LEWIS Crocker will make his first defence of his IBF welterweight world title in Australia against Liam Paro.
The venue and date has still to be confirmed but Brisbane or the Gold Coast have been mentioned as two possible locations.
Australian promoters No Limit Boxing secured the promotional rights over Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing, meaning the fight will not take place in Crocker’s hometown of Belfast.
Crocker’s last outing was that victorious night in September when he defeated Paddy Donovan in front of a capacity crowd at Windsor Park. The upcoming contest will be his first appearance since changing trainers, having ended his partnership with Billy Nelson earlier this year, and linked up with Huzaifah Iqbal.
Paro’s route to the title shot was initially set to come through Donovan, with the pair due to meet in a final eliminator in Brisbane in mid-January. That plan fell apart when Donovan was forced to withdraw with an injury. Although Crocker was exploring the option of a voluntary defence at Windsor Park the IBF instead confirmed Paro — who is also 29 — as the mandatory challenger.
The Australian captured the IBF super-lightweight crown in June 2024, outpointing Subriel Matias over twelve rounds, before suffering the first loss of his professional career against Richardson Hitchins later that year. Paro has since moved up in weight and made a successful start at welterweight, registering wins over Jonathan Navarro and David Papot.
Further details on the fight is imminent.
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