What to Know
- WBO World Welterweight champion Devin Haney has finally found an opponent in IBF World Welterweight champion Liam Paro.
- Haney and Paro will fight for the unified titles just before Christmas on December 19 at the Chase Center in San Francisco.
- After failed negotiations with several other opponents, Paro stepped up to face the pound-for-pound ranked Haney.
We get it. Liam Paro isn’t Ryan Garcia, Shakur Stevenson, or Keyshawn Davis.
But when matchup after matchup for three-division world champion and top pound-for-pound welterweight Devin Haney fell through this year, credit the IBF World Welterweight champion Liam Paro of Australia for taking the unification fight with the WBO World Welterweight champion on his home turf in San Francisco just before the Christmas holiday.
Without Paro, Haney would go a full year without a fight. Sneer at the matchup if you like. We won’t, because boxing is better with Devin Haney in the ring. Without Paro as a dance partner, fans get no fight at all.
Whether you watch or not, there’s no point whining about the matchups that might have been.
Haney vs Paro: Belts Matter
It’s also a fact that this is a title unification fight. Todd duBoef, president of Top Rank Boxing which is the co-promoter for the card with Devin Haney Promotions, made pointed comments about the importance of titles at a time when their value is questioned.
“This is what we’re talking about: an era, a time when people want the titles. People that tell you that titles don’t mean shit is bullshit! They don’t know the business.
“We just had O’Shaquie (Foster) and (Emanuel) Navarrete. Now we’re going to have this. We have Josh Kelly and Boots Ennis talking. You have Ryan (Garcia) and Teo (Lopez) talking.
“People know the titles mean something, and when you can put it all together and be partners in doing that, it makes the sport that much better.” Say it louder for the people in the back, Todd.
Haney and Paro met face-to-face for the first time in many years on Tuesday in San Francisco at the official kickoff press conference.
Father and trainer Bill Haney talked about the long road getting to this fight, pushing back on any criticism. He laid the blame at the feet of Jay Prince, the manager who represents both Shakur Stevenson and Keyshawn Davis.
“Of course, the people wanted other things, and we dealt with that, but here we are, and we do not take Paro lightly,” said Haney.
“They didn’t get it across the line. They’re not in business. Last I heard, they’re shopping around, and here we’re here with a fight. We need to talk about Liam Paro, who’s hungry, a champion, and talk about Devin Haney and unification. And the other guys don’t deserve anything to be talked about right now.”
With that, the fighters had their say about their upcoming fight.
Longtime Sparring Partners Are Now Opponents
Haney (33-0, 15 KOs) makes his second appearance at the Chase Center, where he last appeared three years ago in December 2023 and dominated Regis Prograis to win a title in his second weight class.
Paro (28-1, 16 KOs), a two-division champion, also fought on the same card, stopping Montana Love.
Haney and Paro aren’t strangers. They were regular sparring partners in Las Vegas several years ago. Haney estimates they sparred “hundreds” of rounds.
Paro points out any familiarity isn’t likely to be helpful on December 19. “Haney is good. I’ll give Devin his cookies,” replied Paro. “He’s where he is for a reason. He’s a multiple-division world champion. You’ve got to give him respect.
“But sparring’s sparring. It’s four years since then. I’ve won two world titles. I’ve fought elite fighters since then. I’m ready to come in and shock the world again. I tend to rain on parades, so I’m ready to go.”
Devin Haney: Feels Good To Be Back
Haney said he’s looking forward to facing Paro after a long layoff and multiple attempts to make numerous fights happen.
Haney stated that he’s levels above Paro and levels above Paro’s former opponents, whether he’d been beaten by them like Richardson Hitchens, or beaten them like Subriel Matias.
“I must show him on December 19 that Devin Haney is a special fighter. Like I told Brian Norman Jr., like I’m telling him, I am a special fighter, and I will show the world on December 19.”
Liam Paro: I’ve Got the Tools To Get It Done
Paro shrugged off Haney’s remarks, saying he’s used to being the underdog.
“I know the challenge ahead of us, and I’m keen to share the ring with Devin. We’ve shared it in the gym, but this is a fight that’s for all the cookies. The winner of this fight will be the king of the welterweight division. I believe these are the two best fighters here.
“I just believe we’ve got the tools to get it done if I follow the game plan. I’m familiar with him, but four years is a long time. And if the opportunity’s there {to stop him}, I’m going to try to close the show,” promised Paro.
Paro points out his only loss was at 140 pounds, and that at age 30, he’s much better suited to 147 pounds.
“I’ve been making 140 since I was 18. It was getting a bit hard, so that’s it. We’re just we’re moving on. Let the body do its thing and come and test the welterweight division, the glamour division. I’m blessed to be a part of it, and yeah, I’m going to come in follow the game plan to a T. And I believe I can be successful and come out victorious.”
Haney vs Paro: The Matchup
Haney gave Paro due credit, calling him a good fighter. But he doesn’t think Paro has evolved all that much.
“I think that he’s the same fighter that I sparred back then. He has a lot of the same, you know, tendencies. He does a lot of the same things. Does he have more experience? Yeah, but as far as you know, fight the fighter that he is, he does most of the same stuff.”
Paro couldn’t resist needling Haney about fight after fight falling out until he stepped up.
“Look, he wanted an easier fight with a bigger name. He knows I’m a tough, tough fight. He knows that, and I’m going to show him that.”
Haney insisted it wasn’t true. “I never go for easy fights, easy challenges. I want to fight the best fighters in the world because I believe that I’m the best fighter in the world. It didn’t work out with Shakur. Didn’t work out with Keyshawn. So, Liam Paro was next on the list. That’s all.”
No Limit Boxing promoter George Rose said he and Bill Haney have been discussing the potential for the fight behind the scenes for months, prior to Paro’s fight against Lewis Crocker in June, whom he defeated by decision to win his IBF belt.
“We got the win, and that’s why I just wanted to live up to it and be able to turn up here and come into your backyard and bring our best,” said Rose. “He is Australia’s best fighter. We’ll bring him over here into your backyard and fight for the title. And I like that!”
“I got respect for you, you know,” said Bill Haney.
“Shout out to the Paros and their team. Shout out to Top Rank. But on December the 19th, you will see something different. Not just a fighter, as a businessman, as a company, and this is what we represent. We’re here,” concluded Bill Haney.
In the 10-round welterweight co-feature, former world champion Brian Norman Jr. of Conyers, Georgia (29-1, 23 KOs) takes on two-time world title challenger Abel Ramos of Casa Grande, Arizona (29-6-3, 22 KOs).
Two additional fights will be added to the main card, streaming LIVE on DAZN PPV beginning at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. Tickets go on sale Friday, November 13, at 12 noon PT via Ticketmaster.com.
Additional undercard information will be announced shortly.
Gayle Falkenthal is an award-winning boxing journalist with more than four dozen awards for both written and video coverage from the Boxing Writers Association of America, Society of Professional Journalists, and San Diego Press Club, where she is the past president. She is the only woman journalist who is a full voting member of the BWAA. She is the Boxing Editor for NY Fights based in San Diego, California.
