WBC light welterweight champion Regis Prograis say newly crowned IBF 140-lb champion Subriel Matias isn’t on his level yet because he hasn’t fought the level of competition that would indicate that he’s in the same league as him.
Matias (19-1, 19 KOs) called out Prograis (28-1, 24 KOs) following his fifth round stoppage win over Jeremias Ponce last month on February 25th at the Armory, Minneapolis, Minnesota.
The 30-year-old Matias looked powerful in dropping the previously unbeaten Ponce (30-1, 20 KOs) in the fifth round to get the stoppage.
Prograis says he’d be interested in fighting Matias after he proves against other top-level opposition, whenever that is.
“Honestly, I think he’s not only level,” said Regis Prograis to Fighthype about newly crowned IBF light welterweight champion Subriel Matias.
“Hopefully, I can fight him one day. Just tell him to keep that belt. I’m not going to say he’s going to be an easy fight, but I definitely feel I’ll whoop him for sure.
“He’s never fought nobody like me before. That dude [Jeremias Ponce] was hitting him with all kinds of stuff, and the dude he fought is nowhere close to my level.
“I say congratulations, but just keep that belt for me. I just hope you have it when the time is right for me and him, and then we’ll fight. I’m taking that belt off of him.
“It definitely looks like he hits really hard for sure. No,” said Prograis when asked if Matias’ style is a difficult one for him. “I’ve been with that style before. I came up out of Texas, and that’s how most of the fighters out there fight.
“I really don’t think that’s a difficult style. I haven’t taken his punches yet, so I don’t know how hard he hits. I don’t think that’s a difficult style.
“He hasn’t fought big competition before,” said Prograis about Matias. “I understand people want to jump on the bandwagon, but you got to give me some big names that he fought. I think it’s still me and Josh Taylor.
“You still got to put [Jose] Ramirez in there also. It’s only Ramirez is the unified champion, Josh Taylor is the undisputed champion and I’m a two-time world champion. Accomplishment-wise, it’s still me and Josh Taylor. You can throw Ramirez in there too.
“For me, Matias hasn’t fought the level of competition yet. You have to judge people on the level of competition. You can’t judge them just on fighting nobodies. You have to judge them on the level of their competition, but I give him respect. I think he’s good, but he’s not on that level now,” said Prograis.
