Former world champion and Queensland sensation Liam Paro inks deal with No Limit stable

Last year he shocked the boxing world with a stunning world-title upset. Now Liam Paro has joined Australia’s No. 1 promoter seeking to become the country’s next pay-per-view star.

Queensland’s former world champion Liam Paro has outlined his dream to become Australia’s next pay-per-view boxing star after inking a deal to join forces with Tim Tszyu.

In a huge coup for Australian boxing, this masthead can reveal ‘The Prodigy’ Paro has agreed terms with No Limit, the nation’s No. 1 promoters who orchestrated Tszyu’s path to world-title glory.

Paro was signed to Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom stable, but has walked away from one of world boxing’s promotional powerhouses to establish himself as a force on the Australian scene.

The Paro poaching raid will be formally announced at No Limit’s gala official Australian boxing launch in Sydney on Wednesday night.

The Mackay mauler stunned world boxing with a monster boilover last June, when Paro went to Puerto Rico and shocked the menacing Subriel Matias in his own backyard to win the IBF super lightweight world title.

Liam Paro shocked the boxing world with his massive upset of champion Subriel Matias last June. Picture: Amanda Westcott/Matchroom

And while Paro subsequently lost the belt to Richardson Hitchins in his first defence in December, the 28-year-old still sits alongside Jai Opetaia, Sam Goodman and Tszyu as Australia’s world-class pugilists.

The classy southpaw chalked up 25 consecutive professional wins before suffering his first loss to Hitchins and Paro believes joining the Tszyu-No Limit stable can help his rise again as a world champion.

“I’m over the moon,” Paro said.

“It’s unbelievable to be in the same stable as Tim.

“Tim Tszyu is a class act and you saw how fast he skyrocketed on the Aussie scene and I want to do the same.

“I want to be a household name here. That has always been my goal.

“I chased the big fights overseas and in the United States, but it’s time to come home.

“I will be fighting for unified titles in Australia, mark my words.”

Paro rose to international prominence in October 2022, when he produced a savage knockout of fellow Aussie Brock Jarvis in a 149-second demolition that made highlights reels around the boxing world.

Paro produced a savage highlights reel knockout of Brock Jarvis in 2022. Picture: Russell Freeman/Getty Images

In his next fight, the north Queenslander destroyed highly-rated American Montana Love with a sixth-round stoppage that set-up his world-title boilover of Matias.

No Limit boss Matt Rose devised the blueprint that took Tszyu to world-title supremacy in 2023 and he believes Paro will be a smash hit with Australian boxing fans. He will make his No Limit debut on Fox Sports in the coming months.

“Liam Paro is going to be a superstar in this country,” Rose said.

“He has had to do it the hard way, winning a world title in Puerto Rico, so that shows the toughness and quality he’s got.

“Liam is up there with the best talents in the world and we can’t wait to have him and Timmy Tszyu headlining a card in Australia.

“We have a proven formula which took Tim to a world title and Liam has all the tools to be a boxing superstar not only in this country, but globally.”

Paro is joining the same No Limit stable that made Tim Tszyu (pictured) a world champion. Picture: Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images

Paro is Australia’s No. 1 super lightweight and could be on a collision course for a domestic blockbuster with George Kambosos, who is making his debut at 140 pounds on March 22 against Daud Yordan in Sydney.

“I know I’m good enough to win a world title again,” Paro said.

“Anyone who knows me knows I want to bring the big fights back to Australia.

“I am very appreciative of what has happened in my career, but now it’s time to go with No Limit.

“They have the same vision as me.

“We have so many diehard boxing fans in Australia. I am a proud Aussie and I want to be a pay-per-view star like Tim Tszyu, bring some overseas guys to our backyard and give them some beatings.”

Originally published as Former world champion and Queensland sensation Liam Paro inks deal with No Limit stable