As Lewis Crocker achieved his lifelong ambition by capturing the IBF welterweight crown at Windsor Park in Belfast last September, questions about his next move soon followed.

Big names such as Conor Benn and Devin Haney were linked with a lucrative first defence, while a rematch with Conah Walker was also discussed, but instead of familiar surroundings the 29-year-old heads to Brisbane, Australia to meet mandatory challenger and local favourite Liam Paro on Wednesday.

With Paddy Donovan - whom Crocker had narrowly beaten in their rematch to claim the title last year and improve to 22 wins from 22 contests - withdrawing from a final eliminator against Paro [27-1] in January, the former IBF light-welterweight champion stepped up as mandatory challenger.

Australian promoter No Limit won the purse bid, beating Crocker's promoter Matchroom by $27,000 (£20,000), giving Paro the chance to win a world title in his native Queensland.

Roles are reversed this time, as Paro claimed his first world title in the 10st division by upsetting the odds in June 2024 against Puerto Rico's Subriel Matias on enemy turf, before returning to the island to be out-pointed by USA's Richardson Hitchens six months later.

This time it is Crocker, 29, who makes the long trip for his first defence while Paro enjoys home support at Brisbane's Pat Rafter Centre, yet the Belfast man has taken a philosophical approach.

Despite winning the first fight against Donovan by disqualification, he entered the ring at Windsor Park as an underdog - a position he is happy to embrace again this week to place pressure on the challenger who seems slightly unsettled by the tactic.

"Paro is the odds-on favourite here and everyone is coming to see him," Crocker said.

"I went through that the last time, so it takes a bit of ease off my mind and I'm prepared."

Prepared he will need to be as he faces a challenger who has already shown he belongs at world level, even if it was in the division below.

Paro, 30, starts quickly from the opening bell, using speed and feints from his southpaw stance to bank early rounds against Matias and Hitchens.

Against Matias he absorbed heavy shots from a powerful puncher, but could not maintain his fast start against Hitchens whose timing allowed him to take control, an area the Belfast man knows he must dominate.

In the rematch victory against Donovan it was a perfectly-timed left hook that dropped the Limerick man, a shot that caused Paro problems in his gruelling welterweight debut win against David Papot last September, leaving him with a closed right eye after 12 rounds.

Crocker, whose 11 knockouts from 22 wins understate his power, can use that weapon after gaining valuable southpaw experience in the two Donovan fights and while taking the fight out of the judges' hands on away soil is "ideally how we'll do it", there is no underestimating the "tough test" ahead.

"Liam Paro is a great fighter," the defending champion accepts.

"He first came onto my radar when he won the world title at light-welter. I was actually rooting for him as he was such a big underdog [against Matias], but I never looked then and thought I'd be fighting him.

"He's experienced, a former world champion and been in with some of the biggest names. He's a tough guy, a great boxer with good fundamentals, so I'll have to be at my best."

Paro is chasing not just a first world title win on home soil, but also the chance to become just the second Australia-born fighter to become a multi-weight champion, following in the footsteps of Jeff Fenech who won in three divisions between bantamweight and featherweight in the 1980s.

"To join the name of Jeff Fenech - the greatest Australian boxer we've had - is humbling," he continued.

"I don't want to look too far ahead as I've a tough test in Crocker, but what's on the horizon is enough motivation to keep pushing and make history."

While history beckons for Paro, both are aware that victory opens the door to some huge nights against the big names of a star-studded division.

Victory is unlikely to be straightforward for either and while Crocker has been given a tough assignment for his first defence, he is aware of the "life-changing opportunities if I get past this fight".

"I've an ex-world champion to beat here and then the doors really open up for me," he acknowledged.

"I'm really focused for Paro, but aware of what's around the corner."