By: Sean Crose
The vacant IBF junior welterweight title was on the line Saturday night at the Armory in Minneapolis as the 30-0 Jeremiah Ponce battled the 18-1 Subriel Matias in a scheduled 12 rounder which was aired live on Showtime.
Ponce came out like a pit-bull in the first, banging away furiously at Matias. Clearly the man wanted to get Matias out of there early, staying in close and hitting with bad intentions. In between rounds, he stood in his corner and glared across the ring at his opponent. He went right back on the attack in the second, but now Matias was prepared to engage. It was a ferocious affair, one that saw Matias rock his man in the final seconds. The third round saw both men firing away from close range.
Things remained fast and furious in the fourth, though Matias’ patience early on in the fight may have been starting to pay off as he once again rocked Ponce near round’s end. The blistering pace continued into the fifth. Ponce was doing great work, but a body blow delivered at the end of a Matias’ combination sent the man to the mat. Ponce was able to beat the count and survived the round – but then, as he sat on his stool looking thoroughly beaten up, the fight was stopped by his corner.