Liam Paro overcame a hostile Puerto Rican crowd and a questionable point deduction, scrapping and gutting his way to a unanimous decision upset victory over Subriel Matias, and claiming the IBF title at 140 lbs.
Paro (25-0, 15 KO) frustrated Matias, moving and circling from distance early, then keeping Matias (20-2, 20 KO) wrapped up or in too tight to really unleash his most devastating power punches. Even after Matias started opening up after his typical slow start, Paro tied him up effectively and shoved him out of position constantly.
There were a lot of “veteran tactics” from Paro, who uglied up the back half of the fight with a lot of clinching. Referee Luis Pabon was hectoring him all night, and deducted a point from Paro for hitting the back of Matias’s head in the 7th. It felt egregious in real time, but the replay looked justifiable, and you can decide for yourself based on the highlight embedded below.
It would have been tragic if that deduction had swung the fight, which it did on my unofficial 114-113 card for Matias. But, Pabon could just as easily have taken a point for similar punches later in the fight, or constant clinches in the final few rounds. Fortunately, the deduction didn’t even factor in to the outcome, as Paro took home the decision and the belt on official scores of 115-112, 115-112, and 116-111.
It wasn’t a beautiful performance, but it was an effective one, as Paro took the rounds he needed to win, and did what he needed to navigate and survive the constant threat of a Matias knockout.
After the decision, Matias was gracious and congratulatory, applauding for Paro and showing no frustration or outrage. In his post-fight interview, Paro said “I keep proving everybody wrong. I took the biggest test, and I came out on top.”
Yankiel Rivera UD-10 Victor Sandoval
Strong performance in the chief support for Yankiel Rivera, who looked better than ever until his gas tank ran a little low at the end of the fight.
Rivera (6-0, 2 KO) was credited with a very questionable knockdown in Round 2, which could easily have been ruled tangled feet, or just a slip on a particular patch of ring that was troublesome all night long. But, Rivera impressed on merit in that 2nd round, too, hurting Victor Sandoval shortly before the end of the frame.
It was all Rivera for seven and a half rounds, with Sandoval (37-5, 23 KO) barely able to land a meaningful punch until the 8th. Rivera slowed down at that point, but it was far too late for Sandoval to swing the result. Rivera took a well earned unanimous decision on 98-91, 98-91, and 97-92 scorecards.
Rivera was significantly more disciplined and defensively tight than what we’ve seen in his recent performances, and he did it against a very credible opponent in Sandoval. If he’s actually closed up those leaks, and can find a little extra fuel at the end of a full length fight? He could be ready for a big step up at flyweight.
Alfredo Santiago UD-10 Angel Fierro
Brilliant performance from Alfredo Santiago, fighting for the first time in two years and in his first significant action since a loss to Devin Haney five years ago. Santiago (15-2, 6 KO) looked fantastic, in terms of both his physique and his precise work from distance, particularly in the first half of the fight.
Santiago kept giving Fierro (22-2-2, 17 KO) different looks, starting with intermittent switching to southpaw in the 3rd round. Fierro looked soft at the higher weight, and just could not maintain the range to get his work done through the constant movement and activity. Santiago did an excellent job playing the matador and frustrating Fierro.
Excellent back and forth action in the 9th, but Fierro couldn’t land a fight-changing punch. Official scores were 99-91, 98-92, and 98-92, with Bad Left Hook’s unofficial score of 97-93 edging one extra round to Fierro than the friendliest actual judges.
Fierro was limping badly afterward, and may have injured his knee slipping on the middle logo of the ring.
Stephanie Pineiro UD-10 Diana Tapia
Pineiro (7-0, 2 KO) signed with Matchroom last month, and fought past a scheduled 6 rounds for the first time here against Tapia. She looked dominant for exactly that long, far too fast and active for Tapia (7-2, 2 KO) to handle, but started to gas out a bit in the final third. She didn’t fall off enough to lose many rounds, though, nearly getting a stoppage in the 10th and final and claiming the decision on official scores of 100-90, 100-90, and 99-91.
Highlight of the fight was Tapia’s Ronald McDonald red hair popping loose on one side. She spent several rounds of the fight tossing her hair back like a shampoo commercial model until the ref stepped in with a scrunchie.
William Ortiz UD-6 Carlos Mitzael
Ortiz (6-0, 4 KO) is also a recent Matchroom signee, and will probably be a regular presence on any future shows Eddie Hearn puts on in Puerto Rico. He notched solid 2nd and 5th round knockdowns on Mitzael (6-3, 3 KO), but suffered a gruesome eyebrow cut late in that 5th round.
The doctor allowed it to continue, and Ortiz seemed willing to coast to the finish. Only one judge even took the last round away from him, with victory coming on official scores of 60-52, 60-52, and 59-53.