“You make Devin a very, very big favorite. Liam’s a great fighter. No disrespect. But Devin is a very, very, very good, accomplished fighter with lots of experience,” Hearn said to The Punch Podcast.
“Liam would be in the fight, but I would be shocked if he was to win that fight. He doesn’t have the power to hurt him. He’s not going to outbox him, as good a boxer as Liam is.”
Hearn believes that explains why Paro wants several million dollars to face Haney. In his view, Paro risks losing his championship and the earning power that comes with it.
There may be another reason for Hearn to view Paro-Haney this way. The less important Paro looks as an opponent, the less reason Haney has to pay millions to fight him. Hearn has his own fighter waiting for the assignment in WBA “regular” welterweight champion Catterall.
Matchroom has already gone back to Bill Haney and DAZN to tell them Catterall is ready. Hearn acknowledged that negotiations with Paro may be taking place while his side waits for an answer.
Making Paro sound like a likely loser who wants an enormous purse doesn’t help sell Haney on that fight. It might make Catterall look like the better option.
That doesn’t mean Hearn is deliberately trying to steer Haney away from Paro. He may genuinely believe Haney wins easily. His connection to Catterall is still worth considering when judging his dismissive view of Paro’s chances.
Hearn may also be underestimating Paro as a fighter, because he doesn’t need to outbox Haney from long range. The southpaw is at his best in close, throwing short left hands and tight right hooks without needing much punching room.
Trying to hold Paro isn’t necessarily the answer, either. Montana Love attempted to smother him when they fought, but Paro continued finding room for his punches before stopping Love in the sixth round.
That’s important against Haney. Clinching has been a major part of his defense when opponents get close. Paro has already shown that he’s comfortable punching against fighters who try to tie him up.
Catterall would give Haney a completely different fight. He’s a pure boxer who is difficult to hit, takes a step back to make opponents miss and uses holding to frustrate them. Haney would have to bring the offense, land accurately from the outside and avoid getting pulled into a low-output tactical fight. Neither opponent gives Haney an easy night.
The difference is that Hearn promotes Catterall. That doesn’t invalidate his opinion of Paro, but it gives him a reason to prefer Haney going in another direction. Paro may also be a much harder fight than Hearn is making him sound.
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