Subriel Matias vs Liam Paro Preview

IBF super lightweight champion Subriel Matias (20-1, 20 KOs) has the chance to show why he is the boogeyman of the 140 lbs division when he defends against unbeaten Liam Paro (24-0, 15 KOs) in his native Puerto Rico at the Coliseo Juan Aubín Cruz Abreu in Manatí on June 15. This 12-round championship bout, plus the undercard, will be broadcast by DAZN.

Since being mortalized with a seventh-round knockdown and 10-round unanimous decision loss to Petros Ananyan in February 2020, Matias has been on an unstoppable blaze of destruction, including a ninth-round stoppage win against Ananyan in their January 2022 rematch. Matias has proven he is one of the hardest punchers in boxing.

Matias’ Style Is Like An Avalanche

His power has beaten fighters into submission in his most recent fights. In February 2023, Matias won the IBF super lightweight title against the previously unbeaten Jeremiah Ponce when he dished out vicious punishment over five rounds and forced a corner’s stoppage. Nine months later, Matias beat Shohjahon Ergashev in his first title defense, yet again forcing a corner’s stoppage after five completed rounds. “Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee” isn’t Matias’ style. He is simply out to seek and destroy.

In an interview with DAZN Boxing, Matias said: “I think everyone has seen what I can do in the ring. I only need a chance with anyone. Any of the champions just put me in front of them.” As a champion in one of the hottest, talent-stacked divisions in boxing, with the other champions being Teofimo Lopez, Devin Haney, and Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz, Matias clearly believes his pressure will be too much for any of them to withstand. Matias may have to take some punches, but he’s content to keep applying the pressure until opponents are overwhelmed by the sheer volume of punches and suffocating pressure.

You can win a round against Matias, but in what is likely to become a fully-fledged battle, it’s an entirely different matter to win the war. With a 100% knockout ratio in fights won, Matias possesses heavy hands that can grind down any opponent who cannot get out of the way. He does not necessarily possess one-punch knockout power, but he has concussive power, which has an accumulative effect, with the opponent’s punch resistance depleting with each passing round. The great Marvelous Marvin Hagler once declared: “When a man goes into the ring, he’s going to war.” Matias seems to live by this statement fully. Against Paro, this will not be the first time Matias will be facing an unbeaten foe. The Puerto Rican has previously stopped the unbeaten runs of Malik Hawkins, Batyrzhan Jukembayev, Jeremiah Ponce, and Shohjahon Ergashev.

Liam Paro Is Ready For The Challenge

However, this does not suggest that Paro will face the same fate as the other previous Matias opponents. Paro has taken many opponents “0” in his own right and clearly possesses the mindset to always tackle the best.

In Paro’s most recent bout against Montana Love in December 2023, Love headed into the showdown with only one loss which was a disqualification and he was a genuine contender at super lightweight. Paro scored a sixth-round knockout over Love. The Aussie southpaw enters this fight in excellent form. With both fighters successfully meeting the 140 pound limit, Paro said: “Fighters fight. I stick by that. I want to thank Matchroom for this opportunity and much respect to Subriel and to Puerto Rico. 

“He’s a tremendous champion, and his record speaks for itself. It’s a world title at the end of the day, and as a young kid, that’s what you dream about. Nothing in life comes easy, and I am taking the biggest test not only for the title but with the best fighter in the division at the moment, so it’s a no-brainer for me. I’ll fight anyone, and I am proving that by coming into the Lion’s Den in Puerto Rico to take on the champion.

“We’re proud Aussies and God willing, we get the job done on Saturday.” If Paro can step into the Lion’s Den, take the world title from one of the most dangerous and feared champions in boxing, and stop the freight train of one of Matchroom’s biggest beasts, it would be a tremendous win for the Aussie. Can Paro withstand the pressure? The likes of Ponce, Batyrzhan Jukembayev, and Ergashev had early success against Matias, but maintaining the same intensity and work rate over 12 rounds under constant pressure as Matias breaks you down round after round is a different matter.

As the Gervonta Davis vs. Frank Martin showdown in Las Vegas garners much of the attention this weekend, if there is one man who can match Davis with a show-stopping conclusion to a fight, it’s Matias.