“Going in, I knew I was going to retire. This is my last fight, I knew that months ago,” Prograis told Ring Magazine after his loss to Benn. “The rumors that I was hurt were true. I wanted to pull out of this fight so badly a month ago, but kept pushing. I was terrified and even thought about pulling out yesterday.”
Prograis listed injuries to his right hand, eye, jaw and ribs. He said neither of them worsened during the fight.
“My right hand was messed up, my eye, my jaw, rib injury, a bunch of things, but it all held up,” he said. “Nothing I was afraid of happened in the ring.”
Prograis was very vocal during fight week, insisting that he was “perfect” and “good to fight”. To then list a broken hand, eye, jaw and rib injuries immediately after the final bell feels like a bait-and-switch to many. Fans expect transparency, even though fighters often hide injuries to prevent a massive payday from breaking through.
He described the fight as a fitting conclusion, pointing to the setting and opponent.
“It’s a great fight to be my last against someone like Conor Benn, an arena like this with 70,000 in a stadium,” said Prograis. “Perfect ending to my story.”
Prograis added that his retirement had been on his mind since his fight with Joseph Diaz last August, with family considerations playing a role.
“Physically I can still do it, emotionally it’s hard,” Regis said. “I train in Vegas, my kids live in Texas, it’s hard to keep leaving my kids.”
He also admitted fear during fight week and on the day of the fight, but said he was relieved to have gone through with it.
“I wanted to move out today, but I’m so glad I didn’t,” said Prograis. “I went the ten rounds with Conor, perfect finish.”
Fans’ reaction was divided after Prograis’ admission. Some argued that the injuries cast the result in a different light and reflected poorly on Benn’s performance, while others were more critical of Prograis for not publicizing the issues sooner after insisting he was healthy during fight week.
There was also frustration from punters, with some pointing out that they had placed bets without knowing that he entered the fight with several pre-existing injuries.
Instead of people talking about Conor’s performance at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the conversation is dominated by whether he just beat a “shell” from Prograis. It undermines the significance of the win for Benn’s resume as he moves into this new Zuffa Boxing era.
Prograis said he leaves the sport satisfied with what he has achieved and can move on to the next phase of his life.
