That he'll get the chance to achieve such an accomplishment on home soil is sweet for the 30-year-old, mentally jaded by Paddy Donovan's untimely illness and an injury-enforced wait from the champion preceding this shot.

There is mutual respect between Paro (27-1, 16 KOs) and Matchroom-backed Crocker (22-0, 11 KOs), who many believe is the division's weakest world champion aided by Jaron Ennis' move up to junior middleweight last year.

Having won an unpredictable two-fight series with Paddy Donovan last year, the Belfast beltholder made a significant change by relieving Billy Nelson of his coaching duties and handing the reins off to Huzaifah Iqbal.

Eyebrows were raised in some boxing circles given the timing after a career-best win, though Crocker has shown enough defensive vulnerabilities and an over-reliance on his left hook that make him an attractive proposition for bigger, more lucrative opportunities now that he owns a share of the 147-pound crowns.

"His last two fights, he can change the gameplan significantly but I'm ready for anything he brings. He said he's the bigger man, that gives me the feeling he'll come forward and try to walk through me ... bully the so-called smaller fighter. If he tries to outmuscle me, I'll welcome him. I'll walk him onto punches all night long, until he can't resist them anymore. If he wants to box on the back foot, I'm also ready," Paro said in a virtual media scrum Wednesday.

Crocker's manager Jamie Conlan spoke to Irish media outlets this week discussing how the delay after a hand ligament injury could prove a blessing in disguise, given just how good Paro is as an opponent - representing his toughest test yet, 22 pro fights and nine years in. When that was put to him, Paro saw both sides of the coin.

"He does have a new trainer so if anything, there's more time for them to mesh together," he told The Ring.

"But with the injury, you hear boxing tales all the time. I heard he was overweight and gonna struggle to make the weight, I hope he's 110 percent come fight night, no injuries or excuses, may the best man win. I've got respect for him, he doesn't seem to yap too much and I like that."

Having taken a month-long break from boxing-specific training to recharge his love for the discipline between training camps, how does Paro feel physically now?

"It's good, growing into the weight. What people don't remember is I decided to move to welterweight five weeks out from the Papot fight, so was already down in weight aiming for the 140-pound limit. We decided to change it up, struggled in the previous fight [a fifth-round TKO of Jonathan Navarro] a little bit so it was time to move up.

"I'm 30 now, it [weight cutting] ain't getting easier, I'm just able to mature into the weight a lot more. I'm naturally sitting heavier now, letting my body do its thing."

A regular staple in the commentary or analyst booth in recent months, Paro has embraced the recent surge of Australian cards and is excited to step-up at a time where the country are enjoying more recognition on home soil powered by Nikita Tszyu, Callum Peters and Kirra Ruston within the No Limit stable among others.

Former junior lightweight world title challenger Liam Wilson (18-3, 10 KOs), the WBO's No. 2-ranked contender, is among those slated to be featuring on the undercard, with a formal announcement expected shortly.

"The undercard will be released in the coming days, it's gonna be huge and again shows the talent we've got in Australia, stacking cards with talent, there were some mad fights on Nikita's card."