Top Contenders Subriel Matias and Jeremias Ponce Meet for Vacant 140-Pound World Title Live on SHOWTIME from The Armory in Minneapolis
IBF Junior Welterweight World Championship (vacant) – 12 Rounds
Subriel Matías – 139.2 lbs.
Jeremías Ponce – 139.6 lbs.
Referee: Mark Nelson; Judges: Patrick Morley (Ill.), Chris Wilson (Ariz.), Mike Fitzgerald (Wisc.)
Welterweight Bout – 10 Rounds
Jamal James – 146.8 lbs.
Alberto Palmetta – 147 lbs.
Referee: Ernie Sharif; Judges: Chris Wilson (Ariz.), Ludy Webster (Minn.), Jon Schorle (Texas)
Super Lightweight Bout – 10 Rounds
Elvis Rodríguez – 139.8 lbs.
Joseph Adorno – 140 lbs.
Referee: Jon Schorle; Judges: Scott Erickson (Minn.), Patrick Morley (Ill.), Mike Fitzgerald (Wisc.)
Welterweight Bout – 8/10 Rounds
Kudratillo Abdukakhorov – 146 lbs.
VeShawn Owens – 147 lbs.
Referee: Ernie Sharif; Judges: Kyle Shiely (Minn.), Scott Erickson (Minn.), Jon Schorle (Texas)
Welterweight Bout – Eight Rounds
Derrick Jackson – 149 lbs.
Willie Jones – 147.8 lbs.
Note: Contracted weight is 149 lbs.
Referee: Mark Nelson; Judges: Ludy Webster (Minn.), Mike Fitzgerald (Wisc.), Patrick Morley (Ill.)
Super Lightweight Bout – Four Rounds
Mikkel Spencer – 139 lbs.
Margarito Hernandez – 140 lbs.
Referee: Jon Schorle; Judges: Bobby Brunette (Minn.), Kyle Shiely (Minn.), Chris Wilson (Ariz.)
Three undercard matchups, featuring a welterweight showdown and two unbeaten prospects entering the ring in separate bouts, will highlight the SHOWTIME BOXING COUNTDOWN live streaming presentation this Saturday, February 25 in a Premier Boxing Champions Event from The Armory in Minneapolis.
The SHOWTIME BOXING COUNTDOWN show, hosted by award-winning MORNING KOMBAT live digital talk show hosts Luke Thomas and Brian Campbell, will stream live on the SHOWTIME SPORTS YouTube channel and SHOWTIME Boxing Facebook page starting at 6:45 p.m. ET/3:45 p.m. PT and is topped by welterweight contender Kudratillo Abdukakhorov taking on Minneapolis-native and Armory fan-favorite VeShawn Owens in an 10-round duel.
The action will also include unbeaten rising welterweight prospect Derrick “Diesel” Jackson in an eight-round bout taking on Willie Jones, plus sensational super lightweight prospect Mikkel Spencer faces Margarito Hernandez in a four-round attraction.
WHA TIME IS MATIAS VS. PONCE?
- Date: Saturday, February 25
- Main card: 9 p.m. ET / 2 a.m. GMT
- Main event ringwalks (approx): 11 p.m. ET / 4 a.m. GMT
- US viewers an watch the fight on Showtime
- The fight will take place at The Armory in Minneapolis.
- The main card is set to get underway at 9 p.m. ET / 2 a.m. GMT with the main event ringwalks scheduled for 11 p.m. ET / 4 a.m. GMT.
The live streaming fights will precede the SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® telecast at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT headlined by top super lightweight contenders squaring off as popular knockout artist Subriel Matías meets undefeated Argentine Jeremías Ponce for the vacant IBF 140-pound World Championship.
The telecast will also see the return of Minneapolis-native Jamal “Shango” James in the co-main event taking on 2016 Argentine Olympian Alberto Palmetta. Plus, lightweight contender Elvis Rodríguez duels Joseph “Blessed Hands” Adorno in the telecast opener.
Tickets for the event, which is promoted by TGB Promotions and Warriors Boxing, are on sale now and can be purchased at the Armory at http://ArmoryMN.com/ and through Ticketmaster.
Born in Uzbekistan and fighting out of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Abdukakhorov (18-1, 10 KOs) rose to the top spot in the IBF rankings before dropping a December 2021 matchup with Cody Crowley. The 29-year-old made his U.S. debut in March 2019, defeating former title challenger Keita Obara by unanimous decision before following up with a wide technical decision triumph over former champion Luis Collazo in October of that year. He will meet the 31-year-old Owens (13-3, 12 KOs) in his seventh fight at The Armory in his hometown. Owens’ last outing saw him drop a decision to current WBA 140-pound champion Alberto Puello in December 2021, snapping a four-fight winning streak.
The 20-year-old Jackson (10-0, 5 KOs) turned pro at 18 in 2020 and stayed busy racking up his unbeaten record over the next two years. Representing Orlando, Fla., Jackson went eight rounds for the first time in his last fight, winning a unanimous decision over Damian Ezequiel Bonelli last October. He faces the 31-year-old Jones (8-2, 5 KOs), a Chapel Hill, North Carolina-native who owns an amateur victory over two-time world champion Regis Prograis in 2011. Jones most recently stopped Brian Jones in round three of their June 2021 matchup.
Spencer (2-0, 1 KO) is the younger brother of rising super welterweight Joey Spencer and turned pro himself August 2021 with a unanimous decision victory over Eliseo Villalobos. The 18-year-old from Linden, Mich., most recently knocked out Deljerro Revello in round four last September. He will be opposed by the 30-year-old Hernandez (3-4-1), who fights out of Wapato, Wash., and most recently lost a decision to Bryce Mills in January.
The non-televised undercard will see lightweight prospect Breeon Carothers (2-0, 2 KOs) in a four-round bout against Indiana’s Kevin Schmidt (0-2), plus Puerto Rican bantamweight prospect Jonathan Lopez (8-0-1, 4 KOs) duels Brazil’s Eduardo Diogo (3-0, 2 KOs) in a six-round attraction.
Matias Ponce Fight Card
- Subriel Matias vs. Jeremias Ponce; For the vacant IBF world super lightweight title
- Jamal James vs. Alberto Palmetta; Welterweights
- Elvis Rodriguez vs. Joseph Adorno; Junior welterweights
- Kudratillo Abdukakhorov vs. Ve Shawn Owens; Welterweights
- Jonathan Lopez Marcano vs. Eduardo de Oliveira Guedes Diogo; Bantamweights
- Derrick Jackson vs. Willie Jones; Welterweights
- Kel Spencer vs. Margarito Hernandez; Welterweights
- Breeon Carothers vs. Kevin Schmidt; Lightweights