Subriel Matias known as out WBC champion Regis Prograis after scoring an distinctive stoppage victory on Showtime this weekend.
Energy-punching Matias confirmed why he’d turn out to be considered one of boxing’s most vaunted knockout artists. He stopped the beforehand unbeaten Jeremias Ponce after 5 rounds to win the vacant IBF 140-pound World Championship.
The victory occurred Saturday night time dwell from The Armory in Minneapolis, headlining a Premier Boxing Champions occasion.
Puerto Rico’s Matias (19-1, 19 KOs) captured the title in an electrical firefight that noticed the 2 top-ranked 140-pounders throw over 800 mixed punches in 5 rounds in keeping with CompuBox.
For Matias, the victory culminated a protracted journey that had him away from his household for practically a 12 months as he educated in Mexico for his first title alternative.
“I’m on cloud 9 proper now,” stated Matias. “I don’t assume I’ve woken up from this dream.
“Perhaps I can inform you the way it feels tomorrow, however proper now, it’s a dream come true.
“I wished to work him from the primary spherical on, as a result of I knew he wouldn’t have the identical energy as me because the combat went on.”
Ponce (30-1, 20 KOs) got here out extraordinarily aggressive and appeared to swarm Matias early as he threw 96 punches in spherical one, out touchdown Matias 28 to 11.
Matias adjusted in spherical two, closing the gap and smothering Ponce to boring a few of his assault whereas additionally discovering spots for his personal quick energy punches.
“I assumed it was a fair combat, however one punch can change every thing and that’s what occurred,” stated Ponce. “Subriel is a troublesome, sturdy fighter and I knew what he was able to.”
After touchdown a strong left hand that harm Ponce late in spherical 4, Matias returned decided and sharp in spherical 5, touchdown 47% of his energy punches over the three minutes.
Within the waning moments of the spherical, Matias landed the decisive blows, a sequence of head and physique pictures that badly harm Matias and put him on the mat.
Ponce was in a position to make it to his stool, however his nook had seen sufficient and prompt that the combat be stopped, with the official end result coming as a TKO on the finish of spherical 5.
“I’m superb now,” stated Ponce. “My staff is aware of me, they usually made the choice that they needed to make. It hurts, however an important factor is that I’m wholesome.”
“I wasn’t actually stunned,” stated Matias. “As soon as, I noticed how his nook reacted. I noticed that [Ponce] was harm. I assumed that I used to be affected person within the first 4 rounds. So I got here out with a special strategy and mindset within the fifth.”
After the combat, along with his IBF belt in tow, Matias set his sights on a unification showdown towards WBC 140-pound World Champion Regis Prograis.
“Regis Prograis, I’m coming for you,” stated Matias. “I’m the world champion now. I promise that I’m coming to harm you.
“Prograis likes to speak the discuss, however I’ve that very same mentality. Let’s see who prevails. I would like him to see that there are individuals crazier than him on this sport.”
