IBF light welterweight champion Subriel Matias could be Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn’s next colossal signing. Mike Coppinger is reporting that the 31-year-old Matias (19-1, 19 KOs) met with Matchoom reps last week in his native Puerto Rico to set the wheels in motion for him to potentially sign with them.
If Matias signs with Matchroom, a unification fight could be just over the horizon between him and WBC light welterweight champion Regis Prograis (28-1, 24 KOs), who Hearn signed last Saturday night. That fight would be an all-action contest, with both guys likely getting hurt.
Matias lost to Petros Ananyan by a close 10 round unanimous decision in 2020. Last year, Matias avenged the loss by stopping Ananyan in the ninth round. Matias has now won his last four fights since suffering his only career defeat.
It’s difficult to know how good Matias is because he’s not fought the A-level fighters at 140 during his eight-year professional career. What we do know is Matias punches very hard and is dangerous.
Matchroom recently signed Prograis, 2020 Olympic gold medalist Andy Cruz and super middleweight contender Edgar Berlanga. Adding Matias would give Hearn’s Matchroom a strong presence at light welterweight with Prograis and Jack Catterall.
It’s important for Hearn to keep adding fighters at 140 because it gives his guys options if they’re locked out from fighting PBC and Top Rank guys. Currently, Top Rank has Josh Taylor, Josee Ramirez, Teofimo Lopez, and Arnold Barboza Jr. Golden Boy has Ryan Garcia, who is popular enough to transcend boxing politics to face fighters with different promoters and networks.
Prograis, 34, recently came up empty in trying to get fights against Top Rank fighters Jose Ramirez, Josh Taylor, and Teofimo Lopez.
It’s unclear whether Prograis’ situation will improve on that front with him signing with Matchroom, but even if he is prevented from fighting those guys, he can fight Matias if he signs with Hearn.
Signing Prograis & Cruz were great additions to the Matchroom team, but not so much with Berlanga. He’s not a fantastic talent like those two, so it won’t be surprising Matchroom doesn’t re-sign Berlanga after they set him up with a fight against Canelo Alvarez in 2024.
Matias captured the vacant IBF 140-lb title last February, stopping Jeremias Ponce in the fifth round of a war at the Minneapolis Armory.
If the Cuban talent Andy Cruz moves up to 140, that will give Prograis and potentially Matias an excellent option for a huge fight.
