Australian former IBF super lightweight champion Liam Paro may become Richardson Hitchins’ next title challenger after the IBF ordered Paro to face fellow contender Lindolfo Delgado in a final eliminator. The eliminator will determine the mandatory challenger for Hitchins’ IBF title, potentially pitting Paro and Hitchins against each other for the second time since the latter won the title from the former.
Richardson Hitchins (20-0, 8 KO’s) became the IBF super lightweight (140 lbs) champion by defeating then-incumbent champion Liam Paro (26-1, 16 KO’s) at the backend of last year.
Potentially, the two could face each other once again around the same time this year depending on whether Liam Paro makes it past Mexican contender Lindolfo Delgado (23-0, 16 KO’s). The final eliminator ordered by the IBF must further be negotiated first with the likelihood of the actual fight being staged somewhere in September/October or, at the earliest, August.
The winner of the final eliminator will become the mandatory challenger to Hitchins’ IBF title.
Though a final eliminator would usually require Liam Paro and Lindolfo Delgado ― who occupy the #4 and #5 positions respectively on the IBF’s super lightweight rating boards ― to be the highest-ranking contenders, the ordered bout suggests the rankings will be changed accordingly when updated.
The current #1, Subriel Matias (22-2, 22 KO’s) ― another former holder of the IBF 140-pound title, is set to face Alberto Puello for his WBC super lightweight title and as such is likely be removed from the rankings. With the #2 spot vacant, #3-ranked contender George Kambosos Jr. (22-4, 10 KO’s) is also set to be downgraded on the ranking boards following his defeat to Hitchins last month; thereby justifying the IBF moving Paro and Delgado into a final eliminator contest.
Though largely dwarfed in renown by other 140 lbs contenders, Lindolfo Delgado remains a viable threat to Liam Paro who is undoubtedly seeking to regain his title against the man, Hitchins, who beat him for it. Still unbeaten, Delgado’s last win over #10 IBF-ranked Dominican contender Elvis Rodriguez (17-2-1, 13 KO’s) in April has rightfully placed the Mexican fighter as a top 10 contender on at least three ranking boards [WBC, WBO & IBF].
Paro has only recorded one win since his loss to Hitchins after defeating American fighter Jonathan Navarro this past Friday [June 25th]. With Navarro having been unranked prior to facing Paro, the opportunity for the Australian to compete in a final eliminator is likely due to his standing as a former world champion.
As shown with at least one fight over the past year, the IBF has not been shy in ordering bouts between fighters that have already faced each other but this comes at the detriment of other deserving contenders; most prominent amongst them British contender Dalton Smith (18-0, 13 KO’s) whose activity and performances have already placed him as the #1 super lightweight contender on the WBC’s ranking boards.
