Admittedly, Regis Prograis is a gigantic fan of the sport of boxing. Having spent most of his life perfecting his craft, the current WBC 140-pound champion spends a ton of his time also watching others.
Recently, his work ethic allowed him to find his second championship groove as he snagged the vacant WBC super lightweight title against Jose Zepeda.
Still, even with the newly minted world champion enjoying the fruits of his labor, that hasn’t stopped him from popping in tapes of some of the current pound-for-pound luminaires. Although he admits that he thoroughly enjoys watching the likes of Terence Crawford, Errol Spence Jr., Gervonta Davis, and several others, he took the time to heap praise upon the shoulders of a certain charismatic female fighter who continues to dominate the competition.
“Somebody I like to watch is Claressa Shields,” said Prograis to BoxingScene.com. “I just like her swag, I like her attitude.”
Well before establishing herself in a male-dominated sport, Shields (13-0, 2 KOs) loudly claimed that she’s the greatest female boxer of all time (G.W.O.A.T), a sentiment she would back in her last outing.
With Savannah Marshall dangling an amateur win over shields, the 27-year-old former two-time Olympic gold medalist exacted her revenge.
In front of a largely pro-Marshall crowd at the O2 Arena on October 15th, 2022, Shields’ left no doubt, boxing her way to a close but clear unanimous decision victory.
Shortly after successfully completing yet another undisputed run, Marshall confessed that after sharing the ring with her, that Shields is in fact the greatest female boxer of all time. Those words, and her consistent need to fulminate over her greatness, have left a steady impression on Prograis. Shields’ skills, by and large, are on another level in the mind of Prograis but it’s her overarching self-belief that he truly reveres.
“She calls herself the G.W.O.A.T and she really believes that. I just like her confidence and swag about it.”