Last Saturday, Subriel Matias 19-1 (19 KOs) picked up the biggest win of his career in stopping previously undefeated Jeremias Ponce 30-1 (20 KOs) in their match for the vacant IBF super lightweight title. In addition to that fight, Matias has looked sensational in his previous fights stopping then undefeated Malik Hawkins, Batyrzhan Jukembayev, as well as knocking out Petros Anayan in a rematch of his lone loss back in 2020.
Looking forward, Matias has a few interesting options, but more than likely will be avoided by the top fighters in the 140 lb division despite being a world champion and his emerging popularity.
Super Lightweight Division
- Josh Taylor 19-0 (13 KOs), the former undisputed super lightweight champion, is rumored to be facing former unified lightweight champ Teofimo Lopez 18-1 (13 KOs) this summer for Taylor’s WBO junior welterweight belt. Considering that, both Taylor and Lopez are essentially off the table for a match with Matias.
- Jack Catterall 26-1 (13 KOs) most recently lost a controversial decision to Taylor in early 2022. Since then, Catterall’s career has been stalled while waiting for a rematch with Taylor that eventually fell apart completely. Catterall is rumored to be taking a stay-busy type of fight in the next few months, but he has expressed interest in a matchup with WBC super lightweight champ Regis Prograis. I believe Catterall’s team might view Matias as too risky to fight and would prefer a more lucrative match with Progais or push for the winner of Taylor vs. Lopez.
- Regis Prograis 28-1 (24 KOs) has called out Matias on social media, and Matias called out Prograis by name in post-fight interviews. This is a potentially very exciting match-up. Both fighters have expressed interest in making it happen. This is a can’t-miss fight.
- Alberto Puello 21-0 (10 KOs), currently the WBA super lightweight champion, is rumored to be facing Rolando “Rolly” Romero 14-1 (12 KOs) in a voluntary title defense this spring. Puello would be a potentially interesting match up in the future for Matias, stylistically. Classic boxer vs puncher match-up. It’s safe to say Matias would steamroll Rolly Romero. I doubt the public has any interest in seeing them fight.
- Ryan Garcia 23-0 (19 KOs) is set to take on Gervonta “Tank” Davis 28-0 (26 KOs) next month in a highly anticipated fight. If Garcia drops out of that fight, Matias would be a credible opponent for the highly popular Tank Davis. Many fans are skeptical that Garcia and Tank will actually fight each other, so stay tuned for any updates.
- Gary Antuanne Russell 16-0 (16 KOs) is a highly skilled and equally powerful contender on the verge of stardom in the super lightweight division. A matchup with Matias would produce fireworks. Both fighters work with PBC, so this is definitely a possible matchup.
Ranked IBF fighters: Most likely Matias will take on an IBF-ranked opponent if he is unable to secure a big fight with any of the previously mentioned super lightweights. Some notable IBF ranked fighters include: Shohjahon Ergashev 23-0 (20 KOs), Liam Paro 23-0 (14 KOs), Steve Spark 16-2 (14 KOs), and Richardson Hitchins 16-0 (7 KOs).
https://youtu.be/9SYg6m3Fl-g?t=67
It will be interesting to see who Matias decides to defend his title against first. Hopefully, the powerful promotion team backing Matias can secure a big fight with any of the previously mentioned fighters. Also, we can only hope that Matias does not become the boogeyman of the super lightweight division with all the top fighters ducking him. Nevertheless, Matias should definitely be on every fight fan’s radar for future fights.
Let me know in the comments who you want to see Matias fight next. Where does Matias rank amongst the top 140 lb boxers?