GRADES: SUBRIEL MATIAS, JEREMIAS PONCE, TOMMY FURY, JAKE PAUL & MORE

By: Jay Calderon

Another week of boxing with quite a few interesting fights.

On Saturday, we had a short fire-fight between Subriel Matias vs. Jeremias Ponce for a vacant Jr. Welterweight title. While it was brief, it was certainly a quality fight while it lasted at the Armory in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Then, on Sunday, we had the battle of the prospects when Tommy Fury battled bitter rival Jake Paul in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia. While it didn't have the skill and explosiveness of Matias-Ponce, it was better than some had suspected pre-fight.

So, without much more rambling, let's give out these grades.

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SUBRIEL MATIAS: A

RESULT: DEF. JEREMIAS PONCE, 5TKO (JR. WELTERWEIGHT)

While the start wasn't exactly what Subriel Matias was expecting, it didn't take him all that long to adjust.

Initially, Jeremias Ponce was really taking the fight to Matias, and seemed to shock Subriel in the opening round. While Matias never seemed stunned or massively hurt, it was a shock to many how quickly Ponce elected to engage.

However, by the second round, you could tell Matias wasn't opposed to a fire fight. In fact, it would ultimately work to his advantage.

Within five violent frames, it seemed clear Ponce would be busier, but Matias would be more damaging. The Puerto Rican landed the heavier shots, ultimately stunning and dropping Ponce by the end of the fifth. Somewhat surprisingly, Ponce's corner elected to stop the fight after the aforementioned fifth.

Still, it was a great performance for Matias, who made a statement and answered some questions in the process. Yes, he can handle some pressure while he's warming up and dig into a contest when needed. And now, he's really to do it against anyone at 140 pounds.

JEREMIAS PONCE: C

RESULT: LOSS TO SUBRIEL MATIAS, 5TKO (JR. WELTERWEIGHT)

After his first round with Subriel Matias, you would have imagined Jeremias Ponce was on his way to a nearly perfect performance. His confidence was high, he was taking the fight to the puncher, and he looked ready to make a huge statement. Even after the round, Ponce elected to stand as a sign of his willingness to get involved.

If this approach had worked, and the gamble paid off, this would be an entirely different grade.

It didn't.

I'm not saying any approach would have worked, as perhaps Ponce was also going to come up second best against Matias. However, his intended plan certainly didn't bring about the desired result, as he quickly found himself on the wrong side of virtually every major exchange.

What's more, it appeared that the moment Ponce realized he was in for a long night, he decided to cut it short. Again, perhaps it wouldn't have mattered. Maybe the end of the fifth round was only the beginning of his troubles.

Still, for such a great start, it really went bad for Ponce quickly. Really quickly. Had the fight not been exciting while it lasted, this grade would possibly be a little lower.

JAMAL JAMES: B-

RESULT: DEF. ALBERTO PALMETTA, 10UD (WELTERWEIGHT)

Was the decision win Jamal James picked up over Alberto Palmetta perfect? Not close. However, simply looking at the action doesn't always give you the total scope of the performance.

James had been inactive for almost a year and a half heading into the Palmetta contest. And it wasn't really by choice. For starters, he was stopped by Radzhab Butaev in nine rather brutal rounds back in October of 2021. Then, a failed return took place late last year after James was forced to withdraw due to COVID, his third time dealing with the virus.

The ring rust, the side effects of his illness, and perhaps even the pace of the fight with Palmetta all lent themselves to mid-fight doubts on the night for James. And yet, he kept throwing and kept winning rounds.

Palmetta, to be fair, didn't seem to have a second plan after coming forward and winging big shots failed to materialize a positive result. Still, that was in large part to James boxing well, and standing and fighting when he needed.

Yes, he has hit clean a bit too much. His stamina nearly failed him at times. It wasn't pretty all the time, but it was a beautiful for what he pulled himself through.

TOMMY FURY: B+

RESULT: DEF. JAKE PAUL, 8SD (Cruiserweight)

If I had to predict a way in which Tommy Fury was to beat Jake Paul, it wouldn't have been boxing at range behind a jab. It's not that he doesn't have the reach, it's that he hasn't really shown an ability to do such a thing in recent bouts.

While some might think that has to do with the level of opposition. Perhaps Paul is so bad, it allows Fury to look calm and composed, able to box out of his skin. However, it's not as though Fury's previous opposition has been all that good.

No, this was a mix of Paul not having an answer to a well placed jab and Fury rising to the occasion in the biggest fight of his young career. Was it perfect? Definitely not. Fury still managed to keep a fight close with someone that has less than half his experience. He was also caught a few times far too clean and was dropped (in a flash) in the final round.

That said, Fury did what he had to do, handled the biggest fight of his career rather well and got the W. Considering all of that -- and the payday he received -- not a bad day at the office at all.

JAKE PAUL: C

RESULT: LOSS TO TOMMY FURY, 8SD (Cruiserweight)

If any other prospect in the sport loses to another prospect, it's hard to call it much of a moral victory. While you credit him for taking the risk, it's a risk that didn't pay off. And, in an unforgiving sport like boxing where fans aren't always keen on letting fighters get away with a loss, that risk could really damage your future plans.

However, when you're a YouTuber-turned-boxer that really shouldn't even be in close fights with professional boxers, it's hard to give him too harsh a mark. Jake Paul didn't do terribly well overall. A lot of the signs that show the novice-level at which he truly competes were on display against Tommy Fury. He overcommits, he telegraphs his shots. When Paul misses, he really misses.

That having been said...what did we expect? He's not a real fighter. Yet and still, in a spot where 99.9% of the population would have crumbled within minutes, he actually had his moments. He didn't have nearly enough, but he had far more than one would have imagined just a few short years ago.

Let's not get carried away: Paul looked OK against another average prospect. That's a far cry from a future world champion. But it's equally distant from a no-hoper that never deserved to be in the ring, like many of his detractors have suggested.

OTHER GRADES:

BADOU JACK: A- (DEF. ILUNGA MAKABU, 12TKO/Cruiserweight)

ILUNGA MAKABU: D (LOSS TO BADOU JACK, 12TKO/Cruiserweight)

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