Devin Haney picks underdog Regis Prograis to defeat Jack Catterall in their light welterweight headliner fight this Saturday, October 26 at the Co-op Live Arena in Manchester, England.
(Credit: Mark Robinson / Matchroom Boxing)
If the former WBC and WBC 140-lb Prograis champion is victorious over Catterall (29-1, 13 KOs), it will make Haney’s win over him last year on Dec. 9 look better. It’s doubtful that will happen, but it’s understandable why Haney would want Regis to win because his career is in the dumps right now, he looked shaky.
Haney defeated Prograis (29-4, 24 KOs) by a 12-round unanimous decision with scores of 120-107, 120-107 and 120-107.
Regis can turn his career around
Prograis, 35, has not looked like the same fighter he once was in his last two shows, and is full of apologies for what happened. He talks about distancing himself from his main trainer, Bobby Benton, because of his recent loss to Haney.
A win for New Orleans native Prograis over Catterall would put him in position to challenge for a world title against the winner of the Dec. 7 fight between IBF welterweight champion Liam Paro and Richardson Hitchins.
Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn has spoken openly about wanting Catterall to fight the winner of the Paro-Hitchins fight, although he also promotes Prograis. It’s obvious that Hearn expects Catterall to win on Saturday, but Prograis, the more proven fighter of the two, may throw a wrench into Hearn’s plans.
Catterall’s resume consists almost entirely of victories over British fighters, and he has not faced world-class fighters who were not from the United Kingdom. He defeated former three-division world champion Jorge Linares last year by a 12-round unanimous decision on October 21, 2023. However, Linares was 38 years old, and was not close to the fight, he had been during his first time when he fought Catterall. .
Prograis was not Mentally There
“When I was in the fight, I said, ‘Man, I want this fight to be over,'” Prograis told Ariel Helwani. channeltalking about his last contest against Haney on December 9th. “Mentally, I just wasn’t there. I wasn’t out to have fun and have fun. I was just out for a job, and that’s not what I do.”
In an ideal situation, Prograis defeats Catterall by knockout on Saturday night and then faces Haney in a rematch to avenge his loss. This would be the perfect scenario for Prograis. Whether Haney would want to fight Prograis again is questionable, as he is expected to look for a soft touch for his next contest after losing to Ryan Garcia in a three-fight performance on April 20.
“For me, it’s about going out and showing. I know what I did on the field. I feel as good as when I was 27 and 28. I can do all the things. So, for me, it’s about going out and showing. I’m not upset about what people say,” said Prograis, reacting to the many fans who believe he is washed up after his loss to Haney.
Prograis is fighting a man with a similar style to Haney in Catterall. Catterall uses a lot of movement, feints, jabs and clinches to win his fights. Catterall is not as talented as Haney, but has a similar style. According to Hearn, Catterall picked Prograis’ name out of a hat for whoever he wanted to fight, which means he thinks he’s an easy mark.
“I was surprised about that. I didn’t think it should happen,” said Prograis when asked if he was surprised how Ryan Garcia defeated Haney earlier this year on April 20. “I think Haney is going to win, especially with all the crazy things Garcia was saying during training.”
I chose Regis this weekend..
– Devin Haney (@Realdevinhaney) October 24, 2024
