SUBRIEL Matias will box in an eliminator for the right to contest the IBF super-lightweight title he once held during a reign of terror. That run of early finishes ended abruptly and unexpectedly last June when Liam Paro travelled to Puerto Rico to dethrone the surprisingly listless king on his home turf.
Heavy-handed Matias, 21-2 (21 KOs), is now all set to face Gabriel Gollaz Valenzuela, with the winner going in against current champ Richardson Hitchins, who defeated Paro in December to take control of the belt. Matias versus Hitchins would be an interesting clash of conflicting styles.
Valenzuela, 30-3-1 (17 KOs), intends to have a strong say on matters before we can reach that point. The Guadalajara man is on a five-fight winning streak, including a debatable decision victory over Steve Spark in Mexico. That came off the back of a one-round shelling of Yves Ulysse Jr on away soil.
In 2022, Montana Love beat Valenzuela on points in an entertaining Las Vegas affair. A year earlier, in 2021, he travelled to the UK to outpoint Robbie Davies Jr over 10 rounds. If he gets past Matias, finding a way around the Hitchins jab will be difficult.
As for Matias, he was last seen returning from the Paro upset by getting back to what he does best: battering people. In November, Roberto Ramirez suffered the fury in round two.
Matias was initially touted for an intriguing crack at Teofimo Lopez, who holds the WBO super-lightweight title but is going through a period of turmoil with promoters Top Rank, leaving his future unclear.
