LEWIS CROCKER will be chasing a childhood dream when he steps into the ring against Paddy Donovan on Saturday night.

The two undefeated Irish welterweights go toe-to-toe in Belfast in an IBF world title eliminator.

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Pacemaker Press

The prospect of becoming a world champion is one that Crocker has been pursuing long before he became a professional boxer in 2017.

Indeed, he traces it back to when he was but a young lad, watching his older sister Alanna make history opposite Katie Taylor in Halloween 2001.

He explained: “The world title is the dream, so to be within touching distance, this fight is everything to me.

“It is there for both of us. I’m sure he has had a dream for a world title since he was a kid as well.

“As a kid – 5 or 6 years of age – I wanted to be a world champion since I started boxing. As long as I can remember, it has always been a dream.

“My sister Alanna boxed.

“She and Katie Taylor was the first officially sanctioned female fight in Ireland.

“That is how I got into boxing and I haven’t looked back since.”

‘The Croc’ was four when Alanna Nihell fought Katie Taylor in Ireland’s first-ever official sanctioned female fight.

Within ten years, the Belfast-native was winning a bronze medal for Ireland at the European Schoolboys Championships.

The seven-time All-Ireland junior champion turned pro in 2017 and, to-date, has racked up an undefeated 20-0 record, including 11 knock-outs.

His last seven have been under the tutelage of trainer Billy Nelson, with whom he linked up on recommendation from manager Jamie Conlan.

Crocker told SunSport: “I was talking to Jamie and Jamie mentioned about it. At this stage, I had had fights fall through constantly and stuff.

“By the time I fought with Billy, I hadn’t fought for a year and a half so I got over to Scotland and Billy welcomed me with open arms.

“He has got me to where he is right now, so he did. I’m very grateful for Billy in my life.

“We are getting better and better each fight. We gel perfectly so we do, so there are more big nights to come for us both.”

HOME COMFORTS

The 28-year-old will be the home fighter at the SSE Arena, with Limerick-native Paddy Donovan stepping into enemy territory.

Crocker has fought there four times before – most recently against Tyrone McKenna in December 2023 – and will be the more experienced fighter on the night.

And it is this experience that he believes will give him the edge.

He said: “It is going to be great. I was away fighter last time in my last bout and headlined the fight before that in Belfast.

“The atmosphere for that was sensational in the Ulster Hall so I am expecting more big noise on Saturday.

“It just gives you that bit more energy. You feel the crowd in everything.

“I know the crowd will be there with me so I am expecting fireworks.

“The best are fighting the best and me and Paddy should be fighting.

“It is the right time as well, with the IBF on the line. Everyone wants it. Everyone in the city wants it. I want it so it was a no brainer.

“I have ticked off a lot of boxes that I don’t think he has experienced yet and I think that will play a factor.

“I expect a very entertaining fight, no doubt. Both of us are going to bring it so it is going to be class to watch.

“I am super confident about getting the victory and I believe I can get him out of there.”

JEREMY Clarkson has shared a major update on Diddly Squat Farm Shop after it was closed down two months ago.

The Sun columnist and Clarkson’s Farm star left fans disappointed in December by announcing the news.

Prime

Instagram

The farm shop will reopen this Saturday – months after it was shuttered[/caption]

While no explanation was given by Jezza, 64, at the time, his pop-up shop at The Farmer’s Dog pub is still open three days a week.

But now in a fresh update, Jeremy has revealed the shop is finally reopening – and exactly why it was closed.

He shuttered the successful store for a renovation, praising his team for ‘fixing’ the premises over the last two months.

Taking to Instagram, the petrol head told excited fans he’s reopening the doors this Saturday.

He wrote: “Just 3 days to go until Diddly Squat Farm Shop reopens following the winter break.

“The team have been working hard to fix and refresh, just look at the sign, it’s like new .

“The doors will be open on Saturday and Sunday 09:30-16:30. Normal hours resume.”

Fans flooded Jeremy with well-wishes on the reopening, as one said: “We are visiting from the Isle of Wight next Friday!”

A second wrote: “I’ve been twice … even got a pet from lovely Lisa – she is my fav.”

“Hope it will be open in October,” said a third.

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Bengaluru, Feb 27 (SocialNews.XYZ) Former Chief Minister and BJP Central Parliamentary Board Member B.S. Yediyurappa, who turned 83 on Thursday, announced that he will soon embark on a state-wide tour to strengthen the party and...

The post Yediyurappa turns 83, vows to bring BJP back to power in K’taka appeared first on Social News XYZ.

The "Down the Drain" author paired her briefs with menswear-inspired separates.

See what everyone's wearing to the week's hottest shows and parties.

SKEPTA has unveiled a huge line-up for the return of his London music festival.

The legendary UK rapper, also known as Big Smoke, has just dropped the exciting news about the event, which is named after himself.

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Skepta unveiled a huge line-up for his 2025 festival in London[/caption]

Big smoke festival

The event will take place over two days this August[/caption]

Scheduled for this August, the event will take place over two days at Crystal Palace park which has previously been the home to Wireless Festival and South Facing Festival.

The park is London’s original outdoor concert venue, with previous performers including The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd and Bob Marley. 

Taking to Instagram, the grime artist revealed that he will be heading day one, with his House DJ collective Mas Tiempo heading day two.

Fans flooded the comments with excitement, expressing their hype for the upcoming festival, one user exclaimed: “THANK YOU FOR MAKING MY SUMMER BEST AGAIN!”

“I actually cannot wait,” added another.

“So excited !!!” gushed a third

“My ticketmaster tab is already open and ready,” chimed a fourth.

The festival isn’t the rappers first rodeo. Last year Skepta launched Big Smoke with a stellar multi-genre line-up including his brother JME, Mahalia, Lancey and The Streets.

While last year’s event was a one-day affair, this year’s festival will span over a whole weekend and promises to be an even bigger and more unforgettable experience.

While a full line-up of other artists is yet to be revealed, fans are excited at the prospect of Skepta and his DJ collective hitting the stage.

Mas Tiempo was launched back in 2023.

The collective run their own DJ sets, which specialise in the House music style, and have taken their sets global, performing in places such as Australia and Miami.

Skepta, whose real name is Joseph Junior Adenuga, began his music career in the early 2000s, gaining widespread recognition for his 2007 mixtape Greatest Hits.

The grime star has gone on to make many hit singles, including That’s Not Me and Shutdown, earning him several awards for the MOBOs and even a Mercury Prize in 2016 beating David Bowie.

Big smoke has collaborated with a host of artists from both the UK and US including ASAP Rocky, Chip and Drake.

The rapper often keeps a low profile when it comes to performing in the UK, last hitting the stage there to rap at his festival in 2024.

Pre-Sale tickets will drop this Friday at 10AM as fans gear up for the event this summer.

Instagram/ mastiempolive

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The event will take place at Crystal Palace park which has previously been the home to Wireless Festival and South Facing Festival[/caption]

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EATING a cheap 89p vegetable could help people manage a silent killer condition plaguing millions of Brits, a study suggests.

It’s thought that 5.8 million people in the UK are living with type 2 diabetes – though over a million of them might not know it.

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Mushrooms contain beneficial compounds which may help the body respond to insulin[/caption]

The condition is characterised by high blood sugar levels caused by the body not making enough of a hormone called insulin, or the insulin it makes not working properly.

This is known as insulin resistance. When the body’s cells fail to respond properly to insulin, glucose can build up in the bloodstream, which can lead to type 2 diabetes.

Over time, high blood sugar levels can cause other health problems like heart attacks and strokes, as well as problems with the eyes, kidneys, and feet.

Researchers at Semmelweis University in Budapest said mushrooms could help prevent or manage insulin resistance.

They found that common mushroom varieties – such as white button, shiitake and oyster mushrooms that often cost under a pound – are rich in chemicals that may help improve sensitivity to insulin.

The beneficial compounds include polysaccharides, terpenoids, phenolic compounds, and bioactive proteins, along with essential vitamins and minerals, the study published in the Journal of Molecular Sciences suggests.

For example, indigestible polysaccharides in mushrooms feed beneficial gut bacteria, that support nutrient absorption and lower chronic inflammation – an important factor in insulin resistance.

Polysaccharides reduce sugar and fat absorption, which can help with weight management – an important part of both preventing and managing diabetes.

Researchers detailed other ways that mushrooms may help improve insulin resistance.

For starters, compounds in mushrooms may help regulate enzymes in the intestine, slowing the rate at which glucose enters the bloodstream and preventing sharp blood sugar spikes.

They may also help transport glucose more efficiently into muscle and fat cells and help maintain healthy blood sugar levels by stimulating insulin secretion and protecting pancreatic b-cells.

Finally, eating mushrooms reduce harmful fat accumulation and support healthier muscle function, researchers suggested.

They wrote: “Edible mushrooms, including medical mushrooms, are an important part of nutrition.

“They are a good source of fibre, vitamins, amino acids, and trace elements, but the most investigated are the water-soluble composites: polysaccharides.

“Polysaccharides have complex effects on the human body. They favourably modulate the intestinal microbiota, glucose, and lipid homeostasis, as well as the immune system, the combined effect of which can reduce insulin resistance.

“These effects make mushrooms, especially medicinal mushrooms, a potential part of complementary therapy for obesity and related diseases, such as type 2 diabetes.”

Lead author Dr Zsuzsanna Németh, a biologist at Semmelweis University’s Department of Internal Medicine and Oncology, said: “Our study reveals the remarkable potential of natural compounds in mushrooms to address key metabolic pathways.

“As interest grows in non-pharmacological approaches to disease prevention, this opens up exciting possibilities for using edible medicinal mushrooms as complementary agents in diabetes management.”

But Dr Németh noted that people with type 2 diabetes shouldn’t only rely on mushrooms to manage their condition and that they should be eaten as part of a balanced diet and under the guidance of healthcare professionals.

Researchers previously claimed that people who ate two medium mushrooms a day had a 45 per cent lower your risk of cancer compared to those who didn’t indulge in them.

Meanwhile, psychedelic mushrooms are now being looked at for their ability to ease mental health issues.

A MAN has been found guilty of murdering mother-of-two Lisa Thompson in 2022.

The mother, 52, was found strangled and stabbed to death in her Dublin home.

PA:Press Association

Brian McHugh, with an address at Cairn Court, Poppintree, Ballymun in Dublin 11, had pleaded not guilty to the murder at Sandyhill Gardens, Ballymun in Dublin 11 on May 9, 2022.

A jury this afternoon took just over three hours to find him guilty.

A forensic scientist told the Central Criminal Court trial that a blood-stained window blind cord found wrapped around the deceased’s neck contained McHugh’s DNA.

The prosecution had argued that he could be seen on CCTV footage near Ms Thompson’s home on the night of the killing.

Evidence was heard that Ms Thompson – who was stabbed 11 times in the chest – was dealing prescription drugs from her home.

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