At the press conference ahead of their bout, Liam Paro and Richardson Hitchins previewed their clash and once again came face-to-face. The undefeated world champion from Australia and the unbeaten contender from Brooklyn, New York square off on December 7 at Coliseo Roberto Clemente in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The event airs live on DAZN.
Paro (25-0, 15 KOs) is back in the ring in Puerto Rico, where he claimed the IBF super lightweight title against Subriel Matias in June. The undefeated 28-year-old southpaw said he is ready to face his mandatory challenger.
“I’m very excited to be back in beautiful Puerto Rico, the country that gave me the opportunity to become champion,” Liam Paro said. “To come back here and win more fans this time around is really special. I’m excited, we’ve put in the hard yards in this camp and we’re ready.”
“Look, we know the task ahead of us, you never overlook any opponent and we’re coming in guns blazing ready to put on a show for everyone here Saturday night.”
“I’ve said this my whole career, fighters fight. I want to be a busy champion, and when we didn’t get any other bites, we called on our mandatory. We knew that we would have to take care of [Hitchins] sooner or later and felt that sooner is better than later. So, here we are now, two days away from squaring off and I can’t wait to show the world what we already know.”
“I’ll give credit where credit is due, Hitchins is mandatory for a reason. He’s worked his way up there, and we know that this isn’t an easy task.”
“We’re at the world level now where every fighter is elite, so we’ve done the right things in the gym. Alfie [Di Carlo] is the best coach in the world, and now it’s just up to me to execute the plan perfectly on Saturday night.”
‘I’ve been showing that I’m at a world stage since the amateurs’
Hitchins (18-0, 7 KOs) earned his shot at a world title in April, scoring a unanimous decision against Gustavo Daniel Lemos. The unbeaten 27-year-old contender is confident in his victory, saying he can adjust to anything he might face.
“It’s definitely a surreal moment, but it’s not as surprising as when I first signed with Matchroom,” Richardson Hitchins said. “When I first signed, I always wondered when my first title fight would be, but now that I’m more seasoned to the sport I’ve been showing that I’ve been fighting at a world title level since signing with Matchroom.”
“I’ve always shown up to fights in shape and have shown that I’m a purist in the sport of boxing and that I am an all-around fighter. Now, it’s time for me to show the world that this is the only place that I belong. I don’t feel that my type of boxing will be accepted anywhere else except on the world stage. I belong at this stage right here, sitting next to Eddie Hearn, and fighting the best fighters because that is the talent that I bring to the sport. Come Saturday night, I’ll display it again.”
“I respect Liam Paro because he takes the sport as a professional. He comes ready and does everything that he needs to do as a professional, but when it comes to the things as a boxer to be and stay at the world stage, well I don’t think that he possesses the tools that I possess. We’re ready, we’re prepared, and like I said I haven’t underestimated Liam at all. He’s a world champion for a reason.”
“Liam knows how to box but come Saturday I’ll be prepared for a boxing match too. At the end of the day, when it comes to the sweet science, I know how to do it all. I’m at the world stage for a reason. I’ve been showing that I’m at a world stage since the amateurs. I’ve had to fight 20 different styles in seven days in Russia as an Olympian, so I’m used to all kinds of different styles. Whatever he brings to the table, I’ll be able to adjust.”
“I win this fight by showing that I’m a world class fighter, just like I’ve done in every other fight. In my last fight I got a lot of criticism for how close it was, but I think that my last fight was definitely an experience that showed me that you do everything right as a professional. Especially with nutrition, listening to the right people, and making weight the right way. That’s why I respect Liam, because he’s not one of those guys that will mess around.”
“This fight I’m coming in more seasoned and with more experience, I’m doing everything right. For me to win this fight it won’t be through any means necessary, it will be by showing that I am at a world class level. Liam has never been in the ring with an opponent like me. I’m saying it now, and he will be saying it after the fight.”
“I know this business, and you can fool these people but not me.”
Among the Paro vs Hitchins undercard bouts, Marc Castro of Fresno, CA takes on Agustin Ezequiel Quintana of Argentina at super featherweight. Henry Lebron meets fellow Puerto Rican Christopher Diaz at super featherweight.
Puerto Rico’s Yankiel Rivera and Angel Gonzalez of Hartford, Connecticut go head-to-head at flyweight. Jalil Hackett of Washington, D.C. and Jose Roman Vazquez of Puerto Rico battle it out at welterweight.