Subriel Matias May Face Shohjahon Ergashev in Next IBF Title Defense
Shohjahon Ergashev (23-0, 20KO) could be on the verge of facing IBF junior welterweight champion Subriel Matias (19-1, 19KO). The hard-punching Uzbekistani revealed on social media a conversation between himself and a member of the team discussing the IBF ordering the fight.
On February 25, Matias snagged the vacant IBF title in a high-octane battle against Jeremias Ponce. He came close to possibly fighting Ergashev when Ponce’s visa issue pushed the fight back from its original date of October 15, 2022.
Matias quickly called for a unification with WBC champion Regis Prograis. As much of a fan-friendly fight as that would be, there has been no movement so far, as Prograis is busy looking for a new promotional home.
MATIAS VERSUS ERGASHOV MAY NOT GO THE DISTANCE
With the top two slots vacant by the IBF, Ergashev holds the number three position. If the news is indeed true, this fight has the makings of a fan-friendly affair as both men possess power in their hands.
Trained by Javan “SugarHill” Steward, the man behind the recent success of WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, Ergashev fights out of the famous Kronk Gym and is a technically sound boxer. In 2019, he shocked the boxing community with a victory over then-undefeated Mykal Fox. He hasn’t been in the ring since stopping Angel Hernandez in August 2022.
Matias is a different animal – he applies relentless pressure and has a motor that never runs out of gas. Moreover, he has feasted on several quality undefeated fighters en route to winning the title.
This is one fight that most likely won’t go the distance. 3kingsboxing.com will continue to follow this story for any further updates
