Prospect of the Month (November): Paddy Donovan

The 140-pound division is a fairly wide open division, with an array of high-level prospects, Brandun Lee, Gary Antunanne Russell, Omar Juarez, Dalton Smith, and Pierce O'Leary. The latter now has a countryman rival join that list of top-notch 140-pounders with world championship talent. "Real Deal" Paddy Donovan is emerging as one of the sport's top young talents. The Limerick, Ireland native Picked up another sensational victory on November 25th by stopping Danny Ball on November 25th in four one-sided rounds to move his record to 12-0 (9), establish himself as that dude at 140, and take him our Prospect of the Month award.

Donovan certainly is the "real deal" two-fisted power, highly athletic, with an array of power shots he fires off from all angles. The path to the top should be fairly quick. A fight with a veteran like Steve Claggett or Yves Ulysses Jr would be a nice win to set up an all-Irish showdown relocated Irishmen Darragh Foley. Wins there could potentially set up a world title fight for the undefeated Irishman by late 2024.

The Limerickman was taking a serious step up in class with English welterweight champion, Danny Ball. However, Donovan was unafraid and came out aggressively, taking advantage of his superior hand speed. Donovan, a southpaw, scored with his jab early and set up a place to land his left. Ball picked up the pace in the second and scored with some hooks but paid the price every time he did, as Donovan would get on the inside and score while in close. As the early rounds passed by it became more and more evident that Ball was not going to have any real answers for Donovan. Ball started to circle and move away to avoid his opponent. That's when the Irishmen struck with a vicious body shot in the fourth round that sank Ball to his knee and left him unable to beat the count and continue. The official time of the stoppage was 2:41 of round four.