Sport
8 June, 2025
Punching on in tropics
FORMER boxing world champion Liam Paro and two-time world title contender Liam Wilson are set to headline one of Cairns’ biggest fight nights in history on June 25, bringing world-class action to the Cairns Convention Centre.
The two Queenslanders are set to front a fight night for the ages when Liam Paro from Mackay faces Mexican-American Jonathan Navarro in his first fight in Australia in three years on the path to regaining his world title while two-time world title contender Liam Wilson faces Argentinian Aryton Gimenez to make third time the charm and once again go for world.
The Cairns Convention Centre will be the home of the action-packed night on June 25 where, not only world-class boxers will fight, but also amateurs will test their skills.
On Monday, the fighters were in Cairns to invite the community to the city’s biggest boxing night.
“I’m feeling excited, we’re in tropical paradise and what a homecoming,” Mr Paro said.
“I’m a proud North Queenslander from Mackay and people know that I’ve been wanting to get the big fights in Australia for a long time now. Unfortunately that wasn’t the case.
“I’ve been fighting abroad a lot and to have a homecoming like this it’s truly special and I’m taking the opportunity with both hands.”
“I'm pumped and excited for this fight, back down to my original weight division, super featherweight. I’m excited and I’ve been very unlucky in my last two attempts at world titles but let’s do a third time lucky,” Mr Wilson said.
“So I’ll be ready, Cairns get ready.”
Paro will go against the American, Jonathan Navarro, and he says he expects a tough fight against a rough opponent.
“I’m feeling confident, we’ve had good sparring in, a good game plan and I won’t give too much away but my coach Alfie Di Carlo has been doing the hard yards and we’re ready to put on a show,” he said.
“Navarro’s got that Mexican heritage. Everyone knows that Mexicans can fight and they come to fight. He comes from a fighting family and he’s only had to suffer one defeat. Like me, he knows what’s on the table for him, so he’s going to come 110 per cent ready.
“But that’s what we want, we want him at the best of his abilities.”
For Wilson, the fight with Gimenez has made him explore a different style of fighting.
“Going against him (Gimenez) is something different because my fights are action-packed, I come to fight, but this guy, he’s a very evasive boxer,” he said.
“I’ll be on the front foot, chasing him around. It’s tricky but I’m looking forward to it and I’ve been putting in the hard work.”
Queensland Minister for Sport Tim Mander said this was the highest rated boxing match ever staged in regional Queensland.
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