By Miguel Maravilla at ringside
Puerto Rico’s Subriel Matias (17-1, 17 KOs) stopped Batyr Jukembayev (18-1, 14 KOs) of Kazakhstan at the end of round eight in an IBF junior welterweight title eliminator in the co-feature bout of the evening. Going toe to toe inside in the first two rounds, Matias and Jukembayev didn’t take a step back. In the fourth round, Matias dropped Jukembayev. Continuing to fight, Jukembayev regained his composure and connected solidly.
Matias was the aggressor in the fifth pressing as Jukembayev boxed off the jab keeping his distance. Halfways through the Puerto Rican Matias continued to land big shots on Jukembayev. In the seventh, the Kazakh fighter landed a clean power shot that staggered Matias to end the round. Matias continued to attack as Jukembayev’s right eye was swollen shut. Jukembayev did not come out for the ninth round as the fight was stopped by the corner.
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Opening up the Showtime telecast unbeaten 2016 U.S. Olympian Gary Antuanne Russell (14-0, 14 KOs) stopped Jovanie Santiago (14-2-1, 10 KOs) of Puerto Rico in a 10-round super lightweight. Russell let his hands go from the start connecting with the solid straight left but Santiago pressed despite getting tagged. The hand speed was evident from Russell in round two as he outworked Santiago and beat him to the punch. It was all Russell in round three as he outworked and connected Santiago with a series of punches. In round four, a short right hand by Russell dropped Santiago. He was up quickly but Russell went for the finish as he connected with a series of power punches as the Puerto Rican held on.
Coming out for the fifth round, Russell boxed patiently working the jab as Santiago was cut above his eye. Letting his hands go in the sixth, Russell backed Santiago with power shots and continued to chop him down connecting with the right hook. Santiago’s corner had seen enough as they stopped the fight at the end of the sixth round.
Bantamweight Alejandro Barrios (24-2-5, 12 KOs) of Tijuana, Mexico scored a second round knockout over Juan Gabriel Medina (12-7, 11 KOs). Barrios dropped Medina with a barrage of punches as the referee reached a ten count at 2:59 of the second.
Super lightweight Kevin Johnson (9-2, 5 KOs) handed Luis Salazar (15-1, 3 KOs) from the Dominican Republic his first defeat. It was fast-paced from the start as Salazar and Johnson exchanged inside, Salazar was trickling blood from the nose in the second round, a short right hand by Johnson drilled Salazar sending him to the canvas as he was but the right hand by Johnson found its mark sending Salazar to the canvas a second time. Johnson was aggressive to begin the fourth attacking a bloodied Salazar. The blood continued to flow from Salazar in the fifth round as Johnson continued his attack. Countering effectively in the sixth, Johnson connected Salazar with solid rights as the Dominican’s face was covered in blood. A left hook by Johnson sat Salazar down to end the seventh round. Johnson finished Salazar the following round as he dropped him for the fourth time in the fight 17 seconds of the eighth.
Light heavyweight Atif Olberton (2-0, 2 KO) of Philadelphia scored a second round knockout over Larry Pryor (14-24, 8 KOs). Olberton sent Pryor to the canvas in the final seconds of the opening round. A body shot from Olberton did it in the second as Pryor was up but struggled as referee Jack Reiss stopped the fight at 49 seconds.
In the opening bout from the Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California super featherweight prospect Rey Diaz (5-0, 2 KOs’) of Las Vegas, won a unanimous decision over Sergio Gonzalez (3-5, 2 KO’s) of Compton, California. It was a competitive bout and in in the last round Gonzalez dropped Diaz, as Gonzalez went for the finish, Diaz held on and avoided the looping punches surviving, hanging on to win. All three judges scored the bout 38-37 for Diaz.
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Matías is a monster.
Russell is a strong cat. In order to minimize getting counterpunched, I want to see Russell get his hand back in position after throwing his jabs.
On a side note, why in the world would papa Russell name all his sons Gary…it’s very different, but God Bless America!!
George Foreman did the same thing with his boys. He has five of them – George Jr. down to George VI.
Foreman’s daughter was named Freida George Foreman.
I believe that she committed suicide a while back.
The Subriel Matias’s win should be a main new, not a part of a new “Undercard Donaire”. It was the best fight of the night by far. Matias deserve a title shot against Josh Taylor. The new Tito Trinidad will be a non stop nightmare for the scottish… Jukembayev corner did it well although I think the boxer was who tell them stop…good stoppage
Well I’d look forward to Taylor-Matias as well, but If I were handling Matias I’d try to get him rounds with Postol first and see how deals with a totally different height experience as well as higher level punch delivery & power.
Taylor is very basic but he does a few things extremely well and his power, timing and punch delivery were able to makeRamirez & Porgrais reluctant for significant stretches in their fights and those guy don’t intimidate easily. He’s also a lot stronger than he looks since he easily controlled those superior infighters with very simple grabbing, that’s only possible with a huge strength differential.
Having said that it would be a ballsy fight to take and fun to watch if they did it right away and Matias certianly has a chance, but I;d feel better graduating him to it with a Postol fight or maybe an over the weight fight against Hooker.
The youngest brother of the Gary Russell is a future star, he is as good as his brother but hits harder. Next champion in a couple of years, no doubt about that in my opinion.
The only reason Subriel Matias has that 1 loss, is because he was still dealing with the in-ring death of Maxim Dadashev.
I am very happy Matias got the therapy he needed, the intensive therapy he so desperately needed, so he can focus on his job.
I am very happy for Matias. He is a great fighter. He deserves to go far in the sport.
And to those associated with Maxim Dadashev, we are all sorry about that unnecessary loss.
I am a big Subriel Matias follower since at least 3 years ago. I think he forgot the Dadashev tragedy knocking out the Mayweather protected unbeaten Malik Hawkins. Now he is ready for the title. I believe Josh Taylor will not fight against him. A lot to loose and nothing to win. I hope to be wrong and the Scottish accepts to fight the new Tito Trinidad.
Matias actually reminded me more of Quartey than Trinidad, not just the obvious body type similarity but the physical properties as well. I don’t think he has the one punch power of a Trinidad but rather sharp and heavy hands where every touch hurts and builds major damage. The work rate is also more like a good version of Qartey (when not weight drained) and he might throw an even greater variety of punches ..under, over, around and down the middle .. finds a trajectory even when Jukanbaev was on his chest.
Will be a nightmare for shorter opponents because there’s no safety getting inside his range. It will take a short man the strength of Shawn Porter to really smother him.