Eddie Hearn called Liam Paro’s victory over Subriel Matias, to win the IBF super lightweight title, “a masterclass”.
Paro, 28, traveled to Puerto Rico from Australia to dethrone the champion, and won via unanimous decision.
He delivered a virtuoso performance against the 32-year-old Matias, who is known for his high punch volume and knockout power.
“Liam [always] had an answer for him,” Hearn said. “He stood and fought with him. We said he’d have to get his respect. He did that. He pushed him back. He boxed off the back foot. It was an absolute masterclass. I had it so wide – with three or four rounds to go, Matias needed a knockout. It wasn’t even close.”
Hearn also reflected on how the win will change the life of the undefeated Australian.
“He did it – he changed his life,” the promoter said. “It’s an incredible performance – an incredible win, as a massive underdog. And we said, he can do it. He’s got the skills – he’s got the ability – but he’s the one that had the cojones to come here. He’s just won the world title off one of the most dangerous men at 140lbs in his backyard.”
Hearn recognised that it is “time to bring him home to Australia”, and acknowledged that the Australian government supports big-time boxing. When asked what could be next, he mentioned several potential opponents.
“You’ve got Ryan Garcia; you’ve got [Isaac] ‘Pitbull’ Cruz; you’ve got Teofimo Lopez, and you’ve got Richardson Hitchens up knocking soon for the mandatory,” he said. “This is just an incredible night for Australian boxing and Liam Paro, a massive underdog, to come in and do that in an unbelievable performance.”
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