IBF light welterweight champion Sabriel Matias is arguably the most avoided fighter in the 140-pound division because of the danger he brings to the ring.
Mathias (20-1, 20 KOs) has failed to face a top fighter in his division during his nine-year professional career and that hasn't changed since signing with Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn.
Title defense against Liam Paro
This month, Matias will defend his IBF title against Liam Paro (24-0, 15 KOs) on June 15 at the Coliseo Juan Alvin Cruz Abreu in Manati, Puerto Rico, live on DAZN.
It might be better for Mathias to be in bad shape and struggle to beat Paro, because it might pave the way for the top fighters in the division to finally agree to face him.
We certainly know that Matthias's great efforts haven't helped him get into important games, and as long as he continues to perform well that's not going to change.
Promotion Issues
“He's just the bad guy in the division. Nobody wants to get in the ring with this guy. It's a shame. All the big names are out there and nobody calls this guy's name,” Tim Bradley told Probox TV, discussing IBF light welterweight champion Sabriel Matias being avoided by other top fighters in the 140-pound division.
“Do you want to know why? Because they know he's very dangerous. You could say they're afraid of him, but if the money is right, I think they'll take the fight.”
Mathias' new promoter, Eddie Hearn, may not have enough money to lure the likes of Devin Haney, Teofimo Lopez, Isaac Cruz or Ryan Garcia to fight Mathias, and he may need help from Saudi Arabia, who have expressed a lot of interest in the 140-pound division.
“I think he's a fighter that can be promoted well and he's in a good place financially, but he's not being promoted so he doesn't have a big enough boost right now,” boxing expert Paulie Malingaggi said of Mathias. “There's no excuse for this guy not being as popular as he should be.”
“He's Puerto Rican and he's got a lot of punching power. His type of fighter has made a lot of money and popularity before.”
Matthias deserves to be more popular, but it's all about the opponents. If he doesn't fight the big names, his fights won't generate interest from fans.
“he, [Liam] “The fact is, Paro could play in those games,” Chris Algieri said of Mathias.
“I don't think so, but we'll see,” Bradley said.
The problem with Matthias being looked at badly is that it can backfire and top fighters will use it as an excuse not to fight him.
“A lot of good games come after bad performances,” Algieri said.
“Yeah, I think you're right,” Bradley said of Paro. “I think Paro is a good fit for him. Again, he's got to be able to keep his distance. He struggles too much on the ropes a lot. I think he'll have success early on, probably on the back end,” Bradley said of Paro.
