.”
Lee was keen to afford his charge the same opportunities the great, Emanuel Steward afforded him. Steward involved Lee in the camps of his marquee fighters from the moment the Irishman moved to the United States.
While the experience will likely prove to be invaluable, the trip also served as a chance for Donovan to face stylistic challenges he had not encountered in the United Kingdom or Ireland. Donovan rose to the occasion.
“The Mexican-Americans have a completely different style to those in Europe,” he said. “It was a different challenge and one I wasn’t used to, but I enjoyed it. It’s good to learn and good to get in there with fighters with experience.”
Photo: MTK Global
It made a pleasant change for Donovan who has found sparring partners hard to come by in his native Ireland. Blessed with power in both hands and having amassed an amateur record of 161-5, including a silver medal at the world junior championships, his reputation proceeds him. As such, many have been reluctant to share the ring with a southpaw capable of humiliating them with his finesse or finishing them with his ferocity.
The Coronavirus outbreak compounded Donovan’s sparring partner woes, as restrictions made it harder to find prospective dance partners.
Ultimately, Donovan had to travel to England to secure suitable sparring.
“It’s been extremely tough, actually,” Donovan said with a laugh. “In Ireland, no one wants to spar, so I’ve had to travel to England and I’ve got some top class sparring over here with a guy called Jack Rafferty, he’s on the same card as me, at the same weight. He’s a good fighter, pressure fighter, comes forward and he made me push myself to the limits in sparring. He was the perfect sparring partner and I was really happy to get it.
“I got some sparring at home with Lee Reeves, he’s from the same city as me, so I got some rounds in with him and Gabriel Dawson, he’s an amateur standout. Luckily, I got them guys, or else I’d have had no sparring at all. I’m very grateful to the three of them. Even before Lockdown, [finding] sparring was tough. I had to spar middleweights. I sparred Jordan Reynolds who has 10 or 11kg on me. That’s what it’s like at home now for sparring for me. No one really wants to spar, no one wants to get in there. They use quarantine as an excuse, some are true, some are not.
“When me and Andy are at home, doing the pads, he’s telling me: ‘There’s not much you need to do’. Obviously, you never stop learning, but from this time last year I’ve progressed so much in my boxing, turning from an amateur to a pro. I’m only a one-year pro and there’s guys that don’t even want to spar. When it comes to 10, 15 fights down the line, I think it’s going to be extremely difficult to get matched.”
Photo: Queensberry Promotions.
The rounds shared with the aggressive Rafferty will likely serve him well as he takes on Camero. ‘The Predator’ always gives a good account of himself and although he has lost six contests, he has won rounds against all opponents, with the exception of Lewis Crocker.
This will be the first time Donovan has faced a fighter with ambition, as a professional. His four previous foes have been journeymen, simply looking to go the distance. That, of course, is easier said that done, when Donovan is in the opposite corner, with only Danny Mendoza (W6) hearing the final bell.
The Top Rank fighter believes that while the fight represents a step up in class for him, he will bring a skill set that that Camero will not have encountered previously.
“I don’t think he’s fought anyone like me,” he said. “He hasn’t fought anyone that’s going to be slick [with] reflexes, skill and a boxing brain like me, so it’s going to be a very difficult challenge for him. It’s going to be very hard for him to land. It’s going to be a hit-and-don’t-get-hit game and break him down gradually as the rounds go on.
“In my last couple of fights, I know I got a couple knockouts, but they were on the defensive and I had to break them down. Camero is going to open up, he’s going to come to me and he’s going to give me opportunities to land some good shots. He’s going to bring the best out of me, he’s not one of them opponents who’s going to sit back, cover up and take a hiding. He’s going to come to win so it’s a good challenge. It’s coming at the perfect time; I’ve trained well, prepared well, so no complaints, we are ready to go.”
Donovan undeniably has the exuberance of youth, but also has an old head on his young shoulders. His time with Lee shows as he has a clear plan in mind for his future; the culmination of which will be his face on billboards on the Las Vegas strip and a world title around his waist.
“I want to be moving fast,” he said. “I’m trying to keep active; I’m trying to keep in the ring, trying to get as many fights as possible in during this very difficult time. I want to fight guys that will bring the best out in me and get my rankings higher. I want to show people that I’m really good and really talented and in a couple of years, fight for some big titles.”
Photo: MTK Global
Main image: Donovan and trainer Andy Lee. Photo: MTK Global.