Liam Paro has claimed the biggest win of his career so far, stunning the boxing world with a first round knockout win over Brock Jarvis.
Paro was 23-0 coming into the contest with Jarvis also undefeated at 20-0 – but what was shaping up as an intriguing contest was over in the blink of an eye.
A brutal left did the job and had Jarvis fighting to beat the count as Paro danced around the ring.
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“There was a lot riding on this fight,” Paro said.
“I’ve shut a few mouths – and that’s just one thing I want to say; people didn’t believe me. [For those] who thought that Brock was going to win, please do yourselves a favour and educate yourselves because you know nothing about boxing.”
“That was an elite performance from an elite fighter,” promoter Eddie Hearn said afterwards.
“But not just that, a showreel knockout – and that’s what people want to see … that was one of the knockouts of the year.”
Paro had risked a world title shot against Scotsman Josh Taylor by taking this fight against Jarvis, but with business taken care of – he can set his sights on championships in the near future.
“I’ve wanted the big names for ages, and I think I’ve just proved that I’m levels above the domestic scene,” he said.
Paro said he’s hopeful of a quick turnaround before returning in early 2023 “to conquer.”
In the penultimate fight of the night, Demsey McKean delivered a third round KO of Patrick Korte, keeping his perfect record intact and eyeing a big scalp in the near future.
Hearn had floated the idea of McKean potentially facing Anthony Joshua in the future, or another big name international superstar.
“I’m going to have to hold Eddie to that one, I think he said the Gabba against AJ, so obviously that would be my first preference,” McKean said afterwards.
“But any of those top level guys that he mentioned, Dereck Chisora, Dillian Whyte, a lot of respect for those guys, they’ve done a lot for the game.
“It’s my time now, and I need to start climbing those ranks quite quickly, and I think a win over one of those top guys is going to put me in contention pretty fast.”
Also at ringside, Hearn quickly confirmed that he wasn’t bluffing.
“He’s 22-0, he’s top ten in the world, what more have you got to do?” Hearn said.
“He’s yet to fight one of those elite guys, but that’s what happens – you build your record, you’re learning the game, you build yourself up the rankings, and then you fight one of the elite guys. So that’s the natural step next. “Hearn said.
“If AJ gets on his bike and goes on this world tour that he’s talked about, it’s no joke about the Gabba.”
Whether it’s Joshua, Chisora, Whyte or a couple of others – Hearn also mentioned Zhang Zhilei and Filip Hrgovic as options – the next fight will be a blockbuster for the undefeated Aussie heavyweight.
“100 per cent a major name will be next for Demsey McKean.”
Earlier in the night, Commonwealth Games gold medallist Skye Nicolson moved to 5-0 as a pro fighter, defeating Krystina Jacobs via unanimous decision (100-89, 99-90, 98-91) to secure the Commonwealth featherweight title in the same state that she won gold.
“It meant a lot to me,” she said after the fight.
”Obviously, winning the Commonwealth Games here in Queensland four years’ ago – so to get the Commonwealth Title back here in my home town was amazing, I’m very grateful to be here.
“I’m a big believer in destiny – I feel like my path’s already been written, and I’m just riding the wave.”
Nicolson said she’d like to have one more fight in 2022 to get to 6-0, but has her eye on bigger things in 2023.
“I want to move fast. I did my apprenticeship in the amateurs and I’m ready to take those big fights.”
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