![]() One of the calling cards of Prograis’s career has been a commitment to bring big-time boxing back to New Orleans, where he grew up before Hurricane Katrina in 2005 displaced him to Houston. Prograis’s ability to control where a theoretical Taylor rematch might take place could be easier after the Tartan Tornado’s defeat to Lopez leaves him facing a decision to pursue another title reign in the junior welterweight division or to move up to the welterweight class.īut Prograis knows other factors might influence his ability to have a say about where he might face other potential future opponents that have been cited for him – including López himself, 140lb WBA titleholder Rolly Romero, the comeback-minded Adrien Broner, lightweight star Gervonta Davis, the unsuccessful Davis challenger Ryan Garcia and Jack Catterall, who pushed Taylor to the limit last year before coming out on the wrong end of a decision. “After the fight, I just didn’t have the same energy – I was just like, ‘Whatever, he won, I’m ready to go home, bro’.” “I was really, really miserable,” Prograis said of his extended visit to London. He said he would do everything possible to avoid having that fight in the UK, where the initial excitement about fighting in a boxing-crazed nation so far away from home gave way to gloominess over dreary weather and distance from his family, including his son, whose birthday he had to miss. One of the calling cards of Regis Prograis’s career has been a commitment to bring big-time boxing back to New Orleans. “I feel like I won the first time,” Prograis said of his fight against Taylor, who went on to beat Jose Ramirez and become the undisputed champion at junior welterweight for a time. Though that night Prograis magnanimously declared that “the best man won”, he’s since reconsidered, arguing that the judges spurned him despite landing 45 more punches than Taylor, outlanding him in seven rounds (including the final two), punching more accurately and throwing more punches. ![]() Yet Prograis made clear that he has not given up on one day avenging his majority decision defeat to Taylor in London in 2019, in which he lost the WBA belt as well as the chance to claim both Taylor’s IBF strap and the Ring magazine title. Haney has been openly exploring campaigning at junior welterweight after he outpointed Vasiliy Lomachenko last month to retain the undisputed lightweight championship, and for Prograis, a showdown with him would be as lucrative and competitive – if not moreso – than one with Matias. However, Prograis acknowledged that the UK-based Hearn has held preliminary talks with Haney’s team. “And that fight would make a lot of money, too.” ![]() “He has something I want,” Prograis said of Matias. It has the added bonus of drawing interest from fans who want to see two skilled beltholders with knockout-laden resumes compete against each other. Matias’s appeal centers on the IBF title he holds, which – if he could wrest it away – would get Prograis one step closer to the division’s undisputed championship. ![]() ![]() All of which has left Prograis (28-1, 24 KOs) willing to publicly contemplate things other than the Miguel Cotto-promoted pugilist in the corner across from him as he geared up for the first of three contracted contests for promoter Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing stable.Īfter a recent workout, Prograis spoke frankly with the Guardian about three fights he covets assuming he takes care of business Saturday: a unification with fellow 140lb strap holder Subriel Matias, a challenge from undisputed lightweight champion Devin Haney, or a rematch with the only man who beat him, Josh Taylor, the terms of which he may better control after the Scot lost his lineal and WBO junior welter titles Saturday to Teófimo López. ![]()
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