Subriel Matias vs Jeremias Ponce – Results & Post-Fight Report

Subriel Matias became the new IBF super lightweight champion in some style, as he forced Jeremias Ponce’s corner to retire their man at the end of the fifth round of their meeting at The Armory in Minneapolis to take the vacant title.

The title had been vacated by former undisputed champion Josh Taylor, and it was the Puerto Rican that was the beneficiary here. Matias (19-1, KO19) had never been the distance previously in 19 contests, while Argentina’s Ponce (30-1, KO20) could also bang, and came into this one on a streak of five early wins, including a June 2021 tenth round stoppage of Lewis Ritson.

A war was expected, and that’s pretty much how it played out. Ponce started ferociously, and took the opening round with some blistering attacks to head and body of Matias. Once Matias had weathered that storm, he buzzed Ponce with a left hand towards the end of the second, and the third saw the pair unload on each other in energy-sapping attacks. The action was fast and furious, but Matias was largely getting the better of it, and the pair again exchanged big shots in a frantic fourth frame.

Ponce was dealing with the power of his opponent until towards the end of round five, where he was felled by a left hook to the body at the end of a volley of Matias punches that proved his undoing. Ponce beat the count, but the fight was stopped between rounds by his corner to crown Matias the new champion.

On the undercard, Elvis Rodriguez (14-1-1, KO12) dropped Joseph Adorno (17-2-2, KO14) twice during their ten rounder at super lightweight contest, and they proved crucial, as he took a majority decision win. Rodriguez started slow, but took over in the later rounds, scoring a seventh round knockdown with a left hand, and also decking Adorno in the final round. Scores of 97-91 and 95-93 in Rodriguez’s favour won him the fight, with a third judge ruling the bout 94-94.

At welterweight, Ve Shawn Owens (14-3, KO12) came through on the cards over ten against Kudratillo Abdukakhorov (18-2, KO10). Owens ran out the winner by scores of 99-91, 98-92 and 97-93.

Also at welterweight, Jamal James (28-2, KO12), a former WBA champion, took a ten round decision win against Alberto Palmetta (18-2, KO13). A score of 99-91, and two at 98-92 sealed a comfortable victory.

In a third and final welterweight contest, Derrick Jackson (10-1, KO5) was upset by Willie Jones (9-2, KO6), who scored a first round knockout. There was also a one round knockout at super lightweight, where Mickel Spencer (3-0, KO2) halted Margarito Hernandez (3-5-1, KO0), and Breeon Carothers (3-0, KO3) did the same against Kevin Schmidt (0-3) at lightweight.