Well, there we have it. Australia had just one male world champion heading into June with Ring cruiserweight king Jai Opetaia (30-0, 23 KOs) leading by example but will depart a busy month boasting three titleholders after gutsy wins for IBF junior bantamweight beltholder Andrew Moloney and two-division titlist Liam Paro.

There's much to be said about their status as a sleeping giant in combat sports, especially now there is more exposure and coverage at a regional level. Moloney's masterful win was one borne of persistence, while Paro defied many critics in scaling new heights among a new weight class after being outboxed in his first title defense.

The exciting thing is how many doors this opens up for future fights. How does Paro fare against a slew of stateside names, like fellow 147-pound champions Rolando "Rolly" Romero, Devin Haney and Ryan Garcia? Only time will tell. Anyways...

Thanks for joining today's live blog commentary! Be sure to stay tuned for more post-fight reaction and build-up for fights elsewhere as we'll be back this weekend for a cracker streaming on DAZN PPV worldwide, when Xander Zayas defends his WBO/WBA junior middleweight titles against former unified welterweight champ Jaron Ennis.

The Ring's Keith Idec will be on location in Brooklyn and we'll have the lowdown before an eagerly-anticipated matchup between two unbeaten men seeking supremacy at 154 pounds. Until then, goodbye for now!

Former WBO junior middleweight titleholder Tim Tszyu (27-3, 18 KOs) has his own business to attend to next month against former unified welterweight champion Errol Spence on July 26, but will have been inspired watching friend Liam Paro score a defiant world title win in a division he only made his own last year. On the broadcast, he said:

"What a courageous performance, he started off the fight just outschooling him, but then Crocker starting putting it on. He knew when to grab him, when to move, was able to get it done. Every round he was putting in the work, every punch he threw, it was so nice to see, I'm so happy for him, now he gets to be on the world stage and get the big super fights he truly deserves.

"It's such a great moment for Australian sports, to accomplish such things in such a way, I'm so happy... to be a part of this new boxing generation that we're guiding through. Liam Paro is flying strong for all of us, super great."

"Let this eye heal up, go back to the drawing board and keep ticking over, getting better, working on everything. The welterweight division is the glamour division, I just earned my seat at the table with this chip, life is about testing yourself, I want everyone.

Do you want anyone specific? "Anyone, we've got the pulling power, come Down Under, I've got my piece of the puzzle so come and get it. Still feels surreal [to have won another world championship], going to let the body heal and let it [this achievement] sink in."

Lewis Crocker (22-1, 11 KOs) doesn't stay in the ring long after his career-first defeat, though he congratulates Liam Paro on a championship performance during what proved a costly-contested battle over 12 rounds.

"Just want to congratulate Liam, true champion, I respect you, congratulations mate. Great fight, respect to Liam, very close fight ... I think [the referee Tony Weeks] could've done a little bit about the holding but congratulations, fantastic fighter."

Paro, speaking in the ring to Main Event's Ben Damon, is understandably emotional after etching his name into Australian sporting history by joining Hall of Famer Jeff Fenech as a two-division world champion.

"This means everything, a long hard road. I've climbed the mountain before and got knocked off ... here I am again. I'm speechless.

"I had to dig deep, he came here to fight, Lewis Crocker I respect you for life brother, thank you. It's been a long road, had so many people telling me I couldn't, what now? Thanks to everyone who came and supported me, Australia deserves the big fights and securing this one, we're gonna bring all of them Down Under, forget traveling."

The judges all score it the same! 115-113 for the winner... and NEW! LIAM PARO IS A TWO-DIVISION WORLD CHAMPION!

Let's see what judges Mike Fitzgerald, Gerardo Martinez and Katsuhiko Nakamura have decided. Who do you think won the fight?

Big final round coming, Paro's corner implore him to stay intelligent and box behind the jab. Stay on your feet and you'll be a two-division world champion they say, but Crocker crunches him with a big right hand, pinned up against the ropes.

Paro absorbs damage aplenty as Crocker applies yet more pressure, his right eye is a bloody mess! Headbutt he stresses as they are briefly separated, another doctor inspection passes him fit to continue and the former beltholder is spoiling, holding, stifling the firepower as best he can. It's all over! Paro is held aloft, blood spilling all over, while Crocker does the same moments later.

Crocker has closed the gap on connected punches, trailing 175-to-168 now as we enter the championship rounds... the champion catches him with two right hands, walking forward with his high guard intact, referee Tony Weeks can't effectively break them fast enough and now Crocker is walking down the challenger. Half of the round still to go, Paro catches him with some counters off the ropes, though it's being overwhelmed by a damaging barrage...

Then, Crocker accidentally hits him over the back of the head, referee Weeks calls a brief halt to the contest and a doctor inspection comes too. Nervy end to the round from Paro's perspective and it's a fitting finale coming next.

Crocker laughs as head trainer Huzaifah Iqbal tells him to look at Paro's face in the opposite corner. Cut over his right eye, as he was against David Papot last September, it won't deter the Australian from seeking a statement finish to a fight still hanging in the balance. They exchange body punches at close-range, Paro pushing him off and jabbing well though the heavy-handed champion is loading up on his shots and throwing howitzers.

Paro starts the ninth with two sharp counter jabs, boxing astutely, a three-punch combination peppers Crocker's high guard and then it's the champion's turn to unload... Paro holds, slaloms across the ropes, lands a left hook to head and body, Crocker crunches a four-punch flurry as time ticks by, a busy stanza for both!

Paro knew this would be a tough assignment against a visiting champion but Crocker has connected clean on some stinging overhand lefts and made him dig increasingly deep in the last few minutes. How are you scoring this one?

Back-and-forth exchanges as we enter the second-half of a tense title fight. Crocker misses with an overhand right, midway through the round, Paro defending better and his corner tells him as much. "Don't engage, don't roll with your hands down, you're going to change your life," they tell him. How could you not be encouraged by that!

A better round for the champion and it needed to be, given he's the more powerful but far less busy. Paro was bloodied early and now Crocker has a cut which is attended to between rounds.

Paro digs downstairs again with success early in the fifth, though Crocker finishes it strongly behind venomous right hands. He needs more of them, and less predictable entries to make Paro second-guess his own advances at mid-range.

The fight stats tell the story through four rounds: Paro has landed 19 more punches (86-67), thrown more than twice Crocker's output (417-201) and Huzaifah Iqbal is reading his charge the riot act in the corner...

"You've got more than just walking him down, let your hands go," is the plea from the Northern Irishman's corner.

Paro's trainer Alfie di Carlo is calling it an early masterclass from his charge in-between rounds, delighted with the higher punch output and impetus Paro has begun this contest with. Crocker is being outworked and the longer this continues, the easier it will be for this Brisbane crowd to get behind their man.

Crocker lands a nice three-punch combination in the latter stages of another encouraging round for the Aussie, who is being made to work hard for his successful attacks.

A predictably tense, competitive opening stanza, where Paro is looking to attack Crocker downstairs. The champion is weaving forward unpeturbed though.

Little under 20 minutes earlier than expected after a slew of stoppage victories tonight, the two men make their ringwalks and we're underway!

On a night where heavyweight action is at the forefront, former rugby league stars Nelson Asofa-Solomona (2-0, 2 KOs) and debutant George Burgess are swinging with bad intentions in their four-round contest. Two rounds down... it's not about technique but rather will to win and who can sustain their best punches long enough.

Earlier, longtime contender Demsey McKean (25-2, 17 KOs) won a four-round slobberknocker against Liam Talivaa (8-3, 4 KOs) and spoke of his delight at earning an IBF top-15 ranking once more.

He memorably suffered defeats by Filip Hrgovic and Moses Itauma, though has told The Ring that Queensberry are monitoring his progress overseas and will be of interest to them going forward after another firefight Down Under.

Paro talks to Main Event's Ben Damon in his dressing room and is in good form with less than an hour before ringwalks now:

"I'm moments away from fighting in-front of the crowd, securing another world title ... it's game time now so I'm ready to go. A lot more relaxing [atmosphere], we're not in the janitor's cupboard warming up - that was a bit surreal - but I'm zoned in and feeling good."

"We'll see how he does travel and find out the unanswered questions. I'll soak it all in on the walk, got a tough task to do first but just get that over and anything is possible."

Australian heavyweight champion Stevan Ivic (9-0-1, 3 KOs) just scored a bruising third-round finish of Caleb Tialu, making his second appearance of the year a more straightforward one than his 10-round majority decision win over Liam Talivaa (7-2, 3 KOs) in January.

The Brisbane brawler weighed in at a career-high 278.75lbs for this bout and nursed an injury with his right knee in a brace, though stressed an eagerness to stay activity and more importantly, shed some pounds in the gym.

"He was a tough boy and stood up to some shots, I'm just happy to be back fighting and in the gym. I would love to try and have another hit out in August, just take it one fight at a time. I'll fight anyone in Australia, I don't care, it's just about what offers get made and deals can get made, then we'll go from there," he said post-fight.

There's a much different vibe to the 6-foot-4 puncher than five months prior, where he called for an opportunity to test himself against British and American names. Tidy and with some smarts to his game, you can't help but wonder whether recent film study highlighted limitations he can't quite mask against the world's best at this stage.

Queensland super middleweight Riley Candy (9-1, 6 KOs) wasted no time in dismissing Brayden Rawlins with a first-round stoppage, before featherweight Vegas Larfield (14-1, 10 KOs) and London-born Aussie junior middleweight Jack Javed (2-0, 1 KO) scored finishes against unheralded opposition in Shamal Ram Anuj and Lance McDonald respectively on the non-televised portion of tonight's card.

Hello and welcome to The Ring's live blog commentary as Lewis Crocker travels overseas for the first time with a career-best test against Liam Paro forthcoming for his first IBF welterweight title defense.

As the possibility of stateside showdowns and big-name unifications beckon for the victor, "The Croc" knows he can't afford to slip up on enemy turf with former 140-pound titleholder Paro eager to make history on home soil.

"I was a big underdog in my last fight and came through to win the world title. Big respect for Liam — he's a phenomenal fighter — so we're going to put on a great performance," Crocker said in Monday's press conference.

Paro meanwhile, told The Ring of his happiness at growing into a fully-fledged welterweight frame after winning a hard-fought divisional debut against David Papot in last September's eliminator.

Originally slated to face Paddy Donovan (15-2, 11 KOs) on the Nikita Tszyu-Michael Zerafa undercard in January, the Irishman's illness prompted the IBF to order this mandated title defense instead. Rather than the possibility of an immediate Crocker-Donovan trilogy, the sport is richer for having another fresh matchup at championship level.

Both main event combatants weighed in the same, 146.9 pounds on Tuesday and will headline an eight-fight card at Brisbane's 5,500-seater Pat Rafter Arena, most notably known for hosting tennis events during the Australian summer swing.