The flight home from Australia in June was notably longer and far more contemplative for Lewis Crocker. As the aircraft journeyed across the globe, the Belfast welterweight had ample time to process the defining moment of his professional career thus far: a hard-fought, fiercely contested defeat at the hands of Liam Paro during his inaugural defence of the IBF welterweight title.
It had been a punishing battle on foreign soil, culminating in a storming finish from the challenger that had the champion in deep trouble during the championship rounds. Yet, despite Crocker’s ferocious late-stage surge, it ultimately proved not quite enough to completely sway the officials at ringside. All three judges scored the bout 115-113 in favour of Paro, handing the Australian the decision and seeing him realise his lifelong dream of capturing world honours across two different weight divisions.
For Crocker, who grew into the contest methodically and appeared on the absolute brink of finding a stoppage in the dying rounds, the outcome was a bitter pill to swallow. Paro managed to weather the storm, holding on desperately as the bell approached, and in doing so, he wrenched the IBF strap away from the Belfast man. That single verdict in Brisbane marked the first blemish on Crocker’s professional ledger, slipping his previously flawless record to 22 victories against a single defeat.
"Shoulda, woulda, coulda," is how the 29-year-old now reflects on that punishing night in Brisbane—an evening where world championship glory was simultaneously so near yet agonizingly far away. Yet, rather than allowing a maiden career defeat to derail his ambitions or sap his self-belief, the setback has instead acted as a powerful catalyst. It has only served to deeply fuel his hunger, resolve, and burning desire to climb back to the summit of the sport and rise again.
Reflecting on the experience during a candid conversation with BBC Sport NI, Crocker maintained a remarkably pragmatic and forward-looking perspective on where he stands in the upper echelons of the welterweight division.
"I got beaten on a very close decision in a world title fight against a two-world champion," Crocker told BBC Sport NI, evaluating the bout with the analytical eye of a seasoned elite competitor. "I gained experience from it anyway, and at 29 I’ve still got plenty more for whatever opportunity is coming."
The fine margins of championship boxing were never more evident than in those frantic final rounds in Brisbane, where Crocker felt victory slipped through his fingers by the narrowest of margins. "I felt like I had him hurt a lot of times and he was holding," Crocker recalled, pointing to the tactics that ultimately allowed his opponent to survive the onslaught. "If he gets a point taken off then I win the fight. Shoulda, woulda, coulda… That was a long fight back, but I’m over it because I know I’m right there. My main focus now is going to be a two-time world champion."
That long flight home marked the closure of one chapter, but it simultaneously opened another as the Belfast fighter embarks upon the arduous, calculated route back to the top of the division. While bigger fights and more lucrative opportunities will inevitably present themselves further down the line as he manoeuvres through 2027 and beyond, Crocker is firmly refusing to look past his immediate professional hurdle. That obstacle comes in the form of 26-year-old Owen Cooper, a hungry contender who will undoubtedly view a clash with the former champion as his ultimate golden ticket to the big time.
The logistics of staging high-level boxing matches often involve navigating international arenas, and while Crocker acknowledges the romantic appeal of performing in front of his fiercely loyal home support, location ultimately plays second fiddle to the sporting reality inside the ropes.
"It would have been great to have a first defence in Belfast, but ultimately it doesn’t matter – there’s still two men getting into the ring," Crocker reasoned, demonstrating the cold, professional detachment required to succeed at the highest level. "It’s good to be back in Belfast anyway, and get on the road to two-time world champion. More than anything now, I want to be a two-time world champion and we’ve a great plan ahead, but I’m not looking past Owen, because he’s a great fighter and I’m expecting a really tough test."
While Crocker charts his course back through domestic and international challenges, the landscape of the welterweight division continues to shift dynamically around him. His old foe, Paddy Donovan—whom Crocker famously defeated last September in a memorable, electric atmosphere at Belfast’s Windsor Park to capture the IBF crown—remains front of the queue to challenge Paro for the title next. Meanwhile, the wider welterweight division has come alive once again, brimming with elite talent and high-profile matchups, anchored by some of the sport’s biggest marquee names holding the division’s other major governing body belts.
The weight class is currently glittering with glittering prizes and cross-promotional possibilities, featuring stars such as Ryan Garcia holding the WBC belt, Teofimo Lopez reigning with the WBA strap, and Devin Haney commanding the WBO championship. The presence of these world-class operators means the road to reclaiming supremacy is rich with lucrative and legacy-defining potential.
For Crocker, the dream of once again fighting for a world title at the iconic Windsor Park—the very venue where he secured his historic first championship triumph against Donovan—holds immense emotional and sporting appeal. A homecoming world title tilt at the famous football ground "would be great," but ultimately, the proud Belfast puncher is entirely flexible about the logistics, maintaining that whomever he has to face and wherever the bout takes place, he will be ready to step through the ropes.
"There are four world titles out there, so any one of them [would be great]," he continued, mapping out his long-term ambitions within the sport. "[I plan to get] back on track and push towards it, but as I say, Owen’s my main focus right now."
