Subriel Matias is keeping his focus firmly on business inside the ring as he prepares to defend his WBC junior welterweight title against Dalton Smith on Saturday night. The 12-round championship marks Matias’ first defense since regaining world-title status last summer.
The buildup has been spiced up by comments from Smith’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, who questioned the expected turnout of Puerto Rican fans during Thursday’s press conference. Hearn suggested British supporters would outnumber Matias’ followers, remarks that drew a sharp but controlled response from the champion.
Watch the full press conference replay here.
“My enemy, my opponent, is not Eddie Hearn – it is Dalton,” Matias said through a translator. While acknowledging the promoter’s words, Matias made it clear that the noise outside the ropes would not distract him from the task at hand and that the result would be settled in the ring.
Matias won the WBC belt in July with a majority decision over Alberto Puello, becoming a two-time titleholder at 140 pounds. Smith enters the fight seeking his first major world title and will be competing outside Europe for the first time.
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