Undefeated Irish boxer disqualified after knocking out opponent 1 second late

The two undefeated fighters clashed for the International Boxing Federation (IBF) welterweight title at the SSE Arena in Belfast, Northern Ireland, on March 1.

Donovan appeared to be the superior fighter but was penalized twice in rounds six and eight for illegal use of elbows and head. As round eight ended, he backed Crocker against the ropes and landed a left hook to the head. The bell rang just a second before Donovan followed up with a right hook to the temple, sending Crocker to the canvas. Believing he had won, Donovan walked away in celebration.

However, referee Marcus McDonnell ruled the knockout illegal and disqualified Donovan, leaving him stunned and falling to his knees. A heated altercation between both camps erupted in the ring for a few minutes.

"It's hard to put into words really," Donovan said after the fight. "I've worked very, very hard for this tonight. It's an emotional time. I thought I'd Lewis gone. I dropped him, I went in for the finish, landed a combination, the bell went, didn't see no ref, continued the combination and I thought I'd knock Lewis out. But my manager put in an appeal and let's get the rematch back on the road."

At the time of the stoppage, Donovan was ahead on all three judges’ scorecards: 69-63, 69-63, and 67-65.

Jamie Conlan, Crocker’s manager, defended the decision: "The fight was hostile, it was intense, it was high octane, and it was dirty - and it was a disqualification. But the way the fight ended was unique. He committed fouls, has to be reprimanded. He got two points took off him. On the third one, he gets disqualified. That's the rules."

Crocker himself admitted it was not the way he wanted to win.

"Our plan was to work in the second half of the fight as I said, I couldn't see with this [swollen] eye," Crocker said. I was getting hit with the head and the elbow at one stage that wasn't caught. I heard the bell, dropped my hands and a punch came out of nowhere."

The disqualification marked Donovan’s first loss after 15 professional fights. Crocker, 28, improved his profile to 21-0 and is set to face Jaron Ennis for a title fight. However, a rematch with Donovan remains possible if the appeal is successful.

A similar incident occurred earlier in the night when Craig Richards threw a punch after the bell against Padraig McCrory but was only given a warning. This could bolster Donovan's case for an appeal. According to BelfastMedia, a rematch is highly likely.