Regis Prograis needed a big fight. Well, maybe he didn’t need it but he certainly wanted one. Picking up a win over Danielito Zorilla didn’t qualify as such. Simply put, the 34-year-old was a bit envious of what was happening around him.
In practically every weight class, including his own, Prograis noticed that mouthwatering matchups were taking place everywhere. But while everyone was enjoying their 15 minutes of fame, Prograis was essentially left out in the cold. Luckily for him, Devin Haney handed him a blanket.
On December 9th, at the Chase Center in San Francisco, the two will officially get it on. To a certain extent, Shakur Stevenson thought that it would be him, not Prograis, who was on a collision course with Haney.
It made all the sense in the world. Stevenson was a former unified champ at 130 pounds and Haney held all of the major hardware in the lightweight division. Unfortunately for Stevenson, it just wasn’t meant to be.
With the former Olympic silver medalist getting ready for his own showdown against Edwin De Los Santos one month prior, he plans on watching how Prograis vs. Haney will play out.
In reality, Stevenson isn’t sure who will win. However, he admitted that he’ll be cheering loudly for his good friend.
“I’m real cool with Regis,” Stevenson told a group of reporters. “Hopefully Regis can do something to get the victory.”
To a certain extent, Prograis is up against it. He didn’t look sharp in his previous appearance and is taking on a fighter that has pound-for-pound level talent. All of those factors are salient but even more so is the weight.
After appearing frail on the scales in his last few lightweight outings, Haney will give his body a five-pound reprieve. But while Haney might appreciate fighting at a higher weight class, Stevenson is convinced that since Prograis is a left-handed fighter, that may very well even up the playing field.
“I think Devin might feel better at 140. Maybe he do beat Regis but he do have a little trouble with southpaws it look like.”