Mickey Bey has seen Liam Paro up close.
He knows the Aussie is tough, respects his willingness to take on anyone.
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But Bey, who trains Devin Haney alongside the American’s father Bill, has a brutal prediction for what will happen if the pair meet in the ring.
“I think we’re going to make his corner throw the towel in,” he told MillCity Boxing.
“Liam is going to say he wants to keep going, but he is going to be battered.
“And I think the corner is gonna be like, no. They’re gonna hug him and tell him they love him and that they had to do it.”
A fight between the American superstar and Paro is expected for December 19 (December 20 AEDT) in San Francisco, but has not yet been formally confirmed.
Asked for his overall prediction, Bey was just as emphatic.
“It’s gonna be a massacre,” he said.
Liam Paro, Devin Haney and Mickey BeySource: FOX SPORTS
The former world champ turned coach made it clear his confidence was no reflection on Paro’s willingness to scrap.
Bey recalled watching the Queensland southpaw spar during trips to Las Vegas, where he said the Aussie was prepared to jump in with anyone.
“I got respect for him because I saw him in Vegas, and he was one of those guys that was willing to work with anybody,” Bey said.
“He flew all the way from Australia all the time. He was in Vegas for months, sparring with everybody.
“So I know he is definitely a warrior, so he’s gonna come to fight.”
“Liam is a two-time world champion, so he can fight. We ain’t overlooking him, he is a legitimate champion.
“He is not a fluke as a champion. I’ve seen him box a lot, so I’ve seen what he could do.
“I just don’t care. Like, we are still gonna destroy him.”
Mickey Bey doing padwork with world champion Devin HaneySource: FOX SPORTS
Haney and Paro have also shared the ring in sparring, with Bey saying the Aussie had shown he was prepared to have a go.
“I’ve never seen Devin lose a sparring session,” he said.
“…the one thing I remember is him (Paro) coming to fight.
“He is coming to win.
“He ain’t coming just to lay down, so it’s definitely gonna be an entertaining fight, just by him being in there with Devin.”
But asked whether that meant Haney was in for a difficult night, Bey insisted it would be easy work – even if Paro made it entertaining.
“It’s gonna be easy work, but the fight is gonna be good, though, because he has been in there with Devin, so he’s gonna try,” he said.
“He’s gonna try his hardest, but we’re just gonna be superior.”
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Bey’s prediction came after he was asked whether Haney could produce a more convincing performance against Paro than Richardson Hitchins, who edged the Aussie by split decision in 2024.
The coach said his confidence wasn’t based on what he had seen when Haney and Paro sparred, but on the work his fighter puts in.
“I’ve got this confidence against anybody,” Bey said.
“It doesn’t matter who it is. You could put all the names in the hat and then just put your hand in there and pick a name. It’s all the same.
“Devin will do what he’s supposed to do. So he makes it easy for me to be confident because he doesn’t cut corners. He is a great student.”
Bey also believes Haney is settled at welterweight and benefiting from having him and father Bill Haney back together in his corner.
“We got our right weight class, man. We got the trio back. Me, Devin, and Bill back together,” he said.
“We got the right weight. You know, we ain’t gotta worry about nothing but fighting. That’s it.”
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And while Bey has respect for Paro, he warned the Aussie would be dealing with a sharper version of ‘The Dream’.
“He’s gonna be even better,” he said. “He’s gonna be sharper, faster, stronger.”
Should the fight be confirmed, it would cap a huge year for Australian boxing, with Tim Tszyu set to face WBA middleweight champion Erislandy Lara and brother Nikita also preparing to make his highly anticipated US debut in December against dangerous Mexican Roberto Valenzuela Jr.