Subriel Matías’ title defense against Shohjahon Ergashev on Saturday night at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas had the rock-’em, sock-’em element that many had anticipated.

For a brief time, at least.

Then Matías (20-1, 20 knockouts) took over after and ended the Uzbekistani southpaw at :02 of the sixth round to retain his IBF junior welterweight belt on the David Benavidez-Demetrius Andrade undercard.

“When I started feeling [Ergashev’s] punches in the first round, I knew he didn’t have the power to knock me out,” said Matias, The Ring’s No. 4-rated junior welterweight. “That’s when I started attacking. For left-handed southpaw fighters, I just need three or four rounds to decipher them. Then, what happened tonight usually happens.

“Teofimo Lopez, Gervonta Davis, Devin Haney, if you want that (his IBF belt), come over here and fight.”

In the opening moments, Ergashev (23-1, 20 KOs) struck with a straight left to the body and had Matias stumbling back in the ropes. He used his left hand and extended hooks to put Matias in reverse.

Still brimming with confidence, Ergashev connected with a couple of right hooks. What began swaying the fight towards Matias came later in the second as he got closer to Ergashev and found his punching range.

By the third, Matias began connecting with the jab and started to systematically break down Ergashev. A thundering Matias right uppercut snapped back Ergashev’s head in the fourth round, and after tasting that power, Ergashev began leaking courage.

Matias unloaded two left hooks on Ergashev in the fifth. It was the beginning of a storm Ergashev could not survive. He had a tough time staying away from Matias, and by the sixth, Ergashev was done.

“I felt a pain and wasn’t able to move,” Ergashev said. “I just couldn’t move around the ring in the last two rounds. Once I got hurt, I wasn’t able to display any offense, and I couldn’t use my defense because once my legs gave out on me, I couldn’t stick to the game plan. I wasn’t able to move around the ring and use angles like I did in the first two rounds.”

Joseph Santoliquito is hall of fame, award-winning sportswriter who has been working for Ring Magazine/RingTV.com since October 1997 and is the president of the Boxing Writers Association of America.
Follow @JSantoliquito

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