Tszyu v Mahoney | Wednesday August 26 from 7pm AEST | The only thing standing between Nikita and an IBF world title shot is Ben Mahoney. The stage is set for an All-Australian blockbuster with the winner securing a direct shot at IBF champion, Josh Kelly. | Order Now with Main Event on Kayo Sports.<\/a><\/p>\n And watching closely from Australia was Paro.<\/p>\n The Queenslander holds the IBF welterweight crown and had already made clear in the lead-up that he wanted the winner of Romero-Lopez.<\/p>\n Now that man is Lopez.<\/p>\n And after initially congratulating the American on social media and declaring \u201clet\u2019s unify\u201d, Paro went further on Sunday night.<\/p>\n \u201cI want Lopez next\u2026 He\u2019s got something I want,\u201d Paro told The Punch Podcast.<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cI messaged everyone from No Limit and Ace and said get me him next. I\u2019ve got him covered and I truly believe that.\u201d<\/p>\n Liam Paro and Teofimo LopezSource: FOX SPORTS<\/p>\n Paro didn\u2019t stop there.<\/p>\n The 30-year-old also questioned whether the punching power that helped make Lopez such a feared fighter at lightweight has followed him through the divisions.<\/p>\n \u201cEveryone thinks of Teo as this monster at 135 and at 140 pounds he wasn\u2019t hurting anyone and at 147 I don\u2019t think he\u2019s gonna do it either,\u201d Paro said.<\/p>\n \u201cLook this is a fight I want. It builds up to be a massive fight wherever, Vegas, Australia, anywhere \u2026 I\u2019ll fight him.\u201d<\/p>\n Then, when asked exactly how he planned on securing the fight, Paro looked directly into the camera.<\/p>\n His message?<\/p>\n \u201cTeo, fight me!\u201d<\/p>\n And it appears Paro may not have to do too much convincing.<\/p>\n Because Lopez has already revealed the Aussie is firmly in his thinking.<\/p>\n Speaking after his win over Romero, Lopez outlined his plans to chase the remaining belts, indicating he would like WBO champion Devin Haney to come last in his pursuit of undisputed.<\/p>\n But before then?<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019ll be either Liam Paro next or the winner of Ryan Garcia and Conor Benn,\u201d Lopez said at Sunday\u2019s press conference.<\/p>\n The Queenslander became a two-division world champ in June when he defeated Lewis Crocker in Brisbane to capture the vacant IBF welterweight crown.<\/p>\n And he has made no secret of the fact he isn\u2019t interested in waiting around polishing his new belt.<\/p>\n \u201cAnyone with a belt, I want them,\u201d Paro previously told Fox Sports Australia.<\/p>\n Initially, Haney appeared the most likely unification opponent.<\/p>\n Fox Sports Australia revealed earlier this month that talks had opened for Paro and Haney to collide in the United States<\/a>, only for those negotiations to stall and Paro subsequently accuse the American superstar of \u201cducking\u201d him.<\/p>\n However, another huge domestic option has also emerged.<\/p>\n CODE Sports revealed last week<\/a> that talks are underway for Paro to face former unified lightweight champion George Kambosos Jr in an all-Australian blockbuster in early 2027.<\/p>\n While it\u2019s still early days, there\u2019s certainly no mystery about the appeal \u2013 two of Australian boxing\u2019s biggest names colliding in a domestic blockbuster.<\/p>\n And there\u2019s a nice little twist to it all.<\/p>\n Kambosos, of course, is the bloke who handed Lopez the first defeat of his professional career in New York in 2021, dropping the American in the opening round before surviving a late knockdown himself to claim a stunning victory.<\/p>\n But for all the appeal of a Kambosos blockbuster, Paro wants to fight as soon as he can.<\/p>\n And with the Haney talks stalling, the Queenslander turned his attention towards Sunday\u2019s Las Vegas showdown.<\/p>\n Should a unification not happen soon, Paro has also made clear he won\u2019t simply wait around.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t want to sit on the sidelines,\u201d Paro told The Punch Podcast last week.<\/p>\n \u201cI want to be a busy champion, defend it against a top 15.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know who yet, but it\u2019ll most likely be in Australia.\u201d<\/p>\n Nikita Tszyu speaks on Mahoney clash | 03:18<\/p>\n As for Lopez, the 29-year-old entered Sunday\u2019s fight attempting to rebuild after suffering a demoralising defeat against Shakur Stevenson earlier this year.<\/p>\n Stepping up to welterweight, Lopez showed flashes of the talent that has made him one of boxing\u2019s biggest names, working behind his jab and eventually taking control despite some tense moments in the fifth round.<\/p>\n Romero caught Lopez with a check left hook before another heavy shot left the challenger bloodied.<\/p>\n \u201cThere was a shot that he hit me with,\u201d Lopez told DAZN\u2019s Chris Mannix about the round.<\/p>\n \u201cIt woke me up, and I told him right there, \u2018you gotta do better than that.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n But Lopez recovered quickly and resumed control, consistently outworking a surprisingly hesitant Romero over the second half of the fight.<\/p>\n The judges eventually scored the fight 116-112 and 115-113 for Lopez, with the third having it 114-114.<\/p>\n Victory added the WBA welterweight crown to a collection that has previously included world titles at lightweight and super lightweight.<\/p>\n MORE BOXING<\/p>\n Bloodied star survives scare to outclass rival, complete historic three-division world title feat<\/a><\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/poster-fallback.png\"\/)
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