Lewis Crocker headed into the ring on Saturday under the pressure of his vocal supporters and amid questions regarding his professionalism having failed to make the welterweight limit of 147lbs ahead of his clash with Jose Felix.
Friday saw the 27-year-old Crocker miss weight by 3lbs, tipping the scales at 150lbs – naked and behind a towel – while Felix weighed 146.5lbs. Crocker was prevented from making the welterweight limit by the British Boxing Board of Control, which has stringent policies and procedures for monitoring fighters weight-making practices under their jurisdiction.
Despite the turbulence and stresses of the previous 24 hours, Crocker landed a crunching right hook on Felix in the sixth-round, with referee Marcus McDonnell waving off the contest with Felix struggling to rise from the canvas. Crocker had previously sent Felix to the canvas in the fourth and fifth rounds, which sent the Ulster Hall into raptures.
Crocker spoke to BBC NI Sport from ringside and expressed his delight at the highlight-reel knockout in front of his home fans.
"It was a great night,” Crocker told BBC NI Sport. “The atmosphere was electric as it always is in Belfast and I got the win in good fashion, so it couldn't have gone better.”
Crocker, who was last in action in November before his win at the Ulster Hall, added that he informed Matchroom Boxing it would be tight for him to make the 147lbs limit before the Felix fight was confirmed.
“When I got the phone call I said 147lbs [10st 5lb] would be tight for me,’ he conceded.
“I hadn't trained in five weeks, but they [Felix's camp] said the weight wasn’t an issue. I went down to 154 lbs, 152 lbs and 150 lbs. Everything they asked, I did.”
However, blamed the BBBofC for preventing him from going all the way down having been informed that he must not weigh any less than 150lbs following a check weigh-in.
“I came into fight week a bit heavier because of the five weeks [off] but the BBBofC [British Boxing Board of Control] wouldn’t let me go under 150lbs,” he said.
“I don't want people thinking I was unprofessional, it was not my fault.”
