Subriel Matias will make the first defense of his WBC junior welterweight title against England’s Dalton Smith on January 10, with the fight expected to land in the New York/New Jersey region. Venues under consideration include Brooklyn’s Barclays Center, Madison Square Garden’s Theater, and Newark’s Prudential Center.
Matias claimed the vacant WBC belt in July with a majority decision over Alberto Puello in Queens, New York. The Puerto Rican puncher is known for his ferocity and knockout power, though his win over Puello marked the first time he prevailed on the scorecards.
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Smith will be entering his first world title fight and making his U.S. debut. The Sheffield fighter earned his mandatory shot with a string of eliminators, including a fifth-round stoppage of former title challenger Jose Zepeda and an April win over Mathieu Germain.
The matchup was initially targeted for Turki Alalshikh’s November 22 Riyadh card but collapsed at the negotiation stage. Fresh Productions, Matias’ longtime promoter, secured rights to the bout at purse bid with a winning offer of $1.9 million, edging Matchroom Boxing’s bid of $1.71 million.
The event is expected to also feature other Fresh Productions fighters such as Emmanuel Rodriguez, Jeyvier Cintron, Alfredo Santiago, and Néstor Bravo.
Image Credit: The Ring