The IBF has ordered a 140 lb title eliminator contest between #3 Subriel Matias and #4 Gabriel Valenzuela on February 2nd to determine the mandatory challenger for welterweight champion Richardson Hitchins.
Lance Pugmire reports that the Matias vs. Valenzuela contest has been ordered to determine the No. 1 challenger for Hitchins.
Matias header
Subriel, 32, is not popular enough to be selected by Hitchins for voluntary defense. So, Matias has to go the mandatory route by defeating the player Valenzuela to force the fight. It makes sense. No champion at 140 would be happy to face a knockout like Matias. We saw that recently with WBO champion Teofimo Lopez when he dismissed the idea of facing Matias.
Former IBF champion Matias (21-2, 21 KOs) lost his title to Liam Parr last year, losing by unanimous decision in 12 rounds on June 15 in Manati, Puerto Rico. Matias, seen by many boxing fans as a bogeyman in the 140lb division, knocked out Roberto Ramirez in the second round on November 9th.
Teofimo recently turned down what was believed to be the biggest payday of his career to defend his WBO welterweight title against Subriel Matias. He said he didn’t want to fight Matias because Top Rank wanted to put the match on the West Coast, not New York, where he felt it would be better.
Lopez also said he doesn’t like Top Rank wanting to put the Matias fight on PPV. Fans believe that Teofimo lacked the confidence to accept the fight, knowing that Matias is a hard hitting and pressured fighter who could beat him and ruin his career, as it is.
Valenzuela (30-3-1, 17 KOs) is riding a five-fight winning streak since a 12-round unanimous decision loss to Montana Love on May 7, 2022. His wins since then have come against low-level opponents.
Richardson (19-0, 7 KOs) could face WBO 140lb champion Teofimo Lopez next in a unification bout on one of Turki Al-Sheikh’s cards if Teo decides to take it. If not, there is a possibility that George Kambosos Jr. challenge Hitchins for his IBF belt.
