Andy Lee has lifted the lid on the ‘wars’ Paddy Donovan has been having with David Avanesyan in his preparation to face Lewis Crocker on September 13.

Donovan and Crocker will meet on that date at Windsor Park, Belfast for the IBF welterweight title in the first ever world title fight between two men from the island of Ireland.

It will be a rerun of their controversial initial encounter on March 1 when Donovan was left in tears after referee Marcus McDonnell disqualified him for flooring Crocker after the bell to end the eighth round.

Now, following Jaron Ennis’ decision to move up and therefore vacate his 147 pound titles, the pair will meet again for the belt.

As a result of the DQ defeat, 26-year-old Donovan was left on 14-1 (11 KOs) so is now vying to become Lee’s first ever world champion in only his 16th professional fight.

The fighter-trainer team are leaving no stone unturned in their quest to win the title and that has meant some sparring that Lee admits has become almost ‘too hard’.

Avanesyan, the 31-5-1 (19 KOs) Armenian, has once again been invited into their Dublin training camp and Lee has seen first hand why he has been one of the division’s most avoided men over the years.

“The sparring between them is unbelievable,” Lee tells The Ring.

“David helped him out before the first fight too and we were very lucky to have him.

“David Avanesyan is not a sparring partner - he doesn’t go around sparring. But me and his manager Neil Marsh spoke a lot on the phone and I told him he wouldn’t be treated like a sparring partner.

“We have a great time with him and he’s a great character who is well looked after. I think they’re happy with that and we get the best out of him too.

“Him and Paddy… it’s almost too hard. It’s not really sparring. They did six rounds today, Paddy did 10 in total, but the six they had is like a war.

“Every time they spar it’s like a war.”

Southpaw Donovan boxed well in the initial encounter with Crocker and was ahead on all three scorecards at the time of the stoppage despite a pair of point deductions for use of the head against his orthodox opponent.

At the launch press conference for the rematch, Lee said he is expecting a better version of Belfast’s ‘Croc’ to turn up for the return, which has meant intense preparation behind closed doors.

“That’s what we are expecting,” Lee said. “So this sparring gives us confidence in Paddy.

“In boxing, nothing is given… It has to be earned. So I feel like with this type of sparring against an opponent like Avanesyan he is earning the right.”