IBF junior welterweight champion Subriel Matias 20-1 (20) looked set to face undefeated southpaw contender Liam ‘The Prodigy’ Paro 24-0 (15) in a homecoming fight in Puerto Rico in the northern summer but that bout now appears to have been scrapped.
Just two weeks the 31-year-old champion’s promoter Juan Orengo said the deal is 90% done for Matias to make the first defence of his world title in his home country against Australian Paro, 27.
“It’s going to be with Liam Paro,” the Fresh Productions Boxing president said to leading Puerto Rican publication El Nuvo Dia. “We are in the final touches. We are at 90%. As for the headquarters, the same. 90% of it will be in Puerto Rico. It will be here and with Paro because it is with him that we are talking.
“He accepted, I accepted. He is coming to Puerto Rico, which is something that is not easy to negotiate because almost always those fighters want to fight in the United States so as not to go to the country of the champion. He accepted everything and we decided on him.”
Matias was under the impression his next opponent would be Paro too.
“The title makes it possible for things to go in my favour,” he said. “Everyone wants to be a champion and few can, and so they have to take advantage of the opportunities that come their way. I would have done the same. In fact, we did it. So I understand Liam Paro’s hunger for wanting to come to my house to take away what cost me so much, because the title was not given to me.
“I am going to prepare as if I were going to die that day [the day of the fight] and that the fan will enjoy a good fight.”
Last week it was announced that Matias had signed with global powerhouse Matchroom Boxing, who also have IBF number seven ranked contender in their stable. But Matchroom CEO Frank Smith has revealed they are taking Matias in a different direction.
“In the 140 division he is a force to be reckoned with and no one really wants to fight him as well,” Smith said to Seconds Out.
“He’s a brilliant fighter and I think we need to do a job building his profile as well because he probably doesn’t have the profile he deserves alongside what he’s done, his skillset.
“Great to have him onboard, great to get that over the line. We’re always looking to add brilliant fighters to the stable and he is a special, special fighter.
“The aim for us will be a homecoming in Puerto Rico for him and I think that’ll be a huge night so we’re just working through the details now of date for that and opponent with DAZN and we will probably announce that in the next couple of weeks.
“I don’t think it will be Liam Paro. I know there was a lot online about it being Liam Paro, but I don’t believe it will be Liam Paro.
“We’re working through the list of opponents now and hopefully some news soon, but yeah, it won’t be him.”
