Richar Abril says Derry Mathews is out of his depth against him and will get knocked out when they collide at the Liverpool Echo Arena on March 6th.
Abril travels to Mathews’s Merseyside hotbed to make the third defense of his title and claims that the Liverpool hero has a weak chin and won’t be able to hold his heavy shots.
The Cuban, now based out of Florida, is the biggest test of Mathews twelve year career and although he’s had less fights than Mathews, he’s fought at a higher level with a ledger that includes extending hard-hitting US star Brandon Rios the distance, plus two back-to-back title defenses in his last two fights against unbeaten challengers.
“Mathews is a tough veteran and he is a smart fighter that pushes the pace….I rate him an 8 out of 10. He has a good jab, and good defense but I don’t think his chin will stand up to my punches.
“He has fought tough competition and has a lot of ring experience. I believe I’ve fought more world class fighters than him, but he’s going to need every round of experience on March 6th.
“He is the one who has been KO’d 7 times in his career to my 0. He is the one who should be worried about his chin and my punching power.
“I definitely cannot leave it to the judges so I will be looking for the KO. There is no way Mathews is taking my title. I am coming to Liverpool to knock him out and I’m leaving with MY title.”
