Source :- PERTH NOW NEWS
Liam Paro’s world title rival will arrive in Brisbane adamant he can make quick work of the Australian.
Lewis Crocker (22-0) will touch down on Sunday, allowing him more than two weeks to prepare for an IBF welterweight world title defence against the Queenslander on June 24 at Pat Rafter Arena.
Former IBF super lightweight champion Paro (27-1) can become a two-division champion if he beats the Northern Irishman, who upset Irish rival Paddy Donovan in their September rematch in Belfast to clinch the belt.
It will be Crocker’s first professional fight outside of Europe after promoter No Limit Boxing beat Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing for the hosting rights with an Australian record bid reportedly in excess of $1 million.
Crocker, who remembers the Australian’s 2024 world title upset defeat of Subriel Matias in Puerto Rico well, rates Paro highly.
But he has come out swinging before touching down in Brisbane.
But after his crowning moment he split with trainer Billy Nelson and moved from Scotland to London, where he thinks Huzaifah Iqbal can take him to new heights.
“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.
“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.”
