Subriel Matias is said to return to action in November to face slugger Gabriel Gollaz Valenzuela at a date and venue to be announced. This is a must-win for knockout artist Matias as he quickly turns his career around.
Valenzuela (29-3-1, 17 KOs) is a big puncher with an aggressive style and the ability to finish what Liam Paro started in his win over Matias. The news of Matias’ fight in November comes from @linares_ca_93.
Matias (20-2, 20 KOs) lost his IBF light welterweight title to Liam Paro by a surprisingly one-sided 12-round unanimous decision last summer on June 15 in Manati, Puerto Rico.
In that fight, Matias couldn’t put his fists together with consistency, and Paro outmatched him. When they were close, Paro abused Matias, abusing him and pushing him around the ring. The hype about Matias has completely disappeared since that loss to Paro, and fans on social media are no longer talking about him. It’s like Matias never existed.
Eddie Hearn will complain about signing Subriel because he is stuck with a lemon unless he can turn his career around. If Hearn can rebuild Matias, he could capture another title at 140, but he must forget about trying to avenge his loss to Paro. Hearn should have already brought Matias back in some kind of confidence fight, because letting him stew over his loss wasn’t good.
The way Matias did against Paro showed that he didn’t have the right style to defeat him. Matias has to put his fists together for a fight like Paro, and he needs more than an inside game.
Paro made him look stupid in that fight, and he wasn’t that impressive himself. A talented light welterweight like Ryan Garcia would have feasted on Paro, but Matias is too limited. Unless Matias can make changes to his game to fix the flaws that Paro has exposed, he should be permanently forgotten because he will ruin his career.
Matias is ranked 5th in the IBF and 10th in the WBC at light welterweight. He can bounce back from this loss and get a quick title shot if Hearn keeps him busy. He needs to fight four times a year against a readily better competition to be in a position to fight for another title.
Last updated on 09/24/2024
