Liam Paro Shocks Subriel Matias, Wins IBF 140-Pound Title
Liam Paro stormed into enemy territory and left with the biggest win of his career.
The longshot underdog thrived in his first career title fight as he outpointed Subriel Matias in a massive upset. Scores were 115-112, 115-112 and 116-111 for Paro, who claimed the IBF 140-pound title Saturday at Coliseo Juan Aubin Cruz Abreu in Manatí, Puerto Rico.
Australia’s Paro tempted fate, given his approach mirrored the start of Matias’ last two opponents. Jeremias Ponce and Shohjahon Ergashev were both unbeaten contenders who jumped out to a strong start versus the ferocious punching Boricua. They both succumbed to Matias’ relentlessness and were dealt their first respective defeats, each after the fight round.
Past history didn’t concern Paro, a first-time title challenger who stuck to his given fight style. Matias barely threw a punch in the opening round, par for the course for the defending IBF titlist.
Paro continued on the attack in the second round. The visiting Aussie was forced to taste Matias’ power for the first time but braved a right hand to press forward with his offense. Matias connected with a left hook with 30 seconds to go in the round. Paro landed a right hook and left hand as the ten-second warning sounded.
Referee Luis Pabon made a point to visit Paro in his corner between rounds. The oft-criticized third man admonished Paro and trainer Alfie Di Carlo for not respecting his authority.
Matias’ offense was finally untracked in the third. The beyond-capacity crowd came alive in support of the Fajardo native, who drove Paro to the ropes. Power shots landed in bunches both to the body and head, though Paro handled it well.
Paro regained control and appeared to outbox Matias throughout the fourth and fifth rounds. Matias continued to stalk but was being outworked and extended deeper than he’d been in more than two years.
Round six saw Matias return to the destructive force who knocked out all twenty career foes. The decibel level was deafening as he had Paro in trouble late in the round.
Paro eyes appeared glazed between rounds as his corner offered words of encouragement.
Pabon made himself a factor in the fight and deducted a point from Paro for holding and hitting. Paro ignored the third man’s obsession with him and proceeded to outbox Matias for most of the rest of the round.
Another solid boxing display was offered by Paro for much of the eighth. That changed when Matias landed right hands and body shots down the stretch. Paro made it to the bell but was a bit slow on his way back to his corner.
Matias landed a right uppercut to ignite a flurry of punches in the ninth. Paro was driven to the ropes but survived the sequence and responded with left hands to earn Matias’ respect. Matias continued to find success with left hooks to the body, which slowed Paro.
Paro stood his ground in the tenth and connected with left hands upstairs. Matias went with what worked—a left hook downstairs—which set up a flush right hand to Paro’s chin. Paro turned the tide in the final fifteen seconds and landed a right uppercut to spark a late rally.
The visiting challenger entered uncharted territory in the eleventh. He more than held his own and outworked Matias, who everyone kept waiting to explode and close the show.
That moment never arrived, thanks to the disciplined gameplan carried out by Paro.
Matias never fought past the eleventh round and his lone other fight to go to the cards ended his previous defeat. He is now 0-2 in fights left in the hands of the judges. Paro landed a two-punch combination then immediately moved out of harm’s way. Matias charged forward but was not presented with an opening. Paro continued to stick and move, even to the sound of boos from the partisan crowd.
Paro improved—in every sense of the word—to 25-0 (15 knockouts) with his first title win.
“We fuckin’ did it. I’m a fuckin’ man of my word,” Paro exclaimed to DAZN’s Chris Mannix. “To all the fuckin’ people who said I couldn’t do it… It’s Paro Time!”
It is no longer Matias time, as it relates to the 140-pound title picture.
The Ring’s No. 2-rated junior welterweight snapped a five-fight win streak—all inside nine rounds—as he fell to 20-2 (20 KOs). His previous bout to go to the scorecards was a ten-round defeat to Petros Ananyan in Feb. 2020. Matias avenged that defeat with a ninth-round knockout in their Jan. 2022 rematch.
The feat set up Matias’ first title fight, a fifth-round knockout of Ponce last February. He repeated the feat versus Ergashev to defend the title last November, his final fight with Premier Boxing Champions.
Matias entered a co-promotional deal with Matchroom Boxing, who brought the act to P.R. It was Matias’ first fight on his home island since Nov. 2019.
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