When asked to engage more directly with Benn, Prograis dismissed the idea of building the fight through verbal exchanges, saying he had no interest in playing that role.
“They don’t pay me enough. I don’t need to talk bad. You talk it,” Prograis said when the subject of promoting the fight was brought up at today’s press conference.
The two-time former world champion kept his focus on the fight itself rather than the build-up, taking a markedly different approach to the usual pre-fight pattern where fighters try to generate attention through confrontation.
Prograis did acknowledge the match itself and pointed to the difference in experience between the two fighters. He stopped short of dismissing Benn, but made it clear that the British rival had not yet reached the level he was competing at.
“I’m not going to say he’s not world class. He hasn’t been there yet,” Prograis said.
The contrast in approach was evident throughout the press conference, with Prograis avoiding drawn-out exchanges while Benn and his team focused on the importance of the fight and what could follow.
Benn has positioned the fight as a key step towards a world title opportunity, with a shot at Ryan Garcia already played out. He also indicated that he is targeting a stoppage in his return to welterweight after competing at higher weights in recent fights.
The focus remains clear for former two-time 140-lb champion Prograis. He enters the fight as the more experienced fighter on the world level and sees the contest as a chance to rehabilitate himself without relying on promotion outside the ring.
The fight takes place on Saturday, with both fighters coming in with different approaches to the build-up, but the same goal once the action begins.
