Liam Paro pulled off a huge upset on Saturday when he defeated Subriel Matias to become world champion, and his next move after the triumph has now been revealed.
Paro was a big underdog heading into the bout with Matias in Puerto Rico, but he proved he is one of the best 140lb fighters on the planet by winning via unanimous decision to claim the IBF super-lightweight title.
Talk has now turned to what could be next for the Australian after his victory, and promoter Eddie Hearn has revealed that it’s set to be a huge homecoming.
“It’s time to bring him home to Australia, I’d love to see him defend it in Australia, it’s a massive win and he deserves it, he rolled the dice, and it was a hell of a performance.
We know that the Australian government support big time boxing, but it’s got to be world championship boxing, it’s got to be big names.
“Liam Paro became a big name tonight, you’ve got Ryan Garcia, Pitbull Cruz, Teofimo Lopez, Richardson Hitchins; it’s an incredible night for Liam and Australian boxing.
“You saw the result of a great performance, not necessarily being overlooked. You just expected Subriel to come on strong at the end, but Liam had an answer for him at every junction.
“He stood and fought with him, we said he’d have to get his respect, he did that. He pushed him back, he bonded off the back foot, it was an absolute masterclass. I had it so wide, with three or four rounds to go I had Subriel needing a knockout, it wasn’t even close.”
Paro also reflected on his win, and shared Hearn’s view that he wants to return home and defend his belt in Australia.
“I’ve been to hell and back in my life and been through harder fights than that mentally. I have always said that I will get carried out of there if I have to, but we both go home safe to our families.
“I have self-belief, I know the hard work I put in, I’m always the hardest worker in the room. I keep proving everyone wrong, I took the biggest test out there and came out on top.
“We knew it was going to be hard, Matias is a tremendous champion, and it was my hardest fight. Thanks to Puerto Rico, we had a great time here, we’d love to come back, and I hope I won some fans here.
“He hits hard, he’s got 20 KOs for a reason, but I’m a true warrior, I’ve got the heart of a lion and I showed that. The crowd was good, I knew it was going to be hostile coming into his backyard, I always said doing it this way was going to make it a better chapter for the book and that’s going to be a highlight.
“I want to thank everyone that’s stuck with me throughout the injuries and setbacks, I’ve been a road warrior, now it’s time to bring the big fights back to Queensland, let’s get them over there.
“I’ve got the target on my back, but I want everyone. I’ve had 25 tests and got 25 wins. I just took out the boogeyman, now I’m the captain, so come and get it.”
News on who Paro could face next in a potential Australian homecoming is expected in the coming weeks and months.
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