Written by: Shawn Cross
The IBF junior welterweight title was on the line Saturday night at the Armory in Minneapolis as 30-0 Jeremiah Ponce battled 18-1 Subriel Matias in 12 rounds broadcast live on Showtime.
Ponce came out like a bull at the start, whacking hard at Matias. Obviously, the guy wanted to get Matthias out of there early, stay close to him and beat him with bad intentions. Between rounds, he stood in his corner and looked at his opponent across the ring. He got right back into the attack in the second, but now Matthias was ready to engage. It was a fierce affair, with Matthias shaking his leg in the final seconds. The third round saw both men shoot at close range.
Things remained fast and furious in the fourth round, though early in the fight Matias’ patience may have started to pay off as he rocked Pons again near the end of the round. The brisk pace continued into the fifth. Pons was doing great, but a body jab at the end of Matias’ combination sent the guy to the mat. Pons was able to beat the count and survived the round – but then, as he sat in his chair and looked completely battered, the fight was stopped from his corner.
