Devin Haney picks underdog Regis Prograis to defeat Jack Catterall in their light welterweight title fight this Saturday, October 26, at the Co-op Live Arena in Manchester, England.
(Credit: Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing)
If former WBC and WBC 140-lb champion Prograis prevails over Catterall (29-1, 13 KOs), it will make Haney’s win over him last December 9 look all the better. It’s doubtful that will happen, but it’s understandable why Haney would want Regis to win, as his career is now in the doldrums and looking 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, hasn’t looked like the same fighter he once was in his last two shows, and he’s full of excuses for what happened. He talks about moving away from his head coach, Bobby Benton, for his recent loss to Haney.
A victory for New Orleans native Prograis over Catterall would put him in position to challenge for a world title against the winner of the December 7th fight between IBF light welterweight champion Liam Paro and Richardson Hitchins.
Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn has spoken openly about Catterall having to fight the winner of the Paro-Hitchins fight, even though he also promotes Prograis. It’s clear that Hearn expects Catterall to win on Saturday, but Prograis, the more proven fighter of the two, could throw a wrench into Hearn’s plans.
Catterall’s CV consists virtually entirely of victories over British fighters, and he does not face world level fighters who were not from the UK. Last year, he defeated former three-division world champion Jorge Linares via a 12-round unanimous decision on October 21, 2023. However, Linares was 38 years old, and nowhere near the fighter he was in his prime when he fought Catterall have .
Prograis was not there mentally
“When I was in the fight, I was like, ‘Man, I want this fight to be over,'” Prograis told the Ariel Helwani. channeltalking about his last contest against Haney on December 9th. “Mentally I just wasn’t there. I wasn’t out there enjoying myself and having fun. I was just there for a job, and that’s not what I do.”
In an ideal situation, Prograis would defeat Catterall by knockout on Saturday night and then face Haney in a rematch to avenge his loss. This would be the perfect scenario for Prograis. Whether Haney wants to fight Prograis again is in doubt as he is expected to look for a soft touch for his next contest after losing to Ryan Garcia on April 20th in a three-knockout performance.
“For me it’s about going out and proving. I know what I did in the camp. I feel just as good as when I was 27 and 28. I can do the same things. So, for me it’s about going out and proving it. I don’t trip over what people say,” Prograis said, responding to the many fans who believed he was flush after his loss to Haney.
Prograis fights a guy with a similar style to Haney in Catterall. Catterall uses a lot of movement, feelings, jabs and claws to win his fights. Catterall isn’t as talented as Haney, but he has a similar style. According to Hearn, Catterall picked Prograis’ name out of a hat of who he wanted to fight, meaning he thinks he’s an easy mark.
“I was surprised by that. I didn’t think it was supposed to happen,” Prograis said when asked if he was surprised how Ryan Garcia defeated Haney earlier this year on April 20. “I thought Haney was going to win, especially with all the crazy things Garcia said during the build-up.”
I choose Regis this weekend..
— Devin Haney (@Realdevinhaney) 24 October 2024
