Tag Archives: regis Prograis

Posted on 03/17/2022

By: Hans Themistode

Gervonta Davis has fluctuated up and down numerous weight classes while snagging world titles along the way over the past few years.

In 2019, following a successful run at 130 pounds, Davis made the move five pounds north to take on long-faded former champion, Yuriokis Gamboa, for the vacant WBA 135 pound crown. Davis would go on to brutalize Gamboa, stopping him in the 12th and final round. One year later, Davis moved back down to the super featherweight division, scoring a sixth-round knockout over Leo Santa Cruz.

To keep his penchant for moving through weight classes going, Davis challenged then WBA “Regular” titlist Mario Barrios, at 140 pounds. With Davis registering yet another stoppage win, the violent knockout artist has settled nicely into the lightweight division.

With a win over Isaac Cruz in December of 2021 to defend his secondary title at 135 pounds, Davis is set to return to the ring on May 28th, against Rolando “Rolly” Romero. Although Davis is firmly planting his flag in the ground at 135 pounds, Regis Prograis is hoping that he’ll change his mind.

Over the better part of the past 12 months, give or take, both Davis and Prograis have hurled verbal tirades at one another. Despite the back and forth trash talk, the former titlist at 140 pounds is currently focusing most of his efforts on his upcoming showdown against Tyrone McKenna. The two will battle it out this weekend at Duty Free Tennis Stadium in Dubai.

Still, even with Prograis concentrating on McKenna, that didn’t stop him from detailing how a showdown between himself and Davis would ultimately play out.

“I’ll whoop him,” said Prograis during an interview with Fight Hub TV. “Too big, too fast, too strong. I got a chin, I stay active.”

In addition to Prograis vehemently backing himself in their hypothetical matchup, the well-respected former champion doesn’t believe their contest would be a closely contested one. While he respects Davis and his pernicious punching power, Prograis is confident that if they fought, it would essentially be a walk in the park.

“He is a big puncher, he does have skills, he’s a southpaw. I think sometimes he can be slick but when he gets into fight mode, he’s kinda like the same person as me, like he likes to fight. Once I get my rhythm, I think it would probably be a pretty comfortable fight. He gets hit a lot. You can’t get hit too much by me.”

Posted on 02/01/2022

By: Hans Themistode

Although Canelo Alvarez has enjoyed his recent time off, the Mexican superstar is closing in on making a selection for his next ring appearance.

As first reported by Mike Coppinger of ESPN, Alvarez is reviewing several offers. First, the pound-for-pound star was reportedly offered a one-fight deal by PBC’s Al Haymon to take on current WBC middleweight champion, Jermall Charlo. Shortly after, promoter Eddie Hearn slid a two-fight deal across the table of Alvarez. If he were to accept, Alvarez would find himself facing off against WBA light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol and current IBF middleweight titlist Gennadiy Golovkin.

In addition to those offers, former two-time super middleweight champion David Benavidez has expressed his desire to face Alvarez as well.

While it’s unclear who Alvarez will ultimately choose, Regis Prograis believes he knows who would give the Mexican product his most difficult challenge.

“Listen, Canelo is the baddest man on the planet right now but I think out of everybody else, I think that Mall got the best chance,” said Prograis during an interview with FightHype.com.

At the age of 31, Alvarez is coming off a historic 2021. Following back-to-back wins over Billy Joe Saunders and Caleb Plant, Alvarez successfully lifted both the WBO and IBF 168 pound titles. As a result, Alvarez became the first undisputed super middleweight champion of all time.

Though his standing amongst the greatest fighters in the world was solidified, Houston’s Charlo is confident in his ability to knock him off his high horse. The current WBC 160 pound titlist last appeared in the ring on June 19th, 2021, facing the tough and rugged Juan Macias Montiel.

With the fourth defense of middleweight crown complete, Charlo has stated on numerous occasions that if given a chance to face Alvarez, he’ll audaciously move up in weight and face him on his territory.

Should Charlo receive the call, Prograis, a former 140 pound titlist, would be ecstatic over the news. Although he admits that Alvarez has faced top-tier opponents throughout his Hall of Fame bound career, Prograis suspects Charlo would quickly establish himself as one of his more difficult foes.

“Mall strong, like he strong as a mother fucker, hit hard and stuff like that. I definitely think he got the style to beat somebody like Canelo. I think he’ll be probably one of Canelo’s strongest opponents he’s fought in the last few years.”

Posted on 08/17/2021

By: Hans Themistode

Regis Prograis is patiently waiting for news on when he’ll re-enter the boxing ring. The former 140-pound titlist and highly rated contender, isn’t sifting through offers on who his next opponent will be. The now 32-year-old is fully aware that a showdown between himself and former four-division champion, Mikey Garcia, is on the table.

But while there doesn’t appear to be any issues in terms of demands from either fighter, Prograis is still very much clueless on when an exact date will be locked in.

“From what I heard, my manager keeps telling me next week, next week, the next 48 hours and all that stuff,” said Prograis during an interview with FightHype.com. “That’s all I know. I know me and him (Mikey Garcia) are supposed to be next but as far as the date, I don’t know.”

Since losing his world title to Josh Taylor during their unification bout in October of 2019, Prograis has gone on to stop his two most recent opponents. Ultimately though, Prograis and his career, have come to a screeching halt, at least for now. In the end, Prograis believes that the reason his team is unable to give him a concrete answer in terms of a fight date, is because they’re waiting on a certain pound-for-pound star to make the first move.

“What’s really going on is the whole Canelo [Alvarez] thing,” continued Prograis. “We really gotta wait on whatever Canelo is doing. Canelo is number one in the sport and he’s the biggest money man basically. My schedule is kind of going around his schedule. We have to find out what’s going on with him.”

Currently, Alvarez is deep in negotiations for an undisputed showdown against IBF super middleweight titlist, Caleb Plant. The two were originally on track to square off in mid-September. That is, until negotiations fell completely through. Now, with the pair patching up their relationship and making headway in terms of a November deal, Prograis is simply twiddling his thumbs as he waits to see how things shake out.

Although both Alvarez and Prograis don’t compete in the same weight class, the Louisiana native knows good and well the star power that the multiple division champion brings to the table. In an effort to move his own fight date away from Alvarez and his overwhelming shadow, Prograis will continue to play the waiting game.

“We don’t want to land at the same time. You want to schedule at the right time. You want to give boxing fans a break. I think me and Mikey is going to be a big fight, a great fight. Canelo, whoever he fights, is going to be a big fight of course, worldwide and it’s going to be a great fight. You want to space it out, that’s what I think. If I was a promoter, you would want to space them out.”

Posted on 06/28/2021

By: Hans Themistode

Gervonta Davis did exactly what many were expecting.

Despite giving up several inches in height, reach and weight, Davis was still the prohibited favorite against Mario Barrios this past weekend at State Farm Arena, in Atlanta Georgia. Davis dropped Barrios three times before ultimately stopping him in the 11th to strip away his WBA “Regular” super lightweight world title.

Like always, the immediate question for Davis was what’s next? With the Baltimore native holding world titles at 130, 135 and 140 simultaneously – there is a long list of fighters that he could face in his next trip to the ring. At 130 pounds, the likes of Shakur Stevenson and Oscar Valdez would have openly admitted that they would love a showdown against Davis. At 135, Devin Haney, Teofimo Lopez, Ryan Garcia, and of course – Vasiliy Lomachenko, are all patiently waiting on him.

In terms of his of the possible names he could be up against in his new home of 140 pounds, Josh Taylor, the undisputed world champion at the weight class, has gone back and forth with Davis several times over. Yet, for fans who are craving a matchup between Davis and any of those fighters, they were left highly disappointed as Floyd Mayweather has revealed that future Davis fights will take place against fighters amongst his stable.

“We work smarter not harder,” said Mayweather as he addressed the future of Davis following his win. “Mayweather Promotions, PBC (Premier Boxing Champions), we all one family. We keep everything in house. We’re not gonna go away and make another company great. We’ve got plenty of fighters at 140, 135 and 130. We’re gonna continue to fight the fighters that we’ve got to fight.”

While neither PBC nor Mayweather Promotions possess many of the top names in those weight classes, one fighter that has dared Mayweather to call him out is former 140-pound champion, Regis Prograis. The New Orleans native gave credit to Davis following his win over Barrios but didn’t mince words when describing what would have happened if the two faced off in the ring.

“Good fight Tank, solid opponent but he ain’t me,” said Prograis during a self-recorded video late last night. “I will f*cking knock you out little boy.”

While it’s unclear if Prograis will have his wish granted, there’s a chance he could be next in line. In October of 2020, Prograis took on Mayweather Promotions signed fighter, Juan Heraldez, knocking him out in the third round. Ironically enough, Prograis took care of business on the undercard of Gervonta Davis vs. Leo Santa Cruz. With Mayweather making it clear that he has no intentions of placing Davis in a matchup against anyone outside of his stable, this could make Prograis the frontrunner.

Posted on 06/27/2021

By: Hans Themistode

The thought of fighting Gervonta Davis never crossed his mind. But once the Baltimore native announced that he was moving up to 140 pounds to face Mario Barrios for his WBA “Regular” Jr welterweight world title, the wheels in the mind of Regis Prograis began churning.

Davis (25-0, 24 KOs) officially made his debut in his new weight class last night at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta Georgia, dropping Barrios three times before ultimately stopping him in the 11th. Prograis, a former belt holder at the weight class, admits that he was tuned in from the opening bell to the violent ending and tips his cap to Davis for picking up the win. With that said, he firmly believes that if he were the one in that ring, it would have been a completely different story.

“I saw the Tank fight,” said Prograis during a self-recorded video. “Good fight Tank, solid opponent but he ain’t me. Don’t you ever say my name cause I guarantee I’ll smash you.”

Prograis, 32, was apoplectic, to say the least, when Davis vs. Barrios became a reality. The New Orleans native had originally pursued a showdown against Barrios but was led to believe that he was moving up in weight instead. That in turn, forced Prograis (26-1, 22 KOs) to hunt other options. What resulted from that, was a showdown against fringe contender Ivan Redkach, a matchup Prograis would go on to dominate and win via sixth-round stoppage earlier this year in April.

As for the knockout win picked up by Davis, Prograis wasn’t the least bit surprised. Although Davis was moving up from 130 pounds, Prograis never thought highly of Barrios in the first place and expected Davis to score the stoppage win.

In terms of what’s next, Davis had an inquisitive look on his face when asked if his next fight will be at 130, 135 or if he’ll opt to face bigger men at 140. Regardless of what he ultimately decides to do, Prograis won’t spend his time waiting by the phone expecting it to ring for an offer to fight Davis.

“I guarantee Floyd, Leonard Ellerbe and none of those mother f*ckers will ever let you close to me. I will f*cking knock you out little boy.”

Posted on 06/18/2021

By: Hans Themistode

Regis Prograis thoroughly enjoyed his most recent trip to the squared circle. The former 140 pound world champion picked up an easy win against Ivan Redkach at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta Georgia on April 17th.

Although his ring appearance was just a few months ago, the New Orleans native is already on the hunt for his next opponent. After calling out former four-division world champion Adrien Broner on multiple occasions, Prograis (26-1, 22 KOs) is coming to the realization that their showdown isn’t in the cards just yet. With that said, Prograis did reveal that he has another former four-division champion currently in his sights.

“Me and Mikey Garcia, there’s been conversation,” said Prograis during an interview with FightHype.com. “I spoke to Robert Garcia, I spoke to my manager Sam (Katkovski). They said it’s a big possibility, not a little possibility, that fight might be next.”

Garcia, 33, has recently mentioned that he’s in need of a new dance partner. At one point, Garcia was supremely confident that he was on the verge of landing a showdown against Manny Pacquiao. However, he was ultimately left disappointed when it was revealed that Pacquiao finalized an agreement to take on Errol Spence Jr. instead.

Now, after sitting on the sidelines ever since his unanimous decision victory against Jessie Vargas in February of 2020, Garcia (40-1, 30 KOs) is anxious to get back in the ring.

Before talks progress too far, both Garcia and Prograis will have to hash out the weight difference for their possible showdown. Currently, Prograis campaigns at 140 pounds, while Garcia has gotten comfortable at 147.

Regardless of whether their showdown takes place at 140, 147, or possibly a catchweight, Prograis isn’t entirely worried. Before everyone gets excited about their clash, Prograis made sure to reel back in the reins a bit. Nothing is set in stone just yet but make no mistake about, the former 140 pound titlist is fully onboard.

“I like it, Mikey likes it, Robert likes it, Eddie (Hearn) likes it. There’s nothing yet, just a possibility. It’s a possibility that me and Mikey might be next.”

Posted on 04/17/2021

By: Hans Themistode

Most of the boxing world views Ivan Redkach as having little to no chance against former 140-pound world champion Regis Prograis. Not to toot his own horn, but Prograis feels the same exact way. The two are slated to face off later on tonight at the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Atlanta later as the co-main event to Jake Paul vs Ben Askren.

Although the chances of his defeat are slim, something extremely urgent has caught the attention of Prograis. A question that has been bothering him for quite some time.

“I got to worry about which hand I’m going to knock this mother f*cker out with,” said Prograis during an interview with BoxingInsider.com. “That is literally it.”

Prograis, 32, is fresh off a third-round destruction against fringe contender Juan Heraldez in October of 2020. With the New Orleans, Louisiana native’s propensity for ending fights much earlier than scheduled, he plans on doing the same thing later on tonight.

Regardless of the overwhelming majority believing Prograis will take the victory with relative ease, Prograis gets serious for a moment as he points out the danger in facing the fringe contender.

“Me and Ivan sparred so we know each other real well. He has a good left uppercut and he has sneaky power. He’s not a strong person physically but he has some sneaky power in his punches. He has some pop. But yea, the only thing I got to worry about is which hand I’m gonna knock this mother f*cker out with.”

For Redkach, his move to the 147-pound division was both short-lived and unsuccessful. After failing to win a world title in the 140-pound division, Redkach opted to move up in weight in June of 2019. Things couldn’t have started any better as Redkach stopped former world champion, Devon Alexander, in the sixth round. His good fortune however, came to an immediate end six months later as former two-division star, Danny Garcia, cruised to a clear decision victory.

While Prograis aims to make it two in a row, he’s more fixated on the pot of gold that could be awaiting him should he take care of business later on tonight.

“I still want to be a world champion at 140. After I pick up this win, that’ll just put me one step closer.”

Posted on 03/07/2021

By: Hans Themistode

Two division world champion Gervonta Davis took offense to a poll that was posted on Twitter. The survey asked viewers to vote on a dream match of sorts between Davis and former 140-pound champion Regis Prograis.

Not amused in the slightest, the Baltimore native took the time to express how their contest would go down.

“I will beat the shit out of this bum ass n**ga,” said Davis on his Twitter account.

Seemingly minding his own business, Prograis got wind of what Davis said and responded immediately.

“Little boy don’t mention my f*cking name if you don’t want no smoke,” said Prograis. “I ain’t for this back and forth shit. I’m ready to wreck something, lets get it popping.”

Normally, the trash talk between Prograis and Davis would be viewed as harmless. However, with Davis rumored to be moving up to the same weight class as Prograis to take on WBA 140 pound “Regular” titlist Mario Barrios this summer, there’s reason to believe that a future showdown between the pair could come to fruition.

Davis though, has never been on the agenda of Prograis. The former belt holder has always kept his attention locked and loaded on once again becoming a world champion. In late October of 2019, the New Orleans native lost his lone bout at the hands of Josh Taylor in a unification contest at the O2 Arena in the United Kingdom.

He’s bounced back since then, stopping Juan Heraldez in the third round on, ironically enough, the undercard of Davis last ring appearance against Leo Santa Cruz on Halloween night last year.

Prograis, 32, isn’t the only one who walked away with a knockout win on that night as Davis also scored a stoppage victory of his own. His would come in the sixth round after a back and forth five rounds.

With Davis showing no remorse in how he believes a matchup between them would go, Prograis is incredulous that so many boxing fans actually side with the well-known knockout artist.

If Davis and his handlers are so firmly under the belief that he would in fact stop him, then the former belt holder urges them to pick up the phone and give him a call. With that said, Prograis assumes that his cell phone won’t be ringing anytime soon.

“Y’all really think Tank could f*ck with me? I mean know he’s popular and he’s a pretty good fighter but I would hurt that little boy. Floyd would never let him close to me. They’ll need a restraining order after f*cking with me.”

Despite the back and forth theatrics, Prograis is solely focused on his next contest which is quickly arriving in just over a month when he takes on Ivan Redkach in Atlanta Georgia.

Posted on 02/19/2021

By: Hans Themistode

There’s a huge, almost laughable misconception taking place right now. For whatever reason, most of the boxing world is under the impression that Adrien Broner has ill-will towards former Jr welterweight belt holder Regis Prograis.

Most of those thoughts stem from Prograis persistently calling for Broner to step into the ring with him. Despite the public feud, Broner squashed any and all notions that he has animosity towards him.

“The crazy thing is people are trying to make it seem like I don’t like that dude,” said Broner during a recent interview with ESNEWS. “It’s just the business. I fuck with Regis, I like him.”

Prograis, 32, is still attempting to jump back into the title mix after dropping his WBA world title to Josh Taylor in October of 2019. After taking a bit of time off, Prograis returned to the ring just a few months ago in October of 2020, to stop previously undefeated Juan Heraldez in the third round of their showdown.

While Prograis may have been ecstatic to pick up the win, arguably no one was happier than Broner. With each victory that Prograis continues to pile up, Broner only envisions the bags of money growing in size. The two may have a growing rivalry outside of the ring, but for now, every time Prograis fights, Broner becomes his biggest fan.

“Every time he fights I hope he wins. I want him to become a star because that only makes our fight bigger.”

No matter how big their possible showdown becomes, Broner knows good and well that it won’t take place if he doesn’t take care of business this coming Saturday night. In the main event slot of a Showtime boxing card, Broner ends his two year retirement when he takes on fringe contender Jovanie Santiago at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville Connecticut.

A win for Broner, he believes, is a formality. He admits that he expects Santiago to put up one helluva fight but he also expects their contest to be one-sided.

According to the former four-division titlist, the beating he is about to put on his opponent should give Prograis a look into the future.

Simply put, if Prograis continues to look for it, Broner will gladly hand him the beating of a lifetime.

“If he fights me, I’m going to f*ck him up,” said a stone-faced Broner. “Bad too. If he ever comes across my line of work, he’s dead.”

Posted on 01/26/2021

By: Hans Themistode

Despite only a limited amount of seats available due to the current worldwide pandemic, former Jr welterweight world champion Regis Prograis simply couldn’t miss out on the live-action. Roughly one month ago, unified welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr., had a dominant performance against former titlist, Danny Garcia.

While many agreed that Spence Jr. controlled much of the action, most applauded Garcia (36-3, 21 KOs) for his efforts. However, with a perfect view of their showdown from his ringside seat, Prograis had a much different perspective of how the Philadelphia native performed on the night.

“I was at the fight with him and Errol and he didn’t look that good,” said Prograis during an interview with IFL TV. “He just didn’t look that good to me.”

For Garcia, losses in his biggest matchups at 147 pounds have become the norm. Prior to his defeat against Spence Jr., the Philadelphia product dropped a pair of decision losses at the hands of Shawn Porter and Keith Thurman.

Although his stature at 140 pounds could seldom if ever be questioned, Prograis (25-1, 21 KOs) has difficulty viewing him as a legit threat in his second weight class.

“He was good at 140 don’t get me wrong, he was real good, he did his thing. All the big fights he came through but at 147, not so much. He’s not that good at 147. They call him a cherry picker and all that type of stuff but I still respect Danny.”

At the moment, Prograis is still enjoying his highlight-worthy knockout win over Juan Heraldez on Halloween night just last year. Although he dropped his WBA world title in his previous contest against Josh Taylor, Prograis has reiterated his desire to stick around in the division until he regains championship status. The moment he’s able to wrap gold around his waist once again, the newly turned 32-year-old plans on moving up in weight.

While he’s still fully focused on his immediate goals, Prograis would love for Garcia to introduce him to the welterweight division when the time comes.

“I think once I go up to 147 that’s a fight that I would definitely want for sure. Maybe my introduction fight into the division.”

With the credentials of Garcia, no one has considered him an easy target. In the mind of Prograis however, the former two-division belt holder would be easy pickings.

“I think I would beat him easily. I think I beat him way worst than Errol beat him. I can beat him very, very easily. I think I whoop him bad. I think I can shut him out. I’m not even going to say I can knock him out, he’s never been knocked out and he definitely has a tough chin but I think I can pitch a shutout against Danny.”

Posted on 11/02/2020

By: Hans Themistode

Regis Prograis warned those who are in his 140 pound weight class, that although he suffered the first loss of his career late last year, that he wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

This past Saturday night on Showtime Pay-Per-View, the former WBA super lightweight titlist emphatically turned his words into action. On the night, the formerly undefeated Juan Heraldez stood across from him. During much of their build up, the Mayweather promotions fighter repeatedly told Prograis that his time at the top was over. With that being said, the New Orleans Louisiana native needed only three rounds to make his opponent eat his words.

“It was a left hook,” said Prograis as he described the shot that scored a knockdown in the third round. “I took a step to my right and hit him with a perfect punch.”

The win for the former titlist was his first in just over a year. His recent spell of inactivity mostly came as a result of COVID-19. Despite his time on the sidelines, Prograis (25-1, 21 KOs) simply points at the recent carnage he left in the ring when asked if he believes he’s still the best that the division has to offer.

“Of course,” said Prograis. “I still believe I’m the best at 140. I have that blemish from that Josh Taylor fight but I still feel like I’m the best and I’m going to keep proving it.”

For the 31 year old Prograis, he continues to envision championship gold draped around his shoulder. However, with unified champions Josh Taylor and Jose Ramirez gearing up for a collision course sometime in 2021, the pugnacious knockout artist may have to settle for another belt holder instead.

“I want to be champion again and Mario Barrios does the WBA Regular but I want my belt back. The one that Josh Taylor took from me but still, Barrios isn’t off the table. Whatever management say is next for me. If the Barrios thing is on the table then we’ll do that.”

Becoming a world champion might be his biggest personal goal, but even those gold trinkets will play second fiddle if Prograis gets his hands on a certain fighter that he has been calling out for quite some time.

“If me and Adrien Broner fight at 140 that’s the biggest fight you can make at 140. I think that’s a huge fight. If me and him fight for no type of belts that’s going to be the biggest fight. I been wanting that fight for years now.”

As far as how a matchup between the two would play out, Prograis kept his answer short but clear.

“I think I’ll whoop his ass.”

Posted on 10/29/2020

By: Hans Themistode

If there was anything that Regis Prograis enjoys more than fighting, it’s getting the recognition for being the best in his weight class. By all accounts, the New Orleans product was identified as such, at least according to Ring magazine.

Prograis (24-1, 20 KOs) would spend time sifting through meaningless babble about fighters that did not pertain to him until he finally landed on their 140 pound rankings. For long stretches, his name would be etched at the top. Yet, following a loss to Josh Taylor in a unification match in his last ring appearance, the New Orleans native found himself usurped. Playing second fiddle isn’t something that he has grown accustomed to, so as he prepares to enter the ring for the first time this weekend since that aforementioned loss, the former world champion is still using it as motivation.

“I would open the Ring magazine and be number one for months at a time,” said Prograis during a recent press conference. “I want to get that number one spot back, I yearn for that number one spot. I was that guy at 40 and I need to get my spot back.”

Standing across from Prograis on the night will be undefeated Mayweather Promotions prospect Juan Heraldez (16-0-1, 10 KOs). The two have gone back and forth since the moment their contest was announced and continued that trend as they sat socially distanced away from each other on stage.

Despite the unsullied record of his opponent, Prograis believes he’s simply ho-hum. A win over his man isn’t good enough come fight night. Instead, the Houston resident wants the result to be emphatic.

“Either a stoppage or just a shutout basically,” said Prograis when explaining how he expects their contest to play out. “I think he’s an okay fighter but I still feel like I’m the best at 140. I was number one for a long time. In order to get my belts back, this is the first step. I know this dude is coming to fight but I’ve been training my ass off. I’m going to show the world that I’m still here. I train too hard to not be number one.”

Heraldez was mostly mum during the proceedings, but as he listened to Prograis go on and on about wanting to recapture his number one position at 140 pounds, the California native attempted to give him a reality check.

“That’s all in the past man,” said Heraldez.

The once calm demeanor of Prograis perked up once he heard the words of his opponent. With their contest only a few days away, the 31 year old implored his fans to order to the Showtime Pay-Per-View so they can witness the beating he’s going to dish out come Saturday night.

“I’m a fuck this boy up so go order Showtime.”

Posted on 08/21/2020

By: Hans Themistode

Regis Prograis has officially found a new home, and it didn’t take long. 

The former 140 pound titlist has confirmed with BoxingInsider.com that he has come to terms with a new multi fight deal with Premier Boxing Champions (PBC). 

Less than two weeks ago, the New Orleans native made a somewhat surprising move when he parted ways from long time promoter Lou DiBella with one fight left on his deal. 

With the freedom to sign with any promotional company, Prograis was soon fielding offers from everywhere. 

While he combed over each proposal that was filled with life changing money and opportunity, Prograis found one deal more attractive than the others and wasted absolutely no time in coming to an agreement with PBC. 

With Prograis coming up short in his last ring appearance against Britain’s Josh Taylor in a unification matchup, the surly knockout artist was rumored to be moving up in weight. He quickly squashed those rumors shortly after. Moving up in weight is inevitable for the 31 year old, but not before draping more gold around his now empty shoulders. 

“I want to win a world title at 140 again,” said Prograis to BoxingInsider.com during an interview several months ago. “I’ll move up to 147 eventually but I need a title first at 140 again.”

With championship gold still on his mind, all signs pointed to Prograis signing with Top Rank. Reason being, they currently house every major world title at 140 pounds with both Taylor and Jose Ramirez on their roster. 

Despite that, Prograis (24-1, 20 KOs) has officially made PBC his new home. 

The competition at 147 pounds is well known with names such as unified champion Errol Spence Jr. and former belt holders in Keith Thurman, Danny Garcia and Shawn Porter stomping around his soon to be division. With that being said, Prograis won’t be short on options in his current weight class. 

The title aspirations of the New Orleans product, is still possible with a showdown against WBA regular titlist Mario Barrios. Other makeable matchups between Robert Easter Jr. and of course, former four division world champion turned rapper, Adrien Broner, would produce memorable matchups as well.  

For PBC, their week just continues to get better. The news of Prograis jumping onboard comes just one day after an agreement was made with fellow former 140 pound titlist Maurice Hooker. 

The Dallas native is rumored to not only be making his PBC debut in November, but also his welterweight debut against long time contender Josesito Lopez in the co main event of Spence vs Garcia. 

Posted on 07/04/2020

By: Hans Themistode

The 2020 boxing schedule was turned upside down the moment COVID-19 announced it’s presence. Contests such as Deontay Wilder vs Tyson Fury 3 and Teofimo Lopez vs Vasiliy Lomachenko were thought to be impossible to make until at least 2021. Thankfully for fans though, promoter Bob Arum assured the public that those contests will in fact take place. 

Wilder vs Fury has a tentative date of mid December, while Lomachenko vs Lopez is currently eyed for September 19th. 

Unlike those newly rescheduled matchups, a contest between former 140 pound champions in Regis Prograis and Maurice Hooker, which was originally set to take place on April 17th, at the MGM National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Maryland, has gone by the wayside. 

A matchup between the two former belt holders was amongst the most anticipated contests of the pre COVID-19 year. Plans to salvage the bout via a closed door event was recently discussed between both parties. 

However, discussions never materialized into a new fight date as constant back and forth bickering over weight closed negotiations early. 

Prograis immediately pointed the finger at his opponent, claiming that Hooker wasn’t “professional” amongst other choice words. 

Now that their contest is dead in the water, Hooker has opened up about exactly what happened. 

“I decided to move up to 147,” said Hooker on FightHub. “In my last two or three fights I’ve been having trouble making 140. Me making 140 takes a big toll on me on fight night. So I decided to move up to 147. I told Regis and them and he was just like he’s not going up to 147. So he said let’s do it at 144 and I told him that’s still too low. But he just kept trying to call shots like he’s Floyd Mayweather or something.” 

“We both don’t have a belt so we can fight at whatever weight we want to. I told him let’s do 145 and he just kept saying nah 144 so I just left it alone. If you really want to fight me then you’ll just come up to 145. What’s one more pound? He really don’t want to fight.”

For Hooker, the back and forth discussion over weight was pointless. Making the 140 pound limit was taking a “big toll” on the 6 ft former champions body. And while 145 pounds wouldn’t be easy, Hooker was willing to acquiesce for one reason and one reason only.

“I’m willing to die making weight, just so I can get my hands on him,” explained Hooker. “I just want to beat the guy.”

Animosity in the boxing world is often manufactured as a way to sell tickets to the viewing public. But in the case of Hooker and Prograis, the genuine dislike for one another is as real as it gets.

“I will slap the shit out of that dude,” said Hooker. “He’s a coward. When he sees me in person he’s going to shut up, he won’t say shit. I promise he won’t say shit because I will slap that dude. When he sees me he better keep that same energy. And if he do, I’m a slap him.”

With their contest officially in the rear view mirror, fans can only imagine how things would have played out. For Hooker though, he doesn’t have to assume how their matchup was going to unfold. It’s clear as day for the former title holder. 

“I was going to stop him. I was going to hurt him.”