By: Sean Crose
“I think it’s going to shock him about my speed, how fast I really am.” So says Regis Prograis in an interview with Fight Hub’s Marcos Villegas on the eve of his highly anticipated pay per view bout against the lauded Devin Haney this weekend in San Francisco. Haney is said to be giving up his numerous lightweight world titles in order to move up in weight. Don’t expect WBC junior welterweight titlist Prograis to be impressed, however. “I don’t respect shit about Devin, the Haney’s,” he says in the Fight Hub interview. “I don’t respect nothing about none of those dudes on the other side. We gotta fight next week so I don’t respect shit about Devin.”
As for Haney’s highly regarded slick skill set, Prograis appears unimpressed. “I just think he’s not going to be able to take mine,” Prograis says in reference to his power. “It’s definitely going to be a different story with me.” It’s obvious Prograis isn’t lacking in confidence leading into this weekend’s fight. “I’m going to disable him,” Prograis claims. “All that clinching, it’s not going to work.” Bottom line, Prograis feels Haney has never come across someone like himself. “I’m prepared for 12 rounds of brutality,” he says. “He can focus on whoever he wants to, but for me, I’m locked in on him.”
This is one of the better matches made in a year with numerous high profile pairings. Haney hasn’t lost a single fight and looks like a walking, talking skill set in the ring. Prograis has lost a single time, to the impressive Josh Taylor back in 2019. The product of New Orleans has won five in a row since then, however, and is clearly a tough out for anyone at 140 pounds. He’s owned the WBC junior welterweight title since defeating Jose Zepeda late last year.
Unsurprisingly, Haney is the favorite walking into Saturday’s fight. Taylor was an impressive opponent, but the fact he defeated Prograis indicated that there was a way the impressive American could be defeated. What’s more, Haney recently had a complete shootout with the formidable Vasyl Lomachenko. And, although the fight could have gone either way, Haney stepped out of the ring the winner that evening. Still, it’s Prograis who will be the defending champion come Saturday, of a weight class Haney is just now calling home. Things should be interesting once the bell sounds in San Francisco this weekend.
