Nine years ago, a hopeful boxing manager turned to his young protégé as they sat in the nosebleeds at Suncorp Stadium watching Jeff Horn beat Manny Pacquiao and said: “You can f***in’ do that.”
It was a long shot back then, with the rising star only three fights into his professional career, but this Wednesday night, Liam Paro can prove his manager, Angelo di Carlo, right by beating Lewis Crocker to claim the IBF welterweight world title.
If he pulls it off, Paro will become just the second Aussie man to win world titles in two different weight classes, and the first man to win a world title in Brisbane since The Hornet did it in 2017.
And that sunny afternoon in Brisbane in July nearly a decade ago was where the dream started to turn into reality.
“I remember it, I was there, because I was the main sparring partner for Horn,” Paro told Mark Bouris on his podcast of Horn’s famous win.
“We were way up in the bleachers.
“We were watching the screen anyway, but just the atmosphere of the sold out crowd was crazy.”
Horn battled through a bruising ninth round to claim a heroic unanimous decision victory and one of the best Aussie boxing wins on record.
“There’s a story about that,” Paro said. “I remember I was sitting with Angelo di Carlo – my manager at Ace Boxing – and he turned to me after Horn beat Pacquiao.
“We were going good in sparring with Horn, and he turned to me and said: ‘You can f***in’ do this’.
“That was one of the big crucial points. That gave me the self-belief – even more than what I had – to know that I was going to win my own world title down the track.
“I was going very well with Horn in the gym, and I’m very appreciative of that opportunity.
“I’d had three pro fights at the time. I’d only just started my career, and getting the call up to be the main sparring partner for (a guy fighting) Manny Pacquiao. My idol.
“I was like, ‘Man, they must think I go all right’.”
Paro won his first world title at super-lightweight with a similarly heroic performance against scary knockout artist Subriel Matias in Matias’ own backyard in Puerto Rico.
“At that time, Subriel Matias was stopping everyone – undefeated fighters all around the world,” he said. “We asked for the fight.
“ (Paro’s promoter at the time) Matchroom were like, ‘Are you feeling all right?’
“We knew what we could do. I’ve faced adversity my whole life and I know how to come out on the other side of it.
“Everyone’s a champion when it’s all sunshine and rainbows, but when your back’s against the wall, I’ve proven many times it’s in me.”
Paro says he’s willing and ready to go to any lengths to emerge victorious on Wednesday night.
“I know the risks of boxing. I know I’m going in there with the risk of maybe never coming back out and seeing my family,” he said.
“That’s the risk we take every time we step into the ring.
“This is my life. I’m built for this.
“We know the risks we’re going in for, but we’re soldiers. We’re warriors. That’s what we do.
“The main motivation is to fight for a better life for us and our loved ones.
“That’s what we’re in there for. It’s taken so much sacrifice to get here, and we’re doing it to give our families a better life.”