Written by Megan Taylor, sports reporter covering international sports since 2020
Liam Paro will fight for the IBF welterweight world title in Brisbane on June 24, with unbeaten champion Lewis Crocker due to arrive on Sunday for more than two weeks of preparation at Pat Rafter Arena.
The Queenslander, who holds a 27-1 record, can become a two-division world champion if he beats Northern Ireland’s Crocker, who is 22-0 and making his first professional appearance outside Europe.
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Crocker Arrives With Confidence
Crocker won the IBF welterweight belt by beating Irish rival Paddy Donovan in their September rematch in Belfast. He has also spoken highly of Paro, who stunned Subriel Matias in Puerto Rico in 2024 to win the IBF super lightweight title.
The fight landed in Australia after No Limit Boxing beat Matchroom Boxing for hosting rights with an Australian record bid reportedly worth more than $1 million.
"I would have liked the fight in Belfast; I think everyone expected me, sort of, to fight in Belfast, especially for my first defence," he said."But there's worse places to fight than Australia.
Trainer Change Adds Intrigue
Crocker has made a major change since becoming world champion, splitting with trainer Billy Nelson and moving from Scotland to London. He now believes Huzaifah Iqbal can help sharpen his game before facing Paro in hostile territory.
"Moving away was obviously the hardest decision that I've had to make in my boxing career and stuff, you know, with so much love and respect for Billy."I just felt like there were things I could be better at and maybe I was too comfortable back in Scotland. As a champion, I feel like now was the time that I needed to get out of the comfort zone and sort of push on and try out different things."
Paro will have strong home support in Brisbane, but Crocker’s early arrival points to a serious camp built around timing, conditioning and handling the travel. Official title details can be followed through the International Boxing Federation.