‘We’re back’: Paddy Donovan drops Chukhadzhian twice, wins decision

MANNHEIM, Germany – Paddy Donovan scored two knockdowns and the win of his career to edge Karen Chukhadzhian at the SAP Arena.

The Irishman dropped Chukhadzhian in round six and round eight in a close and competitive fight, which finished as the clock neared 1.30am, decided by those two moments and a majority decision with cards of 115-111, 114-112 and 113 apiece.

Donovan’s overjoyed team leapt up and down with relief when the final card was read out.

“Karen Chukhadzhian is one of the best fighters in the world and we knew this,” said a jubilant Donovan. “Now it’s back for the trilogy, come on Lewis Crocker. We’re back.”

It marked Donovan’s return from consecutive losses to Belfast’s Lewis Crocker in what was an eliminator for the IBF title, due to be contested in Australia by Crocker and challenger Liam Paro later this year.

The 30-year-old Chukhadzhian, now 26-4 (14 KOs), kept coming and finished stronger but the knockdowns proved pivotal.

Limerick’s Donovan, 15-2 (11 KOs), still only 27, looked for his southpaw left hand early on and neither did much, prompting Chukhadzhian to drop his hands in a bid to draw the Irishman in.

Chukhadzhian upped his intensity in the second and scored with a straight right, moving forward purposefully with the Irishman backing up save for the final 30 seconds of the session.

They swapped right hands as the action warmed up in the third. Chukhadzhian was looking for the body, often with rights but sometimes lead hooks and Donovan caught him with a left hand at the bell that caused the Ukrainian to stumble.

Donovan’s handspeed was the difference in the fourth although he took a straight right with seconds remaining that clearly grabbed his attention.

The Irishman’s corner cheered his every success but neither side had much to celebrate in a quiet fifth.

Trainer Andy Lee gave Donovan advice as he stood for the sixth and some 30 seconds later Chukhadzhian was on the seat of his trunks for a count courtesy of a short-left hand.

He looked more frustrated than hurt, but knew it was a legitimate knockdown.

Donovan was not boxing with the fluency of his first fight against Lewis Crocker but he was smooth enough to give Chukhadzhian pause for thought. Chukhadzhian tried to move forward behind both hands, working up and down, but a sharp counter here and there prevented him from launching sustained attacks.

That said, in the eighth he followed a left hook with a right hand moments later but there were also times when he missed wildly, such as with a scything left hook that swept through clean air.

With less than a minute to go in the round, Chukhadzhian paid for his front foot work when Donovan turned him with a right hook and Chukhadzhian was down and given a second count. Chukhadzhian protested that he’d been the victim of a push rather than a punch, but those calls fell on death ears.

Donovan knew that could have been crucial because he punched the air at the end of the session.

He gulped down a couple of straight right hands in the ninth but also enjoyed success of his own, punching and pivoting his way to both points and safety and a short right uppercut just before the bell earned a nod of respect from Chukhadzhian.

There was more good quality infighting in the 10^th with neither looking to clinch and Chukhadzhian landed a couple of left hooks that didn’t dent Donovan but they got his attention and probably that of the judges, too.

The Ukrainian looked solid and strong in the 11^th. Donovan may have been better served using the ring more and making himself a harder target but Chukhadzhian did not have to go looking for him and although Donovan celebrated at the gong, he was taking unnecessary risks.

Both fought the final round as though victory depended on it. Pockets of fans chanted “Ka-ren, Ka-ren,” and he was finding a home for numerous shots but Donovan raised his arm at the end, was held aloft by trainer Andy Lee and the Irish team celebrated.

Then it went to the scorecards and it was close.

BoxingScene scored it in rounds 6-5-1 for Chukhadzhian, meaning Donovan edged it with the two knockdowns.

It was a good contest, fought at a high level in front of thousands of empty seats after the final bout of the Night of the Heavyweights, Emanuel Odiase-Nick Webb, saw the arena quickly empty.

Donovan's team didn't care one jot. They are back in the mix for big fights and world titles.