IBF light welterweight champion Subriel Matias declined Top Rank’s four-fight offer to sign with them because they wouldn’t guarantee a fight against WBO champ Teofimo Lopez.

That’s the only fighter Matias (20-1, 20 KOs) wanted to fight on Top Rank’s roster, and they wouldn’t agree to let him face him. So, instead, Matias signed a five-fight deal with Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing, with one of the fights expected to be a big one, potentially against Devin Haney.

Hearn’s Roster of Potential Opponents

The fighters Hearn expected to match Matias against:

Liam Paro
Richardson Hitchins
Regis Prograis
Jack Catterall
Devin Haney: *possible

“With Teofimo, there’s only one way to win, and that’s by knockout,” said Subriel Matias to MillCity Boxing, making it clear that he doesn’t believe he would be given a decision if he fought Teofimo Lopez in light of what happened last Thursday with Jamaine Ortiz losing a controversial decision.

It’s good that Matias knows what he would be getting himself into if he fought the popular Top Rank fighter Teofimo, considering Jamaine Ortiz failed to recognize that he needed a knockout to defeat.

“We know it’s a five-fight deal with a guarantee of a big fight, and he’s excited to prove that he’s the best in the world to be signed with Matchroom and Fresh Productions,” said coach Panda, the trainer for Matias, talking about Subriel’s new contract with Eddie Hearn’s company, Matchroom Boxing.

“Right now, we don’t know if it’s Liam Paro. We accepted the name, but we don’t know what Eddie Hearn and Juan are going to work out,” said Panda about Matias’ next fight. “Liam Paro is just a name thrown out there. It’s not a done deal.

Missed Opportunity with Top Rank

“Top Rank offered Subriel Matias a deal, but in that deal was a four-fight offer, but nowhere was Teofimo Lopez guarantee,” said Coach Panda. “They didn’t want to guarantee a Teofimo Lopez fight, and Subriel, he only wants to fight Teofimo Lopez. He’s not interested in any of the Top Rank guys.

It sounds like Teofimo has veto power with Top Rank, so they can’t force him to fight killers like Subriel Matias or any of the talented fighters if he doesn’t wish to. That explains why they couldn’t guarantee Matias a fight against Teofimo.