The IBF welterweight title final eliminator between Belfast's Lewis Crocker and Limerick's Paddy Donovan always threatened to be something special but nobody could have predicted the drama provided by the captivating all-Irish battle.

Crocker won the fight by disqualification, Donovan losing two points for use of the head and a third for landing a shot after the bell sounded to end the eighth. That doesn't begin to tell the story. The fight took place amid a tumultuous atmosphere at Belfast's SSE Arena, Matchroom's entire event broadcast worldwide on DAZN.

Before the first bell, the eagerly-awaited fight was touted as a battle between the heavy-handed Crocker (21-0, 11 KOs) and the sharp-shooting southpaw Donovan (14-1, 11 KOs) and there was also an interesting subplot.

Last weekend, Billy Nelson and Andy Lee found themselves in opposite corners on Saudi shores in Riyadh as Nelson's Scotland-based Congolese heavyweight Martin Bakole (21-2, 16 KOs) made a last minute dash to take on Lee-trained Joseph Parker (36-3, 24 KOs) for the Kiwi's WBO interim title.

Lee got the better of that meeting as Parker scored a second-round knockout of the giant Bakole but on Saturday night, Nelson evened the score against the former WBO middleweight champion to some degree with this controversial win.

In preparation for a career-defining night, Donovan got work in with all-action, former WBA welterweight titleholder David Avanesyan (31-5-1, 19 KOs) and that pressure testing paid real rewards.

Crocker, two years older at 28, got rounds in against former undisputed junior-welterweight champion Josh Taylor (19-2, 13 KOs) as part of his own preparation, putting his hands up and walking directly towards Donovan from the opening bell.

Initially, Donovan skirted away and poked with a jab but quickly ended up bumping shoulders with the local favourite. Crocker seemed content to probe away and look for openings but although he took a clipping uppercut, made it his type of fight early.

Surprisingly, Donovan showed no inclination to escape the close quarter combat. Crocker began finding room for short uppercuts and began to look for his trademark, looping hooks over the top of Donovan's guard.

Donovan resisted loading up on heavy shots himself but kept his hands moving. Heads were bumping and banging together while blood began to pour from a cut around Crocker's right eye. Surprisingly, referee Marcus McDonnell ruled the damage had been caused by a punch while Donovan definitely got Crocker's attention with a hard left to the body as the round came to an end.

Donovan did collect a warning for using a head midway through the fourth but bounced back into the fray and landed a heavy right hook. Now dealing with a severe swelling and cut under his left eye, Crocker began to look a little disorganised and Donovan’s better punch picking was evident.

Crocker began to sink in his shots a round later. One wide left hook glanced off Donovan’s chin but a tighter one found the target. Still Donovan remained unmoved and his shorter, snappier shots continued to chip away at the marked up Crocker.

Donovan began to push Crocker back in the sixth but as the two went forehead to forehead, referee McDonnell paused the action and took a point from Donovan for use of the head. Unbothered, the younger man got straight back to business and his clean, quality work appeared as though it was starting to hurt Crocker.

A minute into the seventh, heads came together yet again and Crocker reeled away in obvious pain. This time, there was no point deduction and comfortable Donovan began to enjoy himself. He slotted shots between Crocker's high-held guard, holding his feet and putting together accurate, well picked combinations. Crocker found it difficult to land anything of note as Donovan figured out his timing.

Donovan seemingly had the fight in hand but was taking real risks by staying involved in such a physical fight.

The eighth round was unbelievably dramatic. Firstly, Donovan lost a second point after another clash of heads. He then dropped Crocker heavily.

Amid a wild atmosphere, Crocker clambered to his feet in clear agony. With his left eye screwed up in pain, he backed up to the ropes, dug his toes into the canvas and swung from his heels. Donovan held his feet and found the cleaner shots in a wild exchange.

As the bell sounded, Crocker moved along the ropes and a second or two later, Donovan landed a right hook dropping Crocker again. The punch was clearly late and having already taken two points from Donovan, McDonnell had no real choice but to take a third point and disqualify the man from Limerick.

A distraught Donovan sank to the canvas but Crocker slumped on to his stool, his face a swollen mess. Ring announcer David Diamante, made the official announcement. Donovan had been disqualified at the end of the eighth round, Crocker was victorious.

Crocker now becomes the mandatory challenger for the IBF title currently held by America’s unbeaten Jaron Ennis but with ‘Boots’ booked in for a unification fight against WBA titleholder Eimantas Stanionis (15-0, 9 KOs) on April 12, he could face a long wait before getting his shot. The alternative scenario, an immediate rematch, is also a possibility as Donovan insisted his team would lodge an appeal post-fight.