Liam Paro is no longer a little-known contender. Not after beating Subriel Matias in one of the leading upsets of the year to score the IBF junior welterweight crown in June.
Paro, 25-0 (15 KOs), will now be thrown into the fire at 140lbs when he defends his title for the first time against the 18-0 (7 KOs) mandatory challenger Richardson Hitchins on Saturday in San Juan, Puerto Rico on DAZN.
“The Matias win was a confidence boost but I still have the contender mindset,” Paro told BoxingScene. “I'm going to have that mindset until the day I retire. There is still more to achieve. Winning the belt was unbelievable, it opened a lot more doors, and it gave us pulling power, but I'm only just getting started. I'm going to be steamrolling and showing these guys I am here to stay.”
Even before the Matias win, Paro has been making a name for himself. Since 2021, he secured impressive victories over previously undefeated fighters Brock Jarvis and Yomar Alamo and delivered a knockout win against Montana Love last December.
The wide-open 140-pound division features fighters like titleholders Teofimo Lopez Jnr (WBO), Alberto Puello (WBC) and Jose Valenzuela (WBA) as well as Devin Haney, Jack Catterall, Josh Taylor, Arnold Barboza, Isaac Cruz and Rolando Romero, among others.
“We were looking for the big names like Haney and Lopez, but nothing was happening,” said Paro. “I wanted to be an active champion, so I called on my mandatory and that's where we landed. He's worked his way up to the spot and we wanted to get our mandatory out of the way sooner rather than later. I'm excited about this fight to defend the throne. I really am. It's a fight that I can make a good statement against a good name. I'm going to show everyone that I am going to be at the top of this division for years to come.
“The division is stacked with some big names and big opportunities. If I take out Hitchins, a big homecoming in Australia is definitely in the cards. I would like the Ryan Garcia fight, but he would have to make 140 pounds comfortably. We'd pack out a stadium for sure.
“If I don't get Hitchins out of the way, those opportunities go on the back foot. It's all about putting on a dominating performance and showing these guys that I am at the top.”
Manouk Akopyan is a sports journalist, writer and broadcast reporter whose work has appeared on ESPN, Fox Sports, USA Today, The Guardian, Newsweek, Men’s Health, NFL.com, Los Angeles Times, Philadelphia Inquirer, Ring Magazine and more. He has been writing for BoxingScene since 2018. Manouk is a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and the MMA Journalists Association. He can be reached on , , and , through email at manouk[dot]akopyan[at]gmail.com or via .