Rising Limerick Boxing Prospect Aiming to Prove he is ‘The Real Deal’
Welterweight boxing prospect Paddy Donovan has set himself some lofty targets after recording three eye-catching victories during 2023.
His trio of knockout successes moved him into the top 15 in the world and sparked talk that he could become Ireland’s next major boxing superstar.
Donovan sprang to prominence after fighting on two Katie Taylor-Chantelle Cameron undercards in Dublin, but now wants the opportunity to showcase his talents in his home city.
“We’re in talks with Eddie Hearn, the promoter of Matchroom, about a show in Limerick City, where I’m from,” Donovan said. “So hopefully that’d be the next one, around March maybe.
“The last big show we had in Limerick was 15 years ago, so it’s been a long time. But in recent months there’s been shows in Cork City, Belfast City, Dublin City, Galway City, and the one city left to get their night out is Limerick. So hopefully it can be the biggest night of all with a Matchroom card.”
Staging a Matchroom event in Limerick would undoubtedly be massive news for a city which has been dominated by the exploits of its Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) hurling team in recent years.
A run of five All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championships in six years has helped Limerick’s hurling stars become the scourge of online bookmakers.
They are odds-on favorites with Irish betting sites to add another title to their tally this year, but Donovan is hoping he can steal some of their limelight over the next 12 months.
While fighting on Taylor undercards has raised Donovan’s profile, he is understandably eager to demonstrate why many bettors rate him as Ireland’s ‘next big thing’ in boxing.
A measure of that can be gleaned by the way he settled on his ring moniker of ‘The Real Deal’ – a decision which has an emotional backstory attached to it.
Fellow Limerick fighter Kevin Sheehy, who progressed through the amateur ranks alongside Donovan, was touted by several pundits as a potential future Olympic medalist.
However, Sheehy was brutally murdered in July 2019 to leave a gaping hole in the Limerick boxing community. Donovan recalls speaking with coach Andy Lee and Sheehy before he was killed.
“Just before Kevin passed away, I was getting ready to turn professional with Andy, and Andy said to me, ‘Paddy, what nickname are you going to pick?’” Donovan added.
“So, we came up with a few suggestions but Andy said, ‘Stick it on your Instagram story and see what kind of response you get.’
“I was getting hundreds of messages suggesting what name to pick. But then Kevin text me – he messaged me on Instagram, messaged me on Facebook and sent me another private message! And he kept saying in the messages, ‘Paddy, ‘Real Deal’ is the name for you’.
“We were joking about it and didn’t take it too seriously. But obviously, when he passed a few days later, there was no longer a question as to what nickname to pick. There was no other choice to be made – it had to be ‘The Real Deal’ for Kevin.”
Having suffered the heartbreak of losing a close friend at such a young age, Donovan is eager to honor his legacy each time he steps in the ring.
Sheehy built up a passionate following in Limerick, many of whom are lending their support to Donovan’s bid to climb the ranks in professional boxing.
Donovan has also maintained contact with Sheehy’s family as they strive to rebuild their lives following his tragic death.
“I have a very, very good relationship with Kevin’s family still,” Donovan said. “We’re always in touch. I try to dedicate my performances to Kevin and make his family proud.”