Boxing
Modern champion Liam Paro was ‘terrified’ his career was over
Published
6 months agoon
By
J. HumzaLiam Paro has opened up about a “terrifying” period in his life that left him fearing for his career.
In June, the 28-year-old Australian pulled off what will surely go down as one of the surprises of 2024 when he traveled to Puerto Rico as the clear underdog to dethrone IBF junior welterweight world champion Subriel Matias.
His first world title fight came a year after he was supposed to fight his first in Modern Orleans against then WBC champion Regis Prograis, a chance that was ultimately ruined by an Achilles injury so severe that at his lowest point Paro believed he had perhaps had his last fight and began looking for work in a Queensland mine.
Compounding his disappointment, he not only watched Prograis struggle that night, but Danielito Zorrilla – his successor as challenger – struggled just to survive. Prograis struggled again when he fought and lost to Devin Haney in December 2023, while Paro, who impressed by stopping Montana Love on that night’s undercard in San Francisco, could once again only watch and wonder what if.
“It’s crazy,” Paro told BoxingScene. “A year ago – about – I got injured. There was a lot of uncertainty and it was quite a murky period in my career. It was two injuries back to back. You’re never prepared for that. Until you’re taken away – from something you have no control over – it was scary.
“But it just shows – over time, after a year, I’m a world champion. It’s crazy. It’s unsettling, but I think it just makes for better chapters in the book. When it’s all said and done, it just shows that it’s not all that elementary – we’re going to go through tough times and it’s a matter of how you deal with it. It lit a fire in my belly again – taking a break from what I love. I think in a way it was just the world preparing me for this. I really saw how much I loved this.
“I asked my mates in north Queensland about mining and stuff like that. It was the uncertainty that scared me the most. It’s always there in the back of your mind, but when it’s there it’s scary. You’re in a murky place and you’re not ready for it to end like this. I had so much more to do and the title was on the line. It was a lot of emotions and I was lucky my family – my loved ones – were there.
“The main sponsor – I told him I was looking at mines and he said, ‘No way,’ so he helped me. Everything I needed to get through those moments. All I can say is it was murky. Really murky.
“I’m a very positive person, but I got to the point where – it’s just real. It feels so real, and you’re just trying to take it all in. I kept going back to the uncertainty, which was scary. You just had no idea how it was going to happen. As for the Achilles tendon, it was a minor tear – I was lucky enough not to have to have surgery. If I had to have surgery, it would have been two years before I could walk again. The Achilles is not a minor injury, so it was scary. I’ll admit it – it was scary.”
It would not be an exaggeration to say that not only Paro’s career but his life has been transformed. His promoter, Eddie Hearn of Matchroom, spoke on Thursday of his desire to stage his first title defence in his hometown of Brisbane or Sydney in November – potentially against the winner of Jack Catterall-Prograis on August 24.
“It was tough,” Paro continued of his presence on the Prograis-Haney undercard. “It was tough to swallow. It was so close — my dream was right there. It was signed; it was sealed. I was preparing for it, and it was just taken away.
“It was crazy. It still blows my mind now – now I’m in the driver’s seat, just a year later. That’s what people don’t see about boxing. That’s how ruthless it is. We put our bodies through their paces for the entertainment of the fans. That’s what they don’t see – that kind of stuff. The injuries and what goes on behind the scenes. But it was crazy. It still blows my mind. It’s just crazy how it all happens. In just a year, the whole world has changed.”
You may like
Boxing
Ryan Rozicki is waiting for Badou Jack’s consent to mandatory cooperation with the WBC
Published
21 hours agoon
January 13, 2025The World Boxing Council (WBC) ordered world cruiserweight champion Badou “The Ripper” Jack (20-1-1, 19 KO) to make a mandatory title defense against Ryan “The Bruiser” Rozicki (20-1), number 1 in the WBC ranking – 1, 19 KOs).
If both camps fail to successfully negotiate an agreement, the WBC will organize a tender on February 4, followed by the Jack vs. Rozicki. Rozicki’s promoter, Three Lions Promotions, immediately sent Team Jacek an offer to promote the fight in Canada last week.
“We are waiting for their counteroffer,” explained promoter Dan Otter of Three Lions Promotions. “Boxing has had a huge resurgence in Canada and Ryan is leading the way. He is one of the most electrifying and hardest-hitting fighters in boxing, definitely in the cruiserweight division. He wants the WBC green belt and ultimately the unification of the division. Ryan will fight Jack anywhere for the belt.”
29-year-old Rozicki, born in Sydney (Nova Scotia) and living in Hamilton (Ontario), fought 22 professional fights against 21 different opponents (twice against Yamil Alberto Peralta), stopping 19 of the 20 opponents he defeated. an eye-opening 95-KO percentage.
Jack, 41, was a 2008 Olympian representing his native Sweden. He is a three-division world champion, as well as the WBC super middleweight and World Boxing Association (WBA) lightweight heavyweight title holder. Jack has a record of 5-0-2 (2 KO) in world championship fights.
“We respect Jack and I don’t want to sound disrespectful,” Otter added, “but he’s over 40 years vintage and has been relatively inactive for two years (only one fight). He brings a lot of experience and respect to the ring, but he will fight a newborn defender with a lot of power. Jack is going to struggle and honestly, I don’t think he’ll make it past the first few rounds.”
Ryan Rozicki is on a mission to become the first Canadian cruiserweight world champion.
The next move is Badou Jack’s.
Boxing
Floyd Mayweather’s record is not normal, it can’t happen in 70 years
Published
2 days agoon
January 12, 2025Floyd Mayweather’s incredible 50-0 record is not normal and cannot be repeated in sports for another seventy years.
This is the view of Saudi Arabian president Turki Alalshikh, who wants to adopt the UFC model in which fighters lose many fights during their career.
In a speech as he hosted the Ring Magazine Awards after acquiring the long-running boxing publication from Oscar De La Hoya, Alalshikh was unequivocal in his opinion.
“Now losing some fights in boxing must be normal,” he explained. “All fighters want a career similar to Floyd Mayweather – no losses. This may happen once every 50, 60 or 70 years.
“We need it [to be] like currently in the UFC model, where champions lose and win,” added the matchmaker during the Riyad season.
Mayweather rose through the sport in the tardy 1990s to become one of its youngest superstars. Mayweather’s professional success came after winning a bronze medal at the Olympics after losing to Serafim Todorov.
Winning world titles in five weight classes, Mayweather was untouchable. The Grand Rapids native only came close to defeat a few times. He dominated Manny Pacquiao and overtook Canelo Alvarez and Oscar De La Hoya after heated debates, with decisions that should have been made unanimously.
Towards the end of his career, Mayweather chose to face Andre Berto and Conor McGregor, easily winning and ending his boxing career at the age of 50 without ever going out. Calling himself “the greatest of all time,” Mayweather earned first-ballot Hall of Fame honors and is widely considered one of, if not the greatest defensive fighter of all time.
However, Alalshikh says this type of career needs to end so that fans can get the most out of boxing, as is the case with the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Boxing needs to become more attractive, and Alalshikh sees the failures of top stars as a way to keep interest at an all-time high.
In this sport, many boxers enjoy undefeated streaks, the most notable of which is Oleksandr Usyk. The Ukrainian Pound for Pound King is 23-0 and has beaten the best he has to offer in his division and cruiserweight classification.
It remains a mystery how Alalshikh plans to make Usyk suffer while he dominates everyone else. By the time his grand plan goes into action, Usyk will be long gone, and Gervonta Davis, Shakur Stevenson and Devin Haney may be more realistic targets.
Boxing
Manny Pacquiao remains the favorite to win the title against Mario Barrios
Published
1 week agoon
January 6, 2025WBN understands that despite alternative options emerging, it is more likely that Manny Pacquiao will face Mario Barrios next.
Bob Santos, coach of WBC welterweight champion Barrios, told World Boxing News that he is currently in contact with Pacquiao’s team. Asked by WBN if he had spoken to Pacquiao or representatives of any other challenger, Santos replied: “Yes, Pacquiao’s promoter, Sean Gibbons.” Pressed on whether Barrios vs Pacquiao might happen next, he added: “It’s challenging to say. We’ll have to see how this plays out.”
WBN contacted Santos after Conor Benn emerged as a potential alternative to Barrios. The British fighter, who recently returned from a suspension following two positive drug tests, is keen to return to competition.
Benn showed favor with the World Boxing Council at the recent WBC Convention, the WBC Evaluation Committee and during an interview with the sanctioning body over the weekend. “The Destroyer” is ranked second in the rankings at 147 pounds, despite less than solid opponents during his time in exile, during which Benn competed twice in the United States while his career in the United Kingdom was in doubt.
As he battled to clear his name and with the British Anti-Doping Authority finding no evidence that Benn had intentionally taken ostarine, the 28-year-old’s career took a pointed nosedive. Despite this, he remains highly rated and at least one step away from fighting for an eliminator or one of the remaining championship titles.
However, Pacquiao remains Barrios’ favorite. Now it’s up to the boxing legend and Hall of Famer who got the first votes to secure his shot. WBN believes a July date – most likely at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas – is the most realistic date for a Nevada swan song.
Pacquiao could extend his record as the oldest welterweight champion by six years if he can secure a huge victory over the 29-year-old world champion. At 46 years antique, such a scenario remains unlikely, but he can never be compared to one of the greatest players of this generation.
Unlike heavier boxers and his training regiment, Pacquiao looks in great shape despite his advanced age. Everything is set for a massive return to the boxing capital of the world, provided Pacquiao and his team can manage his political ambitions, which are expected to run from this month until May. After that time, Pacquiao could find himself in the summer finals and become the all-time champion, regardless of the result.
Barrios is based in the city, where he trained with Santos, and would be the perfect opponent to see out the career of one of the greatest fighters in history.
WARNING! ‘TYSON FURY & ANTHONY JOSHUA SHOWING SIGNS OF WEAR’ – Ricky Hatton RAW on RIVALRY
Caroline Dubois Calls Out Terri Harper
MIKE TYSON SMILES AT GERVONTA DAVIS PUSHING RYAN GARCIA & GOING AT IT WITH BERNARD HOPKINS
Trending
-
MMA8 months ago
Max Holloway is on a mission at UFC 212
-
Interviews3 months ago
Carl Froch predicts that Artur Beterbiev vs Dmitry Bivol
-
MMA8 months ago
Cris Cyborg ready to add a UFC title to her collection
-
MMA8 months ago
The Irish showed up in droves at the Mayweather-McGregor weigh-in
-
Interviews3 months ago
Artur Beterbiev vs Dmitry Bivol
-
Boxing6 months ago
Lucas Bahdi ready to test his skills against Ashton Sylve
-
Interviews8 months ago
I fell in love with boxing again
-
Opinions & Features3 months ago
Dmitry Bivol: The story so far