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Subriel Matias Captures Vacant IBF 140-Pound World Title
With Fifth-Round TKO Of Jeremias Ponce
Photos Esther Lin - SHOWTIME
Power-punching Subriel
Matias showed why he’s become one of boxing’s most vaunted
knockout artists as he stopped the previously unbeaten
Jeremias Ponce after five rounds to win the vacant IBF
140-pound World Championship Saturday night live on SHOWTIME
from The Armory in Minneapolis headlining a Premier Boxing
Champions event.
Puerto Rico’s Matias (19-1, 19 KOs) captured the title in an
electric firefight that saw the two top-ranked 140-pounders
throw over 800 combined punches in five rounds according to
CompuBox. For Matias, the victory culminated a long journey
that had him away from his family for nearly a year as he
trained in Mexico for his first title opportunity.
“I'm on cloud nine right now,” said Matias. “I don't think
I've woken up from this dream. Maybe I can tell you how it
feels tomorrow, but right now, it's a dream come true. I
wanted to work him from the first round on, because I knew
he wouldn't have the same power as me as the fight went on.”
Ponce (30-1, 20 KOs) came out extremely aggressive and
looked to swarm Matias early as he threw 96 punches in round
one, out landing Matias 28 to 11. Matias adjusted in round
two, closing the distance and smothering Ponce to dull some
of his attack while also finding spots for his own short
power punches.
"I thought it was an even fight, but one punch can change
everything and that’s what happened,” said Ponce. “Subriel
is a tough, strong fighter and I knew what he was capable
of.”
After landing a powerful left hand that hurt Ponce late in
round four, Matias returned determined and sharp in round
five, landing 47% of his power punches over the three
minutes. In the waning moments of the round, Matias landed
the decisive blows, a series of head and body shots that
badly hurt Matias and put him on the mat.
Ponce was able to make it to his stool, but his corner had
seen enough and suggested that the fight be stopped, with
the official result coming as a TKO at the end of round
five.
“I’m fine now,” said Ponce. “My team knows me, and they made
the decision that they had to make. It hurts, but the most
important thing is that I’m healthy.”
“I wasn’t really surprised,” said Matias. “Once I saw how
his corner reacted. I saw that [Ponce] was hurt. I thought
that I was patient in the first four rounds, so I came out
with a different approach and mindset in the fifth.”
After the fight, with his IBF belt in tow, Matias set his
sights on a unification showdown against WBC 140-pound World
Champion Regis Prograis.
“Regis Prograis, I’m coming for you,” said Matias. “I’m the
world champion now. I promise that I’m coming to hurt you.
Prograis likes to talk the talk, but I have that same
mentality. Let’s see who prevails. I want him to see that
there are people crazier than him in this sport.”
In the co-main event, Minneapolis-native and welterweight
contender Jamal “Shango” James (28-2, 12 KOs) returned from
a 16-month layoff to thrill a sold-out hometown crowd and
earn a unanimous decision victory after 10-rounds against
Argentine Olympian Alberto Palmetta (18-2, 13 KOs).
“I’m pretty sure everybody can see that layoff affected me,”
said James. “I had a lot of rust in me. My legs weren’t
sharp, my punches weren’t sharp, but I’m glad I was able to
get in there. I liked that because it’s pushing me mentally
and it made me step up to the occasion.”
“I thought it was an even fight,” said Palmetta. “I was the
aggressor throughout against a former world champion, a
taller opponent with longer reach than me.”
In his first action since losing his WBA Welterweight Title
to Radzhab Butaev in October 2021, James picked up his fifth
career victory at the friendly confines of The Armory. Using
his considerable height and reach advantage, James was able
to control much of the action and contest the bout on his
terms.
“I was trying to adapt,” said James. “I definitely felt like
I won the fight but I believe I could’ve done much better. I
know that I’m a lot sharper. I know that my endurance is a
lot stronger. I just had a lot of time off and my body is
still getting back in shape. I’ll be back for sure.”
“I also like to counter, but I ratcheted up the pressure in
the second half of the fight,” said Palmetta. “Maybe it
looked like Jamal James was superior in the first half
because he kept being conservative and countering.”
Palmetta had success countering James but was unable to put
together enough combinations or hurt James during the
action. James’ edge was reflected on the scorecards, as he
out landed Palmetta 193 to 111, including a 153 to 102 edge
in power punches.
James was also able to use a sharp body attack to keep
Palmetta at bay, landing 68 throughout the fight, compared
to just 20 from Palmetta. In round nine, a sharp right
uppercut caused Palmetta to stumble and let to a raucous
exchange that stirred James’ hometown fans.
The crowd again rose to their feet as James and Palmetta
whipped power punches throughout the final moments of round
10. James kept his perfect record at The Armory intact by
wide scores of 99-91 and 98-92 twice.
“I know I can be a champion again because I was a champion
before,” said James. “I have to stay focused. Stay in the
gym and back and study this fight – actually, my last two
fights – and step it up. Thanks to everybody in Minneapolis
for coming and showing me love.”
In the telecast opener, super lightweight contender Elvis
Rodriguez (14-1-1,12 KOs) overcame a slow start to earn a
hard-fought majority decision over the hard-hitting Joseph
Adorno (17-2-2, 14 KOs) after 10 rounds.
“Ring rust was definitely a factor,” said Rodriguez. “Maybe
the struggle was more mental than physical in a way, but the
important thing is that I overcame it.”
After a couple of rounds feeling each other out, Adorno was
the first to have success, showing a varied attack with
hooks to the body and head. He punctuated a strong fourth
round with several counter hooks right before the closing
bell.
In round five the action began to heat up, with Rodriguez
starting to find a home for his offense as well, while still
taking consistent return fire from Adorno. Rodriguez would
eventually take control of the fight in the seventh round,
landing a perfect right hook that badly hurt Adorno.
Rodriguez followed up quickly and forced Adorno to the
canvas to score the knockdown, although Adorno was able to
stay in the fight and make it through the round.
“I thought I had him once I landed that right hook, but he
got up,” said Rodriguez. “He’s a warrior and a good fighter…
The seventh round was huge, that’s when I truly started to
win this fight. I have to give credit to Adorno for being
savvy and knowing how to keep his distance before then.”
Rodriguez rode that momentum through the rest of the fight,
out landing Adorno 52 to 33 across rounds seven through 10.
The Freddie Roach-trained contender punctuated his victory
in the final frame, landing a left that referee Jon Schorle
ruled a knockdown, despite the objection from Adorno, who
felt he was tripped during the exchange.
After the 10 rounds Rodriguez emerged victorious on the
judges’ cards, as one score of 94-94 was overruled by
tallies of 95-93 and 97-91. Post-fight, Adorno expressed his
belief that his early success was enough for him to earn a
better result, while Rodriguez set his sights on the new
140-pound champion Matias.
"I thought the judges were blind,” said Adorno. “I can't get
a win with these judges. I don't know how you see the fight
97-91. I thought I won every round except the ones he
dropped me. He never out worked me at all. I had the jab in
his face and was snapping him to the body. He couldn't do
anything. No way he won seven rounds. I thought 94-94 was
okay because of the two knockdowns."
“Like I said yesterday at the weigh-in, bring on the winner
of the main event,” said Rodriguez. “And to my people in the
Dominican Republic, just know that I’ll be back even bolder
and even better next time.”
Prior to the telecast, the SHOWTIME BOXING COUNTDOWN show
streamed live on the SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel and
SHOWTIME Boxing Facebook page and was topped by a
welterweight matchup that saw Minneapolis-native Ve’Shawn
Owens (14-3, 12 KOs) score a unanimous decision over
Kudratillo Abdukakhorov (18-2, 10 KOs) after 10-rounds. The
judges’ scores were 99-91, 98-92 and 97-93.
Streaming action also featured the Ronnie Shields-trained
Willie Jones (9-2, 6 KOs) delivering a vicious first-round
knockout over the previously unbeaten Derrick Jackson (10-1,
5 KOs) just 1:22 into their welterweight clash, plus
sensational super lightweight prospect Mickel Spencer (3-0,
2 KOs), with his older brother and unbeaten contender Joey
Spencer watching ringside, dismantled Margarito Hernandez
(3-5-1) to earn a first-round TKO 2:18 into the fight.
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