Before Kian Hedderman ever dreamed of national titles or pro contracts, there was one fighter who first made him believe it was all possible — Paddy Donovan.
The Limerick native’s story is a unique one. He came late to the game, first entering a boxing gym at 17 years of age, went on to win Irish amateur titles, and soon became famed for positive sparring stories.
Martin ‘Gugu’ Donovan noticed the talent immediately – it’s said he predicted Irish title success for the well-supported Treaty man after their first pad session – and made it clear the late start wouldn’t stop him being a success.
Indeed, the Donovans adopted them into their boxing family immediately and the OLOL graduate credits them for a lot of his success.
“From day one, it was Paddy,” Hedderman told Irish-boxing.com. “The first time I walked into the gym at 17, I didn’t know anything about boxing. He was already 3-0 as a pro, and I just tapped him up straight away. I fell in love with the pro game after that.”
Now, just a few years later, the Limerick pair train side-by-side, with ‘The Real Deal’ serving as both mentor and motivator for the rising prospect.
“Anytime I’m in the gym, Paddy’s there. And he always helps — always willing to explain what he’s doing or how to do something. You don’t get that from everyone,” he adds.
“Even being beside him in camp is a blessing. He leads by example. His intensity, his work ethic, how smart he is in the ring — it’s off the charts.”
Donovan, who is gearing up for a high-stakes rematch with Lewis Crocker, has brought that same focus into their shared sessions, pushing the Jason Quigley-managed boxer to raise his game and absorb everything possible.
“You just learn from watching him. He works on the tiniest things. It’s the 1%, the little edges that make the difference.”
Hedderman also has strong supporters in Limerick rival started Graham McCormack, domestic trend setter Jamie Morrissey as well as Andy Lee, Edward Donovan, Shaun Kelly, Ken Moore and the rest of the Treaty fight names, but is well aware having a soon to be world title challenger in his wider team is massive.
“There’s a real culture here. Limerick is a boxing city. And I’ve been lucky that someone like Paddy has been right there beside me from the start.”
