Oz homecoming on the cards for Paro after perfect Puerto Rican performance

There are options aplenty for Liam Paro, who travelled into enemy territory to dethrone a surprisingly lacklustre Subriel Matias, who looked lethargic or possibly complacent. A fight in Australia could be on the cards now for the new IBF champion. Eric Armit dissects exactly how his title-winning effort went down.

Round 1

Paro was immediately stabbing out his right jab with Matias hiding behind a high guard, allowing Paro to sneak inside, scoring with hooks to the body. Matias prodded with a few jabs but Paro fired a series of shots from both hands. 

Score: 10-9 Paro

Round 2

Matias showed a bit more life and Paro was warned for leading with his head. Matias was bobbing and weaving trying to get inside, but Paro was still able to spear Matias with jabs and body punches. Matias dug in a left hook to the body but was not cutting off the ring allowing Paro to slot light straight lefts home. Matias landed a little burst of body punches but was being outscored by Paro.

Score: 10-9 Paro (Paro 20-18)

Round 3

Matias was still using a high guard and not throwing enough punches. Paro was dancing around him landing, jabs and hooks. They were just arm punches with no power behind them and Matias was blocking most of them but also just covering up. Over the last minute, Matias let his hands go, firing a sustained burst of hooks and landing a couple of head shots at the bell.

Score: 10-9 Matias (Paro 29-28)

Round 4

Paro was firing little spurts of punches and moving around Matias, who was not really applying any pressure. Paro was warned for punches to the back of the head. With no pressure from Matias, Paro was able to pump out “flea bite” punches but was vastly outworking a pedestrian Matias. It was clever boxing from Paro but he was again warned for punches to the back of the head. Matias was not punching on the way in and Paro was clinching to stop him working inside.

Score: 10-9 Paro (Paro 39-37)

Round 5

Paro was throwing combinations and constantly changing direction, then firing more punches and sliding away from Matias. Paro’s output was prodigious. The punches were light and quick, and he switched well from head to body. Matias was just tracking him around the ring, rarely shutting Paro down and rarely throwing more than one punch at a time. Paro’s movement was clever, but he was boxing at a high pace, which might tire him soon.

Score: 10-9 Paro (Paro 49-46)

Round 6

Matias was marching forward with more purpose but having trouble catching the constantly moving Paro who was pumping out punches and then clinching to smother Matias on the inside. Matias closed Paro down briefly and scored with hooks to the body but Paro quickly held, then moved and came back to score with some accurate hooks and uppercuts. Matias closed the round with a sustained attack but Paro’s earlier work took the round.

Score: 10-9 Paro (Paro 59-55)

Round 7

Matias was hunting Paro around then ring and when they went into a clinch, Paro landed a light punch to the back of the head. The referee stopped the action and indicated a point deduction*. It was a light punch, but Paro had been warned three times. 

Matias had success in chasing down Paro and was able to score with hooks with Paro not moving as much or throwing as many punches, but Paro then stood and traded punches and Matias was able to find the target and have his best round.

Score: 10-8* Matias (Paro 67-65)

Round 8

Paro was punching and moving again with Matias just tracking him without much success. When Matias did get close, Paro was again holding and was lucky not to have lost a point as he had been holding in every round. It was punch and hold again for Paro but it was working as he was getting his punches off and then holding to stop Matias from working. 

Paro landed another blatant punch to the back of the head, and the referee stopped the action to warn him but took no other action. Matias managed to trap Paro and landed some hard hooks to the body, but it was Paro’s round.

Score: 10-9 Paro (Paro 77-74)

Round 9

At the start of the round, Matias launched a big attack and drove Paro along the ropes. He managed to land a couple of head punches, and then Paro landed two punches to the back of the head, which the referee luckily ignored. 

Paro stood and traded with Matias and both scored but there was more holding from Paro. Mattias was now on top, managing to score with body punches as Paro seemed to be tired and was just slinging out random punches. 

Score: 10-9 Matias (Paro 86-84)

Round 10

Matias was chasing Paro down now with Paro slowing and not shooting out the punches the way he had been. Paro had a good spell in the middle of the round, firing quick jabs and hooks to the body. He was still getting away with constantly holding but also dabbing out punches and he ended the round landing a series of punches which gave him the edge. 

Score: 10-9 Paro (Paro 96-93)

Round 11

Paro started brightly on his toes, pushing out punches, but then Matias took over, pumping out hooks and uppercuts in the way he should have been doing in the early rounds. Paro was still throwing a few punches and holding and the referee overlooked two more punches to the back of the head. Matias ended the round with another series of hooks.

Score: 10-9 Matias (Paro 105-103)

Round 12

Matias put Paro under plenty of pressure, ducking, diving, and holding. Matias managed to shake himself free and score with some hooks. He drove Paro to the ropes, landed a couple of shots, and scored again at the end of the round.

Score: 10-9 Matias (Paro 114-113)

Official Scores: 115-112, 115-112 and 116-111 all for Paro.

June 15, 2024; Manati, Puerto Rico, USA; Liam Paro poses for a photo after winning a fight against Subriel Matias at Coliseo Juan Aubín Cruz Abreu in Manati, Puerto Rico. Mandatory Credit: (Photo by Melina Pizano/Matchroom.)

Analysis

Paro had a game plan and he stuck to it rigidly. His clever movement and hand speed helped him establish an early lead and Matias gave away rounds with his pedestrian footwork and failure to put Paro under enough pressure until too late in the fight. 

Paro was No. 5 with the IBF (fourth highest rated fighter, as No. 2 was vacant), so presumably, he will be ordered to face No. 1 Richardson Hitchins but fights with No. 3 Jack Catterall or No. 4 Regis Prograis would be attractive. Matias is better than he showed against Paro but will have to fight hard to get another shot.