Ghostbuster Paro clears path to legacy-defining rematch
The Australian is instead intent on a rematch with their conqueror Richardson Hitchins, ideally for multiple belts, as he prepares to fight on home soil for the first time in nearly three years.
The Mackay product (25-1) will headline Wednesday's boxing card in Cairns against the dangerous Jonathan Navarro (18-1).
America's Jonathan Navarro is from a big fighting family, lost count of how many amateur titles he won and was brought to the pros by Oscar de la Hoya.The $12 outsider is confident of causing a big Aussie boxing boilover tomorrow #ParoNavarro MORE 👉 https://t.co/8hwuNwtZXe pic.twitter.com/BLkK0d4PzG
— MAIN EVENT (@MainEventTV) June 23, 2025
Caboolture's two-time world title challenger Liam Wilson (15-3) will also feature against Argentinian super featherweight Ayrton Gimenez (22-1) as he eyes a rematch with Emanuel Navarrete after his controversial Arizona loss two years ago.
Paro upset Subriel Matias in Puerto Rico to win the IBF's super lightweight title last June and, when a homecoming bout with Kambosos Jnr didn't eventuate, was forced to return there and defend his belt against Hitchins in December.
The Brooklyn star won a split decision contest and then, as forecast by Paro, obliterated Kambosos Jnr in New York City in his first defence earlier this month.
"I copped heat for saying George would lose, but I stand by it," Paro said.
"I just never thought Kambosos was world class. That's not unpatriotic, it's just my opinion as someone who knows what that level really looks like.
"There are levels to this game and I've shared the ring with the elite and I call it how I see it."
Kambosos is 2-4 since upsetting Teofimo Lopez in 2021 but has retained a top-four IBF ranking alongside Paro, who is also well positioned for shots at the WBC and WBO belts.
"I doubt it happens," Paro said of fighting his countryman.
"I think ego gets in the way. He's made it clear he won't fight another Aussie, which says a lot.
"But if we're both seen as one and two in the country, there's only one way to settle it.
"If it ever makes sense, I'm all in. I'll fight anyone, anywhere but I won't chase ghosts."
Lopez currently owns the WBO strap and is on Paro's hit list that includes Ryan Garcia, Rolando Romero and Isaac 'Pitbull' Cruz.
"People underestimate what Liam brings to the table,' No Limit boss George Rose said.
"He's tough, smart, and marketable as hell.
"He's doing it without shortcuts, without ducking anyone, and that's why the biggest names are going to have to deal with him eventually.
"This is the beginning of something huge."
Paro's last win in Australia was a devastating first-round stoppage of Brock Jarvis that launched him towards his first title shot while signed to Eddie Hearn's Matchroom Boxing.
"I had to defend my world title overseas under my last promoter when I should've been celebrating it in Australia," Paro said.
"So this one's for my Aussie fans and Queenslanders. And next time I want to be back here again, but with a world title on the line.
"I'm not here for easy fights or padded comebacks. You look at what Tim Tszyu's doing ... he's back in a mega-fight and rematch with (Sebastian) Fundora.
"That's the blueprint and that's what I'm chasing too.
"I'm not asking for a (Hitchins) rematch just to tick a box.
"I want a belt in my hands before we run it back. And when we do, I want it to be a unification. That's the goal. That's how legacies are built."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Australia punter playing at Nebraska breaks down while discussing homesickness
Life as a college football player requires tremendous sacrifice, from early morning workouts to the demanding balance between academic and athletic responsibilities that leaves little in the way of free time. Some athletes carry a heavier burden than others. Archie Wilson is a freshman punter at Nebraska who joined the program over the summer. To play for the Cornhuskers, he left his home in Australia and traveled halfway across the globe. REQUIRED READING: What are the best college football games of Week1? We list the top 10 It has been a difficult adjustment mentally and emotionally for Wilson, who expressed some understandable feelings of homesickness when asked about it this week while fighting through tears. 'I love (my family) a lot,' Wilson said during a news conference during Nebraska's fall training camp. 'I've got two little brothers and a mom and dad. That's the tough part about being here. I love them a lot and I miss them. But they know this is what's best for me.' The clip of Wilson received widespread attention on social media, with many people empathizing with him and the pain he has carried. Though Wilson is new to college football, he played Australian rules football at Haileybury College as a full-back. More notably, he was trained by the Prokick Australia program, which has produced eight Ray Guy Award winners and 29 players that have earned NFL or CFL contracts. He's one of two punters on Nebraska's roster. For all he has shouldered since leaving home, Wilson will get some much-needed relief later this month. When the Huskers open their 2025 season on August 28 against Cincinnati at Arrowhead Stadium, there will be some familiar faces in the crowd cheering him on. 'It's good I can still talk to them plenty over the phone and they're coming in to see the first few games, so I'm looking forward to that,' he said. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Nebraska punter Archie Wilson, from Australia, shares he's homesick
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Yahoo
Test cricket could 'bankrupt' nations
The traditional Test calendar could lead to bankruptcy for certain nations, Cricket Australia chief Todd Greenberg warned as he called for a slimmed-down schedule. Greenberg wants quality prioritised over quantity to ensure a viable future for red-ball cricket. The International Cricket Council (ICC) recently set up a working group to discuss the Test format and the potential to introduce a two-tier system. "Scarcity in Test cricket is our friend, not our foe," said Greenberg. "I don't think everyone in world cricket needs to aspire to play Test cricket, and that might be OK. "We're literally trying to send countries bankrupt if we force them to try to play Test cricket." 'England and India provide most intense, dramatic and emotional finale' Is Test cricket financially sustainable? Is two-tier Test system 'greedy' or will it help cricket survive? Greenberg wants to see marquee series such as the Ashes between England and Australia - the 2025-26 series gets under way in Australia in 100 days' time - receive greater investment. The pulsating five-match series between England and India this summer was Test cricket at its finest. However, Australia won each of their three Tests in the West Indies by at least 133 runs, while New Zealand cruised to a comfortable series victory in Zimbabwe - winning one of the Tests by an innings and 359 runs. "We need to make sure we invest in the right spaces to play Test cricket where it means something and has jeopardy," Greenberg added. "That's why the Ashes will be as enormous and profitable as it is - because it means something." The emergence of shorter forms of the sport has proved difficult for Test cricket, with T20 franchise leagues and The Hundred offering lucrative player contracts in domestic cricket, and adding further congestion to the global calendar.
News24
10 hours ago
- News24
Test cricket needs quality not quantity to stay alive: Australia chief
Cricket Australia CEO Todd Greenberg suggests a leaner Test schedule could benefit smaller nations, ensuring matches hold significant value. Greenberg used the Ashes series' extraordinary demand as proof of Test cricket's ongoing appeal in Australia. Proposals have been made for two Test cricket divisions to enhance competitiveness. For more cricket news, visit our dedicated section. Australia cricket chief Todd Greenberg on Wednesday said a slimmer Test calendar could benefit smaller nations because the five-day game was better 'where it means something'. Marking 100 days until the home Ashes series against England begins in Perth, Cricket Australia CEO Greenberg suggested quality not quantity was important in keeping the red-ball game viable. Rob Houwing | From the boondocks, bomber Brevis' message for T20 World Cup 'We're trying to send countries bankrupt if we force them to try to play Test cricket,' he told reporters. 'We need to make sure we invest in the right spaces to play Test cricket where it means something. 'That's why the Ashes will be as enormous and as profitable as it is - because it means something.' England have just completed a thrilling 2-2 home drawn series against India in front of sold-out crowds. At the same time, New Zealand and Australia romped to easy overseas Test series wins against uncompetitive West Indies and Zimbabwe teams respectively, leaving question marks over the quality of Test cricket in those countries. One idea is to create two or more divisions of Test cricket to keep it competitive, but Greenberg said he did not have a strong opinion on the ideal number of Test-playing nations. 'Let's consider what the future might look like,' he said. But the five-day game remained in rude health in Australia, Greenberg said, where interest in the Ashes had been 'off the charts'. 'This will be the biggest sports event in Australia this year,' said Greenberg. 'The interest is quite extraordinary with ticket allocations for 11 of the 20 days on sale already exhausted.'
