By James Stillerman
Photo By Andy Newman
Paddy “The Real Deal” Donovan (15-2, 11 KOs) risks his IBF mandatory welterweight title shot against Liam Paro, as he fights Northern Irishman Tyrone “The Mighty Celt” McKenna (25-6-1, 8 KOs) tomorrow, Saturday, September 5th at Croke Park in Dublin, Ireland, on the undercard of Irish boxing icon, Katie Taylor’s farewell bout in front of more than 80,000 fans.
Donovan obtained a twelve-round majority decision (115-111, 114-112, and 113-113) over Karen Chukhadzhian in Germany in May, in his last outing. This IBF title eliminator bout was not as close as the scorecards indicated, as Donovan outworked and outlanded Chukhadzhian. The twenty-seven-year-old southpaw boxer from Limerick, Ireland, also connected on the harder punches and dropped Chukhadzhian in the sixth and eighth rounds.
His victory over Chukhadzhian put him closer to another world title after his career took a setback in 2025 when he lost back-to-back controversial bouts against arch-rival and then-unbeaten Lewis Crocker. In their first fight, Donovan dominated Crocker, but was disqualified by referee Marcus McDonnell at the end of the eighth round for landing a punch after the bell rang. They fought a rematch six months later for the vacant IBF welterweight title. Despite Donovan being dropped twice, he still controlled the fight but, once again, lost a split decision (winning one judge’s scorecard 115-111 and losing the other two, 114-113 and 114-112).
To keep his title hopes alive, Donovan must defeat tough veteran McKenna, who has won two of his last three bouts. The 36-year-old southpaw from Belfast, Northern Ireland, obtained a seventh-round technical knockout in his last outing over Dylan Moran in September 2025. McKenna, a former WBC Inter-Continental champion, has fought top 147-pound boxers such as Jack Catterall, Regis Prograis, and Crocker.
The former sparring partners are the lone all-Irish matchup on the fightcard at Croke Park, which is hosting their first boxing fight since Muhammad Ali knocked out Alvin Lewis in the 11th round in 1972. Taylor takes on undefeated Flora Pili for the undisputed female super lightweight titles (IBF/WBA/IBO/WBO/vacant WBC) in the main event. The entire fightcard will be streamed live worldwide on DAZN.
Donovan was gracious enough to take time out of his busy training camp to discuss his fight against McKenna, what the atmosphere will be like fighting in front of 80,000 fans, his thoughts on his performance against Chukhadzhian, his bouts with Crocker, and much more.
James Stillerman: How is training camp going for your fight against McKenna?
Paddy Donovan: It is good. I am tired. I have had enough training. I am just ready for the fight.
James Stillerman: What kind of fight are you expecting from McKenna?
Paddy Donovan: I have heard that he is taking this fight pretty seriously and that he has had an amazing camp in Philly, along with Jaron Ennis. It is good that he is taking this fight seriously because he needs to be at his best to compete with me. I know the level that I am at right now with challenging championship bouts. I want to fight the best welterweights in the world, and he is in the way of that. We shall see how he shows up on the night of the fight.
James Stillerman: What are your keys to defeating McKenna?
Paddy Donovan: I have trained extremely hard for this fight. I have had a great training camp. I have the best team around me. We do not really know how this fight will play out until it starts, but I prepare myself for every single challenge.
James Stillerman: Will you beat McKenna by decision or knockout?
Paddy Donovan: It would be great to get the knockout, but Tyrone is known for his toughness. He is a proud Irish man, and he will not want to go down easily in front of 80,000 Irish people. He will be game and tough, but I will break him down as the fight goes on and then go for the knockout.
James Stillerman: What will the atmosphere be like fighting in Ireland, in front of 80,000 fans on the undercard of Taylor’s last fight?
Paddy Donovan: It will probably be the greatest night in Irish history. This fight is a great farewell fight for Katie. It will be nothing less than what she deserves for what she has achieved in the sport of boxing. It will be an amazing feeling. Not many boxers get the opportunity to fight in Croke Park on Katie’s undercard in front of 80,000 fans, and I am proud to be a part of it. [This will be the third time that Donovan will box on Taylor’s fightcard].
James Stillerman: What are your thoughts on your overall performance against Chukhadzhian in your last outing?
Paddy Donovan: It was a great performance and a great win for me to go to Germany and defeat one of the top fighters in the division. Chukhadzhian is one of the most avoided fighters in the world because he is such an exceptional boxer. He gave Boots Ennis a run for his money in their two fights, and he took a lot of rounds from Boots. I knew it was going to be a tough fight, but I was confident in getting the win despite coming into the bout with two consecutive losses.
James Stillerman: Were you surprised that the judges ruled it a majority decision despite you dominating Chukhadzhian for most of the fight and scoring two knockdowns?
Paddy Donovan: When they read the decision, I got déjà vu from my two fights with Crocker. I said not again. Before I left for camp, I was in the car with my wife, driving an hour to my camp with Andy [Lee, his trainer], and I told her if this fight goes against me and I have three losses on my record, I do not think there is a way back to a world title. She looked at me and said, “Paddy, well then, do not lose.” I went to Dublin, trained hard, and trusted Andy and my manager, Keith Sullivan. When it came to the decision, I said to God, after my last two performances, you got to owe me this one. Thankfully, God heard my prayers and gave me the victory – fairly.
James Stillerman: How frustrating was it for you to control both fights against Crocker, only to lose both times via controversial decisions?
Paddy Donovan: Those decisions were strange. I won my first 14 bouts and was planning to fight the best welterweights in the world, including Conor Benn, Devin Haney, Ryan Garcia, and Teofimo Lopez. But to get those fights, I needed to beat Crocker. After the first fight, it was a big setback. Then I fought him for the world title, and I sank to a new low. But I went to Germany and won, and now I am fighting in front of 80,000 Irish fans and challenging for a world title again, so I am in a good position.
James Stillerman: I know you are completely focused on your fight against McKenna, but are you getting closer to fighting Paro?
Paddy Donovan: Keith Sullivan, my manager, is working on getting me a fight with Paro. Paro is going to take a voluntary fight next. It might be against Haney, Lopez, [George] Kambosos [Jr.], or me, so we need to wait until he makes a decision. Until then, the most important thing for me is to stay active, keep winning, keep myself in the game, and be ready for when the opportunity comes. Not a lot of fighters take the chance to fight again after winning a world title eliminator and challenging for a championship fight. This shows great commitment, great courage, great energy, and great belief in myself to get another win before fighting Paro, and I will be ready for whoever has the belt.
James Stillerman: Anything you want to say to your fans?
Paddy Donovan: Thank you for all the support you have given me over the years. This fight is for you, with me at home in Ireland; you get to see me in action. I promise to put on the best show I possibly can.
For more information about Donovan’s boxing career and upcoming fights, add him on X @PaddyDonovan23, Instagram @paddy_realdeal_donovan, and Facebook PaddyRealDealDonovan.
