Liam Paro has made a name for himself unlike any other. The boxer famous for delivering upsets at the biggest stages defeated Subriel Matias earlier this year to snatch his IBF Super Lightweight championship. With his efficient and technically superior style, Paro has been shocking the boxing world since his debut.

He now has to step into the ring as a champion when he faces Richardson Hitchins on December 7, in Puerto Rico. With an undefeated 25-match streak, a successful title defense can make Liam Paro a proper Aussie Icon. However, as he still is far away from where he wants to reach, DAZN Sports asked the 28-year-old to blindly rank his top 5 Australian celebrities. Some of these rankings might surprise you.

Crocodile Dundee at the top

Ahead of his first title defense, DAZN Sports asked Liam Paro to rank 5 Australian celebrities blindly. This means that the Queensland native would have to rank celebrities without knowing all the options beforehand. This unique feature of the game certainly resulted in some exciting and weird rankings.

Paro ranked Chris Hemsworth, Kylie Minogue, and Hugh Jackman on 5th, 4th and 3rd respectively. Russell Crowe secured the second spot, which is quite interesting considering the ‘Gladiator’ star was born in Wellington, New Zealand. Crowe moved to Australia at a young age and has spent most of his childhood and career in Australia and has accepted that he feels more connected to Australia.

However, it was the top spot that took away the most attention as Paro had no choice but to put the fictional character of Crocodile Dundee at the top. Crocodile Dundee is a classic Australian movie series featuring Paul Hogan and has become a dear part of Australian culture.

However, Liam Paro was not saving the top spot for Crocodile Dundee, but rather for ‘Crocodile Hunter’ Steve Irwin. Paro explained after finishing the ranking, ” I thought you were going to go Steve Irwin. That’s the one I was saving that spot for.” Irwin was a beloved Australian wildlife expert, conservationist, and television personality. His documentary series made him a household name in Australia and is even celebrated till now. Tragically, the Aussie icon passed away in 2006 after getting struck by a stingray while filming an underwater documentary. He has left a long legacy as his family is continuing his work.

Liam Paro has the chance of making that list soon as the new boogeyman of the 140-pound division will aim to define his legacy in front of Richardson Hitchins.

Liam Paro’s biggest challenge

In his last fight against Matias, the IBF champion proved that he is not only about skill and strategy, but can get dirty and trade blows when needed. He showcased his ability as a good puncher, has a solid chin, and can take punches and still stand up.

However, Hitchins might be his biggest challenge yet considering how the Brooklyn native commands the ring and has a slight reach and height advantage, with a counterpunching ability that will surely challenge the champion.

In the end, it will all depend on whether the champion is ready to make it a dirty fight or not. He will have to overwhelm the challenger as the fight will most likely go the distance. Furthermore, with Hitchins coming out of a disappointing performance against Gustavo Daniel Lemos, and Paro riding high on confidence,  the first few rounds will be interesting.

Regardless, Paro will enter the ring as an underdog even though he holds the belt this time around. Once again, he will have to prove to the world that he is the real deal. Something which he has done more than enough times.

What are your views on the upcoming Liam Paro vs Richardson Hitchins match? Let us know your thoughts down below.