Undefeated junior welterweight Liam ‘The Prodigy’ Paro wants to remind the division he is still a force to be reckoned with after more than a year on the sidelines.

It wasn’t that long ago that the 27-year-old Australian southpaw was flying high. Ranked number one by the WBO behind their then-titleholder Josh Taylor as recently as July last year, he appeared in position to eventually challenge arguably the best 140 pounder on the planet.

But boxing is a cruel sport. His scheduled bout against Robbie Davies Jr. (23-4, 15 KOs) in Liverpool, England on March 11 was nixed after tests conducted by the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBofC) revealed a slight facial fracture three weeks out from the fight. Paro, who was in no pain, was happy to proceed with the bout. The BBBofC was not.

While the injury healed Paro continued to train, waiting for the next opportunity. That came in the form of a shot at the WBC belt held by Regis Prograis (29-1, 24 KOs). The bout was scheduled to take place in New Orleans on June 17.

Fate again intervened when Paro was diagnosed with chronic tendonitis in both Achilles. He was forced to withdraw from the bout. Prograis successfully defended his title on the same date against late replacement Danielito Zorrilla, winning by split decision in what can best be described as an ugly fight.

For a while there it seemed like if it wasn’t for bad luck, Paro (23-0, 14 KOs) would have no luck at all. So when the opportunity came to face Montana Love (18-1-1, 9 KOs) on the undercard of Prograis’ upcoming title defense against former undisputed lightweight champion Devin Haney at the Chase Center in San Francisco on December 9, he jumped at it.

“The injuries were frustrating, very, very frustrating. It was a big test mentally, but that’s a part of the sport. We’re on the other side now,” Paro told The Ring in an exclusive interview.

“We never planned to pull out of two fights back-to-back. It’s not who I am as a fighter and it’s not the kind of person I want to come across as. But hey, injuries happen. We put our bodies through the ringer every day.”

If the Love fight is something of a comeback for Paro, it is for his opponent too. The 28-year-old southpaw from Cleveland, Ohio has not boxed since his disastrous bout against Australian Stevie Spark (16-3, 14 KOs) in November last year. Clips of the fight went viral for all the wrong reasons when Love was disqualified in the sixth round for shoving Spark over the top rope, causing him to fall to the floor four feet below the ring.

Montana Love and referee David Fields look over the top rope that Stevie Spark fell over. Photo by Melina Pizano/Matchroom

Paro is expecting a tough fight from Love, who has been grinding away far from the spotlight for the past year.

“He’s a good boxer and he’s definitely going to have a lot to prove this fight,” Paro said from his camp in Las Vegas where he is training under the auspices of American coach Steve Rowlands. “He’s been a lot quieter from what I’ve seen on his socials, so he’s got a point to prove. I don’t think he wants to go 0-2 against two Aussies. 

“It’s good though. I want everyone at their best. I want no excuses. I want the guy at 110% to showcase my skill. The better the opponent, the better I perform. I have always lived up to the occasion. 

“He’s going to come out all guns blazing. I feel that there is more pressure on him. I’m excited. Styles do make fights. He doesn’t like a hard pace so I’m going to be in his face. 

“I feel like I’ll be able to get into his head very easily with body pressure, with smart pressure. We’re doing all the right things in the gym. He’s going to want to move and we’ve been working on cutting the ring off. We’re doing everything to counter what we think he’s going to bring to the table and if he sits there and tries to bang on with me, I welcome him to a gunfight. 

“I’ll bomb him out for sure.”

Liam Paro says he’s ready for the best version of Montana Love. Photo courtesy of Matchroom Boxing

Paro says this camp has been the best of his career and that the sparring rounds he has put in with newly minted WBC lightweight titleholder Shakur Stevenson have only reinforced his belief that he can mix it with the very best.

“After the last couple of spars I’ve had with him, I know I belong at that level for sure. I can  say confidently that I belong at the very top level,” Paro said.

“This guy Love has a similar style, but he ain’t no Shakur Stevenson though. Shakur Stevenson is on another level again I believe, so I’m mixing it with him, having very competitive rounds with him. I’m very confident in how we’re traveling and how we’re preparing for this fight. 

“Everything is going good, the hunger is back in the belly. I haven’t had this since I was a kid. The time away from the sport has really lit that fire in my belly again, so I’m just excited to get back in there really. 

“If it’s a war, I’m ready for a war. I am ready to get back in there and fight, I just love it so much.”

If Paro has his way, victory over Love will lead to a shot at the winner of Prograis-Haney. And he has a clear opinion on who that will be.

“I believe Haney is going to outbox him pretty comfortably,” Paro said. “I think the only way to give Haney trouble – and I’ve said this a million times now – is fast feet. Going off Prograis’ last fight, he looked very stuck in the mud. He relies on his power a bit too much. 

“Vasily Lomachenko gave Haney a little bit of trouble with the fast feet and I don’t think Prograis has that in his artillery. I think Haney beats him on a decision, fairly comfortably too. But Prograis is going to be at the top of his game. This is probably the biggest fight of his career so he’s definitely going to come in prepared, but I think Haney does it pretty comfortably in my opinion.”

Paro’s Australian coach Alfie Di Carlo believes his charge is the next boxing star to come out of the land down under. The only thing that has eluded him so far is the opportunity to prove it.

“I believe Liam and Jai Opetaia are the best two boxers in Australia. I honestly believe that, in terms of pure boxing, they are the best two boxers in Australia,” Di Carlo said. 

“And I believe that this is the fight for Liam to put Love on his arse and prove it.”

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