Sport
2 June, 2025
Big time boxing to wow fans
THE Cairns Convention Centre is set to host a battle for the ages when former boxing world champion and North Queenslander Liam Paro gets ready to face the American Jonathan Navarro in his first fight back in Australia on June 25.
After three years outside of Australia, Liam Paro from Mackay is ready to come home and show that after his first defeat he’s ready to get back up, especially in North Queensland.
The match organised by No Limit Boxing is coming to the Cairns Convention Centre for a night of epic matches with Paro vs Navarro and Liam Wilson vs Aryton Gimenez on June 25, an event not often seen in Cairns.
The former world champion, who lost his record of 25-0 in December of 2024 against Richardson Hitchins in Puerto Rico, said he was eager to return to the top starting with Navarro.
“It’s truly exciting and truly humbling. I’m a proud North Queenslander, I started my career up in North Queensland and it’s already exciting to have a homecoming in Australia – this is my first fight on home soil in three years – but to have in North Queensland, you can’t write the script any better,” Mr Paro told Cairns Local News.
“What a way to come back, it’s truly exciting.
“Every fight is hard at this level. He’s (Jonathan Navarro) a respectable opponent, he’s good quality. Like me, he’s just had one loss, so he’s going to come to fight and he knows what’s on the table for him, he knows he’s fighting a former world champion.
“If he was to get the win that would skyrocket his career, so for me it’s just putting me back in the line for title contender and back on the seat for another shot at world titles, so I’m going to go out there and dominate and show the world that I’m back like I never left.”
No Limit chief executive George Rose said this was a great opportunity for Far North Queenslanders to experience world-class boxing in their backyard.
“Liam Paro is up there with the very best in the world and we’re stoked to be giving him the homecoming fight in Queensland he really deserved to have when he was world champion,” he said.
“And Liam Wilson has already gone to war twice for a world title on the global stage. To have both elite Queenslanders fighting at home, on the same night, in Cairns – it’s something special.
“We’ve taken boxing to every corner of Australia and now it’s Cairns’ turn. This is going to be an unforgettable event – the type of show that helps inspire the next generation. And we’re just getting started.”
Presale starts on Monday at 9am.
To register for presale, visit
