Liam Paro defeated Lewis Crocker by unanimous decision to win the IBF welterweight title in Brisbane, becoming a two-division world champion. The Australian survived a late-fight surge from Crocker, with all three judges scoring the contest 115-113 in his favor.
Paro established control in the opening rounds. Using his southpaw stance and effective movement, he repeatedly beat Crocker to the punch with sharp combinations and built a crucial early lead on the scorecards. Crocker was unable to establish a consistent rhythm against the challenger’s style. Still, the champion’s power was always a threat. A hard right hand in the second round bloodied Paro’s nose, and another in the fifth sent the Australian stumbling into the ropes.
The middle rounds were tightly contested. Paro continued to land the cleaner shots from the outside, while Crocker pressed forward, looking to force close-range exchanges where his punches had the greater impact. The fight’s dynamic was clear: Paro’s boxing versus Crocker’s pressure.
Knowing he was likely behind, Crocker surged in the championship rounds. He backed Paro to the ropes in the eleventh and twelfth, landing heavy combinations that opened a cut over Paro’s left eye. The challenger was badly swollen and bloodied as the fight ended. But Paro endured the storm and reached the final bell, and his work in the first half of the fight proved to be enough to secure the victory. The win gives him a world title in a second weight class and places him among the top contenders at 147 pounds. Crocker lost his title and undefeated record, but his reputation was enhanced after pushing the new champion to the limit on foreign soil.
