Regis Prograis believes his promotional deal with Matchroom yields the kind of flexibility and leverage he has always wanted from such an arrangement.
The WBC 140-pound titlist from New Orleans made some news last week when he announced that he signed a multi-fight deal with Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing. Prograis chose the British promotional company over Las Vegas-based Top Rank, which offered the 34-year-old a lucrative and competitive offer.
In the end, Prograis preferred Hearn’s deal: on the surface, it pays him less, but the contract is for three fights, while Top Rank, according to Prograis, insisted on four (negotiated down from an original five fights).
Prograis, who lives and trains in Houston, Texas, is banking on the possibility that Hearn will be able to sign fellow titleholder Subriel Matias, which means, by the end of the contract, he has a chance to unify two belts in the division. In Prograis’ mind, the idea of being a two-belt titlist and free agent is his ideal scenario.
“If I do one fight, then two fights, the third fight is probably going to be a mega fight,” Prograis said of his deal in an interview with Ringside Views.
“With Matchroom, it’s believing in myself.”
“The first two fights won’t be high, marquee names right now,” Prograis continued. “It’ll be people that’s respectful, people that’s undefeated, probably like top-ten in the rankings. But that third fight—like I said, hopefully Eddie can get this done with Matias—the third fight will be Matias, unification. After three fights, I’m out the deal and I got two belts at 140, then what’s up?
“Everybody gotta come through me. I could’ve locked myself in with a four-fight deal over there (with Top Rank), but with this, I can fight Matias … I can grab another belt, and after three fights I’m a free agent again, with another belt. Like I said, the Matchroom deal is believing in myself, which I do 100%.”
Prograis is set to make his debut under Matchroom on June 17 at Smoothie King Center in his hometown of New Orleans. The opponent is unknown after Liam Paro recently withdrew with injury.
Sean Nam is the author of the forthcoming book Murder on Federal Street: Tyrone Everett, the Black Mafia, and the Last Golden Age of Philadelphia Boxing