Carl Frampton on magnitude of Crocker v Donovan 2 and rewards for winner
The September 13 bout will be the first time two Irishmen have fought for a world championship, with the vacant IBF world welterweight title on the line.
Belfast's Crocker came into the first fight as favourite, but Donovan, who was disqualified for striking 'The Croc' after the bell at the end of the eighth round back in March, is seen as the long odds-on favourite for the rematch.
The Limerick man was also docked points in the sixth and eighth rounds by referee Marcus McDonnell for use of the head and elbow earlier this year, but he looked to be cruising to victory at the time.
"It was a very, very controversial ending, but it just makes this one even more big," said Frampton.
"For the winner, it changes their life. Financially, it just makes their lives a little bit easier. There's going to be huge fights off the back of it.
"And for the winner, if they win this and don't ever win another fight, they can still call themselves a world champion, but that's not what's going to happen.
"I imagine whoever does go on to win this fight will have at least a few defences and hopefully move up another division and try and become a two-weight world champion.
"Lewis has to be a lotter better than he was, but he's a better fighter than that and can give a better performance than that. Lewis Crocker and Paddy Donovan at Windsor Park (Image: Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxin)
"Paddy was in control, bossing things from the outside, so he'll be going in with a lot of confidence, maybe a bit of pressure taken off Lewis' shoulder.
"I think he's a big underdog because of the first one and there may not be as much expectation on him, but the fact that there's a world title on the line I think will make both guys perform even better than they did last time, but certainly Lewis has to be a lot better."
Frampton knows all about fighting at Windsor Park, having headlined at the venue when beating Luke Jackson in 2018.
And he couldn't stress the magnitude of the fight enough, with huge rewards on offer for the winner.
"It's hard to believe it's the first time two Irish fighters have fought each other for a world title," added Frampton. "To be doing it here in my home city, it's huge for the whole island, but specifically for Belfast and and all the guys getting a chance to appear on the undercard as well. It's hard to explain how big this could be.
"It's gonna be great and it'll be atmospheric, it'll be hostile as well, but these things are good in boxing, I think. Then because of what happened in the last fight, I think it even adds a bit more to this fight and the fact that there's a world title on the line now, it kind of almost feels like everything's kind of worked out for a reason." Lewis Crocker and Paddy Donovan face off (Image: Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing)
Promoter Eddie Hearn echoed Frampton's comments on the magnitude of the fight.
He said: "Lewis has got to be better. He was on his way to losing the first fight. He got a little bit of a gift, Paddy made a big mistake. He didn't hear the bell or whatever he did and all of a sudden Lewis is gifted the victory. He's fighting for the world title.
"And really from there, you don't rematch Paddy Donovan because you're fighting for the world title.
"Then the rematch gets ordered and it becomes for a world championship and obviously you'll take the rematch, but when it got announced that it was here, he was like 'this is just a dream'.
"When I walked out to the semi circle with him earlier, he was like 'I'm not losing here' and I said 'you're going to have to be better' and he said 'I will, don't worry'.
"I said 'it's just you and another man for the world welterweight title. Not just the opportunity of doing it here, the legacy, but what comes beyond that - Ryan Garcia, Devin Haney, Conor Benn, Shakur Stevenson, Teofimo Lopez.
"This could be your home. We could do every fight here if you're fighting those kinds of names.
"I can't stress the magnitude of this fight and the spoils for the winner."
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