Junior welterweight titleholder Liam Paro and No. 1 IBF contender Richardson Hitchins will settle their differences on December 7 at the Coliseo Roberto Clemente in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Ahead of their clash, the two sat across from each other for a promotional segment titled Liam Paro vs. Richardson Hitchins: Face Off, which premiered on Matchroom Boxing’s YouTube channel. The bout, set to air on DAZN, will be Paro’s second and final fight of 2024.
For Paro, the 28-year-old Australian, the venue holds special meaning. His last fight in Puerto Rico saw him defeat local favorite Subriel Matias to capture the junior welterweight title. Across from him, Hitchins, a 27-year-old New Yorker, comes into the bout off a unanimous decision win over Gustavo Lemos. While victorious, Hitchins admitted his performance lacked its usual sharpness, attributing it to the struggles of cutting weight.
With both fighters undefeated, the promotional lead-up has seen Hitchins turn up the mental pressure. “I wanted to fight you as soon as I signed with Matchroom,” Hitchins said, who signed with Matchroom Boxing in September 2022. “I called you and Montana’s [Love] bum ass out.”
Paro, unfazed, shot back.
“We’re after the big names, and sadly, you ain’t it yet,” he said with a smirk also acknowledging the fight is happening now as Hitchins is the number one contender for his title, before delivering a pointed jab. “With your single-digit knockout ratio,” Paro added, referencing Hitchins’ power after the challenger questioned his chin.
Hitchins, 18-0 (7 KOs), pressed the issue further, pointing to their respective results against Yomar Alamo. Hitchins stopped Alamo in November 2022, while Paro, 25-0 (15 KOs), won a split-decision after being dropped by Alamo in the first round.
“Like I said, I’ve never been down,” Hitchins said. “Weight-drained Richardson Hitchins has been hit by guys with 12, 13 straight knockouts—I didn’t go down. But you? You’ve been down from a guy I fought too, and I didn’t feel any power. I saw that fight, man. How did that guy put you down? I want to see where your jaws at. You better be able to take it, because if there’s one thing I know, I can take a punch.”
Read the full article here
