Former two-time junior welterweight titlist Regis Prograis is determined to make another title run and is ready to upset the streaking Jack Catterall on Saturday.
The two, who have a shared history, will meet in what promises to be an absorbing encounter at the Co-op Live Arena, Manchester, England.
“It was a fight we could have had a long time ago, we were both signed with (now defunct promotional outfit) Probellum at the time and I remember he said he wanted to fight me and I thought we were gonna make it happen, but it never happened,” Prograis (29-2, 24 knockouts) told The Ring. “Right now is the perfect time. This is the biggest fight you could make at 140 without the belts being on the line, so I think it’s the perfect time for me and him to finally make the fight happen.”
Although Prograis, rated at No. 8 by The Ring at junior welterweight, wasn’t initially happy about ceding home advantage to face Catterall he ultimately decided to take the opportunity, which marks his first fight since losing his WBC title to Devin Haney last December.
“Matchroom told me, “That’s all you have, that’s it.” I was kinda against it but I’m not really tripping about it now,” he said. “I feel I am levels above Jack and that’s no disrespect to him, I think he’s a good fighter but I know I am better than Jack, so it doesn’t matter where the fight takes place.”
They were tabbed to meet on August 28. However, the Brit was injured and the fight was postponed.
“I was fine, the only thing that bothered me was I didn’t get any camp money from Matchroom,” he said. “I went to Las Vegas and everything came out of my pocket, it wasn’t really that much money but at the same time I did all that stuff by myself.
Regis Prograis talks to Showtime’s Steve Farhood after winning the interim WBC 140-pound title. Photo by Stephanie Trapp-Showtime
“I went out to Las Vegas, I was training, I stayed out there about a month. Then they told me it got cancelled and then they told it me it’s gonna be postponed. I took it in my stride, as long as we can still fight that’s cool. I kind of cut training camp, took a little time off and then got back into it when I needed to.”
Prograis, who earlier in his career held the WBA 140-pound title before losing it in a close-run battle in the final of the World Boxing Super Series to Josh Taylor (MD 12), impressively rebounded and won the vacant WBC 140-pound title stopping Jose Zepeda (KO 11) but then labored to beat Danielito Zorrilla (SD 12) in his first defense which doubled up as a homecoming in June 2023.
He ventured to San Francisco and was dropped and surprisingly dominated by Devin Haney (UD 12) last December.
“I just wasn’t me, I think Devin is a good fighter, I don’t want to make excuses, I had the worst night or my career and he had the best,” said Prograis. “The sad thing in boxing is we’re not like other sports, sometimes in basketball and football, you can have off-nights and then you can go play the next week and have a great night but in boxing you might have an off-night and you might not fight, just like me, for 10-months.”
The wait has seen the Houston resident go back to basics and rediscover his zest for boxing.
“Just being me, going into the Haney fight I stopped doing things that got me to the top,” he admitted. “I changed everything around and my coach warned me about that a long time ago, he said, “A lot of people do this, they did something that worked their who career and they get a big opportunity and they change everything up.” And that is what I did. I probably should have kept how it’s been. Just being me again.
“One of the most important things, I trained with different trainers and I replaced my head trainer, Bobby Benton, and made him my assistant trainer and I made one of my assistant trainers my head coaches, which looking back in insight was a mistake. Even in camp, when I did that, we had some friction. Bobby’s back at No. 1. I feel like what I’ve done in the gym is amazing, even my coaches are like, “This is the old Regis, you’re back.” My coaches would be honest with me if I wasn’t.
“I’m getting back to my groove of being me and the main thing is just having fun, Bobby tells me that every day. I feel like the last fight there was so much pressure on me, the people around me, my friends, you shouldn’t have to have all this pressure. I had to think about it but that’s true. Bobby will tell me some instructions before I start sparring and the last thing he’ll say is, ‘Go have fun.’ That’s what I’m doing right now.”
At 35, coming off an extended time off, there are those who believe we have seen the best of Prograis. However, Prograis isn’t one of them. He intends to channel his inner “Rougarou”.
“Let people talk, I won’t let nobody tell me who I am, I’m gonna show you who I am,” he said defiantly. “As long as I’m Regis, the person who got to the top twice already, as long as that person shows up, I’m fine and I feel like that person hasn’t been around for awhile. I feel l am getting back to my groove being me and what got me to the top in the first place. If that Regis shows up, it won’t be a hard night.”
Catterall (29-1, 13 KOs), rated at No. 4 by The Ring at junior welterweight, learned on the job after turning professional in 2012. He scored several impressive wins over the likes of Tom Stalker (TKO 8) and Joe Hughes (UD 12), and moved on to win the British title against Tyrone Nurse (UD 12). However, despite staying unbeaten his career seemed to have stalled.
He was the WBO No. 1 ranked contender and finally got his big chance when he met then Ring champion Josh Taylor. Catterall fought the fight of his life, dropping Taylor before holding off the defending champion’s late charge. Most believed he had done enough, but he lost a highly contentious 12-round split decision. When the rematch never came to pass, the 31-year-old craftsman returned and beat Darragh Foley (UD 10) and wily veteran former three-weight titleholder Jorge Linares (UD 12). He finally got the Taylor rematch and went his way by 12-round unanimous decision.
Catterall-Taylor, plus undercard action, will be broadcast on DAZN at 2 p.m. ET/ 11 a.m. PT and at 7:00 p.m. GMT.
Questions and/or comments can be sent to Anson at elraincoat@live.co.uk.
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