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Paro is chasing a second world title in a second weight division, while Crocker arrives undefeated and determined to silence a rowdy Queensland crowd and make a successful defence of his crown. <\/p>\n
Somewhat unusually, the hard-punching Northern Irishman believes he is the underdog.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you have the belt, you hold your chin high,\u201d said Paro.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you say you\u2019re the underdog, it shows you\u2019ve got doubts\u2026<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve got the championship mindship.\u201d<\/p>\n
Crocker explained that he was just telling it like it is.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s just a fact,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cNobody here thinks I\u2019m going to win. That\u2019s where the underdog thing comes from. <\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know why people are making a big deal of it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lewis Crocker and Liam ParoSource: FOX SPORTS<\/p>\n
When Aussie boxing legend Danny Green questioned why he didn\u2019t seem to have the \u201cjunkyard mentality\u201d, Crocker was blunt.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not fighting in an hour,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m fighting on Wednesday night. That\u2019s when that (junkyard mentality) will come.\u201d<\/p>\n
Green said it was \u201codd\u201d that the champ had taken the underdog role, and wondered if there was more to it.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt could be a ploy to make him (Paro) more complacent, he may be foxing him,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s got the goods\u2026 he should be bearing down on Liam Paro.\u201d<\/p>\n
Promoter George Rose was firm about who he believed the underdog in fact was. <\/p>\n
\u201cCrocker\u2019s a well-deserved champion and it\u2019s a pleasure to have him here,\u201d said Rose.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut there\u2019s no question who the favourite is. He\u2019s the world champion. He comes out here with everything in his favour.<\/p>\n
\u201cParo is definitely the underdog here\u2026 but while he might be an underdog, he\u2019ll be leaving with that belt.\u201d<\/p>\n
Yet despite the magnitude of the world-title fight, it quickly became clear the more pointed exchanges would come from elsewhere on the card.<\/p>\n
Enter Nelson Asofa-Solomona and George Burgess. <\/p>\n
NAS also questioned Burgess\u2019 confidence coming into his first pro fight, saying he has shown him nothing so far that worries him.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s going to be another demolition job,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Asofa-Solomona had previously questioned if his rival would even show up for the fight. <\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m confident he\u2019ll turn up now, but will Russell Crowe and Chris Hemsworth be there?\u201d he joked.<\/p>\n
Burgess didn\u2019t see the humour in it.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt doesn\u2019t matter, as long as it\u2019s just me and you in the ring that\u2019s all I care about,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe he was hoping I didn\u2019t make it. Unfortunately here I am.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m ready for battle.\u201d<\/p>\n
Asofa-Solomona wasn\u2019t rattled.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s going to see my power on Wednesday,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s seen the highlight reels \u2014 he\u2019s now going to be a part of it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Burgess left him with a parting shot.<\/p>\n
\u201cWatch out Nasty!\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cGet those hands up, brother.\u201d<\/p>\n
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