Liam Paro has been promised the "monster fight" in Australia he deserves if the country-tough world champion silences another big-talking rival in his first belt defence.
The unbeaten Mackay talent (25-0) will put his IBF super lightweight belt on the line against New Yorker Richardson Hitchins (18-0) in San Juan on Saturday (Sunday AEST).
Eight-year professional Paro outboxed champion Subrial Matias in nearby Manati in June to shock the hometown favourite with arguably the best Australian boxing performance of the year.
It completed the 28-year-old's underrated rise to the top, Paro returning to Puerto Rico this week after a five-week Miami camp as the new crowd favourite.
Mandatory challenger Hitchins is a self-described "future Hall of Famer" and sees the Paro fight as "the beginning of me going down as a legend in the sport of boxing".
There have been no shortage of barbs in the lead-up to the fight, something Paro has grown used to after beating Matias and dominating plucky American Montana Love before him.
"I'm not much of a s*** talker like those blokes, typical Americans; you can hear 'em before you can see 'em," Paro told AAP.
"We're built a bit tougher (in country Queensland).
"He can say what he wants, when the bell goes there's no more talking.
"And it adds more pressure to himself. He's told the world he's the next best thing from Superman, so if he doesn't live up to that it'll make him look pretty silly."
Paro's last fight in Australia was a devastating first-round knockout of Brock Jarvis at the intimate South Bank Piazza in Brisbane in October 2022.
It's likely his next appearance, should he beat Hitchins, will come in a much bigger venue.
Paro is one of three active Australian world champions promoted by Eddie Hearn's Matchroom Boxing, with cruiserweight Jai Opetaia and featherweight Skye Nicolson both seeking unification bouts next year.
Former lightweight champion George Kambosos Jnr has also joined the stable and, after going 1-3 in his past four fights in that division, will move up to Paro's weight class and is keen on an all-Australian showdown.
"My target's locked on Hitchins' head, but Eddie's said it to me, he wants to bring the monster fights back," Paro said.
"It's my time now; we can secure a massive homecoming.
"That's what dreams are made of. To headline a card, with all the other Aussies on, would be unreal and a special moment in Australian sporting history.
"The Matchroom stable is unbelievable and they could make it work, 100 per cent.
"There will be some massive, massive Matchroom shows in Australia next year."
