RISING star Lewis Crocker seems set on finishing with the amateur game in the wake of last summer’s Commonwealth Youth Games controversy.
And Matchroom boss Eddie Hearn is understood to be among professional promoters who have already expressed an interest in Crocker, who is determined to get back between the ropes as soon as possible.
The hard-hitting Holy Trinity welterweight admits he has fallen out of love with the amateur game since being overlooked for a place on the Northern Ireland team that headed to Samoa last September - despite being named in coach John Conlan’s proposed Commonwealth Youth Games squad.
World champion Carl Frampton was among those to speak out in support of Crocker as the controversy unfolded, describing him as the “best kid in the country”.
The 19-year-old believes a switch to the paid ranks is just the tonic to get his career back on track, and in recent weeks he has been training at John Breen’s Belfast gym.
“If the right offer was there I would definitely go pro,” he said.
“I have no love for the amateur game any more after what happened. You’re training for competitions, putting in all that hard work, and then someone on a board can just not pick you – it’s just not worth it.
“I was talking about entering the Ulster seniors at the end of last year and then just thought ‘why should I?’”
With the next Commonwealth Games in Australia still over two years away, Crocker says he has no intention of hanging around, and had even considered hanging up his gloves altogether towards the end of 2015.
He said: “I was thinking about going and working full-time. I’m a big lad now, I have my own bills to pay, and boxing as an amateur doesn’t pay them.
“But I’ve been down at Breen’s sparring Paddy Gallagher, he has a fight coming up [against Tony Dixon on May 14], and I really enjoyed the atmosphere.”
Veteran trainer Breen admits he would love to become the talented teenager’s coach, and likened Crocker’s power to another former Belfast welterweight star.
“Neil Sinclair was the heaviest puncher I ever trained - that includes heavyweights and all,” said Breen.
“I was taking Lewis on the pads and he has power in both hands. I wouldn’t say he’s up there with Sinclair in terms of power just yet, but he’s only 19 and he has huge potential.
“People already know about him. I was talking to Barney Eastwood a few weeks ago and he said to me ‘apparently there’s only one prospect in Ireland with real professional potential – Lewis Crocker’. That’s from a man who knows a fighter when he sees one.
“This kid would be a good ticket seller, he’s got the style - he can bang, and promoters love fighters who can knock people out.
“I really believe he could have a big future in the game.”
Crocker’s coach at Holy Trinity, Michael Hawkins, says he can understand his fighter’s frustration following his Commonwealths disappointment, but has urged him to resist the temptation to turn pro “because he still has so much more to offer amateur boxing”.
Hawkins said: “Of course, with a terrific prospect like Lewis there'll always be talk of him going professional. Anyone who has ever seen him in action knows how just good he is, it's no secret.
“But it's very early days to talk about a move to the pro ranks for Lewis just yet. He's still only a kid, there's a lot of great amateur and High Performance challenges ahead of him before that.
“He has tremendous potential, so much more to offer amateur boxing. There's the Commonwealths, Europeans, Worlds and Olympics to target, loads of international competition alongside world-class team-mates, where he'll learn his trade against the very best in the world.
“That would be my advice to any good young prospect thinking of going pro so soon; take your time, look around you, get the experience, never rush into things.''
LEFT HOOKS
Commonwealth Youth Games silver medallist Brett McGinty will go toe-to-toe with former European schoolboy, junior and youth champion Michael Nevin on Friday in what could be the fight of the weekend at the National U18 Championships in Dublin.
The Oak Leaf welterweight beat Sligo’s Jordan Myers to set up a semi-final showdown with the Portaloise stylist.
McGinty is not the only Derry teenager in last four action as light-fly Liam Glennon (St Joseph’s, Derry) meets Glasnevin’s Jordan Lynch. Immaculata’s Conor Dempsey awaits the winner in Saturday morning’s final.
Glennon is going for his second national title in quick succession after being crowned the 48kg Youth 2 king on April 23.
Also back in the ring is McGinty’s fellow Commonwealth medallist James McGivern (St George’s), who takes on Patryk Adamus in the bantamweight quarter-final.
There is plenty of Ulster interest in the flyweight quarter-finals, with Old School’s Terry McEntee up against Shane Flavin, Monkstown’s Robbie Gould facing talented Thomas McCarthy and Clonard’s Conor Quinn taking on Craig Kavanagh (Crumlin).
Two Dungloe fighters go for glory as bantamweight Mark McMonagle fights Dublin’s Nathan May, while lightweight Matthew McCole has Andy McDonagh in his sights.
At light-welter, Rostrevor talent Oran Keddle (St Bronagh’s) takes on Oughterard’s Kieran Molloy, and Cavan’s Joe Nevin faces Jason Harty (Rathkeale).
Monkstown middleweight Adam Esdale is going for a place in Saturday’s final when he goes in with Waterford’s Rhys Moran.
THERE were four Ulster winners in the National Boy 4 finals, with Jude Gallagher (Two Castles), Oisin Treanor (Emyvale), Sean McGenity (Silverbridge) and Ethan McGuckian (Cooktsown) all doing the business at the National Stadium last Friday night.
Gallagher got the better of John McDonagh in the 39kg decider, Treanor edged past JJ Byrne, McGenity beat James Stravick at 57kg and McGuckian scored a unanimous decision win over Sacre Couer’s Oran Carty in the 67kg final.
In the lightweight final the week previous, Holy Trinity’s Jake Tucker got the nod with a split decision victory against Arklow’s Sean Crowley. Tucker’s brother Kane followed suit, beating Achill’s Adam Dempsey in the 70kg Youth 1 final.
Other Ulster winners on April 23 included Ring’s Pearse Jordan, who beat Immaculata’s Ryan McVicker at 36kg, Padraig O’Donnell (Omagh B&G) who whitewashed Sebh Kingerlee in the 44kg decider, and Holy Trinity’s Barry McReynolds, who was impressive in defeating Francis Stokes (Cavan) at 54kg.
In the Youth 2 finals, there were walkover wins for Illies GG’s John Moran (44kg) and Sacred Heart, Omagh flyweight Callum Bradley, while Liam Glennon (St Joseph’s) beat Jimmy McCarthy (Marble City) and Clonard’s Connor McCourt (Clonard) beat Shane Murray at 50kg.
Gleann’s European schoolboy bronze medallist Anthony Johnston also had too much for Ring’s Callum Nelson in the middleweight decider.
