Regis Prograis knows that he didn’t put his best foot forward on June 17th. On the night, he took on Danielito Zorilla, a late replacement opponent, for his homecoming back in New Orleans.
Fans were expecting a short and beautiful night, one that ended in Prograis leaving his man unconscious on the canvas. Yet, as the rounds ticked by and Prograis continued to struggle, his fans quickly realized that Zorilla didn’t show up merely for a paycheck.
Prograis may have slithered by with the split decision win but he looked lackluster in the process. But while you could make the argument that he had the worst performance of his career, Prograis was rewarded with his biggest opportunity.
On December 9th, at the Chase Center in San Francisco, the hard-hitting champ will take on Devin Haney. To a large extent, Haney (30-0, 15 KOs) is often described as a fighter who prioritizes his defensive fundamentals and does his best to hit and not get hit in the process.
Prograis though, doesn’t understand where that sort of praise is coming from. In roughly two months, the WBC belt holder believes that Haney’s defensive flaws will lead to his downfall.
“I’m a stop him,” said Prograis on The Last Stand Podcast. “People are saying Haney is a defensive master. He’s not a defensive master. He gets hit flush with a lot of shots.”
Vasiliy Lomachenko, although he keeps to himself, would agree with that statement. Just a few short months ago, the Ukrainian believed that he did enough to earn a win when they met up.
Prograis, from the comfort of his home, watched Haney vs. Lomachenko from a distance. It was a close fight but that wasn’t the most important thing that Prograis peeled away from their showdown.
The 34-year-old noticed the same trend over and over again as the seconds melted off the clock. The former three-divisional champ landed countless rights and lefts all night long. If that same script plays out against Prograis, he’s completely convinced that Haney’s chin won’t hold up.
“He’s never been hit by somebody like me. I’m a real 40-pounder. I have power in both hands. I definitely feel like I’m a stop him for sure.”