By Sam Volz: Matchroom’s next huge signing could be Subriel Matias, the IBF light welterweight champion. It will be an amazing week for Matchroom if they add the huge-punching Matias to their growing stable, as it would give them another champion at 140.
WBC champ Regis Prograis, who penned a three-fight deal with Eddie Hearn’s promotional company, says Matchroom is trying to sign Matias (19-1, 19 KOs), and if they’re successful, they will set up an in-house unification fight at 140.
In addition to signing Prograis, Hearn revealed last Saturday that he’d signed 2020 Olympic gold medalist Andy Cruz, who will be campaigning at lightweight and will immediately be one of the top fighters in the 135-lb division.
It doesn’t make sense for Matchroom to immediately pit Prograis and Matias in a unification if they succeed in adding the hard-hitting Puerto Rican knockout artist to their stable. If they keep them moving in separate orbits for a while, they can build the fight to be a huge one.
However, with Prograis’ contract being a short three-fight deal with Matchroom, it means the company will need to put together a fight with Matias fairly soon.
Moreover, the 34-year-old Prograis’ age makes it important that Hearn put him with the best right away because he won’t be able to stay in his current form for too much longer unless he ages well like Floyd Mayweather Jr.
“We are trying to get Matias. That’s the fight I want. From what I understand, they trying to grab him,” Regis Prograis told Ringside Views about Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing looking to sign IBF light welterweight champion Subriel Matias.
The 31-year-old Matias is coming off a fifth round stoppage victory over Jeremias Ponce last February in an exciting fight. Matias has won his last four fights since suffering his lone career defeat against Petros Ananyan in a 10 round unanimous decision in 2020. Last year, Matias avenged his loss to Ananyan, stopping him in the ninth round.
“I can make more in three fights with Matchroom than in four fights with Top Rank.
“Matchroom is about believing in myself. The first two fights will not be high marquee names; that third could be Matias Unification.”
“After three fights [with Matchroom], I’m out of the deal, and I got two belts at 140,” said Prograis.
