It might be the end for what was a solid career for Regis Prograis. On Saturday at the Co-op Live Arena in Manchester, England, he faded in the late rounds to lose a wide decision to Jack Catterall in what was a battle of junior welterweight contenders.
For Prograis it wasn't just about this particular fight but a noticeable decline in performance in his last few fights. Once could be considered an aberration, twice a coincidence. Three times, well....that's who you are.
Back last summer he struggled mightily against Daniel Zorrilla in what was nearly a disastrous homecoming in New Orleans. Perhaps that could be attributed to ring rust. In December he was blanked by Devin Haney over 12 rounds in losing his WBC title.
Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing
Against Catterall, he actually fought well early on. For the first half of the proceedings he was right in it. Prograis actually scored a flash knockdown in the fifth stanza. But down the stretch he faded badly, as he was sent down twice in the ninth. He made it to the finish line but it was clear that Catterall had won this contest
Fight Highlights | Jack Catterall vs. Regis Prograis
They say that the first thing to go on a fighter is the legs. And once the legs go, everything else will soon be in decline. At age 35 Prograis looks like one with a lot of tread on the tire. The heart is willing, but the body no longer is. He admitted as much in the post-fight interview. Prograis mentioned that he simply couldn't sustain his pace in the second half of this fight.
He also said that he would like to venture into the realm of bare knuckle fighting, which has shorter fights. The BKFC in recent years has become a bit of a halfway house for boxers who still have an itch to fight, but are no longer at their peak.
Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing
If this is the end for Prograis (29-3, 24 KOs), it was an honorable and productive career. I can still recall him making his way up on the ShoBox (remember that?) circuit on his way to becoming a legitimate junior welterweight contender. Then he entered the World Boxing Super Series and made the finals, where he engaged in a memorable battle against Josh Taylor. He came up a bit short, but it was an admirable effort.
Later on he was able to capture the WBC crown by stopping Jose Zepeda in what was his last really sharp performance. Prograis career checks a lot of boxes: from winning a world title, traveling around the world, and making some good money. He has nothing to be ashamed of.
As for Catterall (30-1, 13 KOs) it was another solid outing where he showed that he is a world-class 140-pounder. He's not a great puncher, but in his last two outings he was able to hurt Josh Taylor in their rematch, and he turned the tide on Saturday by decking Prograis twice.
Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing
He's a solid craftsman who is a well-rounded boxer. With his southpaw style and boxing IQ, Catterall is a tough out for anybody in the division. For him, its not if he'll get a title shot, but when.
NO TANKS
OK, so a couple of weeks ago I wrote about the Gervonta 'Tank' Davis-Lamont Roach bout that looked to be slated for mid-December in Houston. Well, it looks like it's the latest edition of Dewey defeats Truman in the boxing news cycle.
Various reporters are now hinting that this particular fight could be moved into January. There's a lot of speculation as to why this bout is being pushed back. But boxing insider, the always-blunt, Rick Glaser, posted this on Friday:
Regardless, this will mean that Davis (who is 29 years old) will fight just once this year, after performing just once in 2023.
