The flag of Regis Prograis currently resides near the top of the 140-pound mountain. After reeling off three consecutive stoppage victories since his majority decision defeat at the hands of Josh Taylor in 2019, Prograis (28-1, 24 KOs) reclaimed his championship throne following his 11th-round KO win over Jose Zepeda.
With the WBC crown dangling from his brow, Prograis has begun to closely observe his super lightweight competition. In doing so, Subriel Matias caught his eye.
Recently, in front of a jam-packed crowd at the Armory in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the Puerto Rican native achieved a lifelong dream by snagging the IBF 140-pound title, doing so at the expense of Jeremias Ponce.
Although the 30-year-old titlist starched his former undefeated foe with relative ease, Prograis wasn’t entirely impressed with his performance. By and large, should the two meet in the ring and let their fists fly, Prograis is convinced that the outcome would undoubtedly end in his favor.
“Honestly, I think he’s not on my level,” said Prograis to BoxingScene.com. “I’m not gonna say he’ll be an easy fight but I’ll definitely whoop him.”
Despite his recent arrival to the title scene, Matias (19-1, 19 KOs) is overwhelmingly confident in his ability to squash just about anyone who stands before him. Shortly following his latest in-ring triumph, Matias warned Prograis, going as far as to say that he would send the WBC trinket holder to the hospital.
Ultimately, Prograis views the Puerto Rican’s threats as nothing more than bloviation. While he was tempted to engage his fellow champion in a curse-filled war of words, the New Orleans product refused to do so. Instead, the 33-year-old wished Matias nothing but the best in his future endeavors as he hopes that their paths eventually cross.
“Hopefully I can fight him one day. Just tell him to keep that belt, I hope he can keep that belt. Just keep the belt tight for me.”