We could have a champion vs. champion, Liam Paro vs. Devin Haney. For a long time, that was the plan—a mega fight in December. Paro, 28, was rumored to make his first title defense against Haney, 25, but the high-stakes and high-voltage fight didn’t pan out the way they wanted. While no one knew what transpired behind the door, the IBF champion has now cleared the air.

Paro, at 25-0, sent shockwaves across the boxing world when he handed a defeat to Subriel Matias and clinched the IBF title. By the time festivities and celebrations were over, Devin Haney, at 31-0, was given back his undefeated record, and Eddie Hearn tried to fix a date between the two. The conversations at the negotiation table never concluded, and eventually, ‘The Dream’ decided to relinquish his title and go on a break.

In a conversation with Fight Hype, Paro detailed what happened at the negotiation table with Devin Haney. He said, “Look, I believe a lot of it is talk until you just got your contract signed. You know how boxing tries to sell fights. There are a lot of back-and-forth banters. But, look, he called me out. I responded straight away. Like I said, I will fight anyone. I have wanted that fight for a long time. We heard it.”

The Australian boxer continued and claimed that Devin Haney took a way out. He added, “You have seen that he outpriced himself for the fight. Ask him for the silly money. He doesn’t bring a belt to the table. Look, we just moved on. We could tell he wasn’t serious about it. So, we just moved on.”

However, Paro wanted to fight before the year ended. So, the Mackay native conversed with Matchroom Boxing and decided to push up his mandatory title defense against Richardson Hitchins. Notably, the two will make a trip to San Juan in December. But it seems the challenger is confident of his chances already.

A bigger stage and more pressure: Liam Paro vs. Richardson Hitchins

Hitchins, 27, is coming off a close encounter with Gustavo Lemos this April, where he barely edged out the Argentinian fighter. The American boxer is more technical between him and the champion and wants to put pressure on him when he enters the ring against him. He has been calling himself the best fighter in the super lightweight division and wants to prove his worth when December comes.

Hitchins, at 18-0, declared when the fight against Paro got a date, “Hats off to Liam Paro. He beat the so-called boogeyman of the division. But I ain’t Subriel Matias. He’s never been in with a fighter like me before. He didn’t want this fight, and it’s for good reason.”

It remains to be seen how the fight between the two will play out, as Paro boasts a heavy-hitting, fan-friendly style, whereas Hitchins is a technical operator. It will be a clash of styles where the victor will take home the IBF gold strap and might put himself on a unification path later.

What do you make of these comments by Liam Paro about Devin Haney? Do you believe a fight between the two will happen down the line? Let us know in the comments below.