By Jim Calfa: Regis Prograis says he’ll “hurt” Devin Haney “real bad” and knock him out if he comes up to 140 to challenge him for his WBC light welterweight bout.
Prograis (28-1, 24 KOs) thinks Haney is in a tough spot right now with his career because he will get beaten if he stays at 135 or moves up to 140. Haney recently expressed interest in fighting Prograis, saying he contacted his new promoter, Eddie Hearn.
Staying at 135 means Haney (30-0, 15 KOs) would be expected to face either his WBC mandatory Shakur Stevenson or Gervonta Davis, and Prograis sees both of those guys beating him.
If Haney ducks both of those guys, it’ll be there to see that he lacked the self-belief to face them. Boxing fans already suspect that Haney doesn’t believe in himself because that’s why he’s talking about leaving the division to move to 140 rather than standing his ground and fighting Shakur.
Some could argue that Haney’s actions are similar to a soldier fleeing the battlefield when the enemy is approaching. Instead of staying in the frontlines and fighting, Haney is essentially throwing his rifle away and hightailing it to safety, choosing not to take the risk.
Prograis says that if Haney moves up to 140, the only champion he’s capable of beating is Rolando ‘Rolly’ Romero, who recently beat 40-year-old Ismael Barroso by a controversial ninth round stoppage.
Regis states that all three knock him out if Haney fights him, Subriel Matias, or Josh Taylor. Haney lacks the power to keep those guys off of him, and he’s been hurt in several of his recent bouts against Vasyl Lomachenko, Joseph ‘JoJo’ Diaz, and Jorge Linares.
It’s not just the champions Haney would need to worry about at 140. There are a lot of contenders that could potentially chop him up and finish what Vasyl Lomachenko started. We’re talking about these dangerous guys:
Richardson Hitchins
Gary Antuanne Russell
Arnold Barboza Jr
Jose Ramirez
Kenneth Sims
Steve Spark
Teofimo Lopez
Prograis is defending against Danielito Zorrilla (17-1, 13 KOs) on June 17 at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans next month. The fight will be shown on DAZN.
Haney is in a tough spot
“I think he’s in a tough spot right now. You can stay down there [135], and you can mess with Shakur. You know Shakur is going to beat him. Everyone knows he can’t mess with Shakur, or you come up to 140 with the killers, and he’s in a tough spot right now,” said Regis Prograis to MillCity Boxing about Devin Haney lacking the talent to beat the top guys in the 135 and 140-lb divisions.
“He might go after Rolly [at light welterweight], but that’s it,” Prograis continued about the options Haney will have if he moves up to 140. “The title holders, me, Subriel Matias, and Josh Taylor. I think he gets stopped by all three of us.
“He’s a good boxers, but he’s in a really tough spot right now. It’s a tough route [for Haney]. What are you going to do? Are you going to fight Tank, which Tank is a killer?
“Are you going to fight Shakur, which Shakur don’t lose no rounds? Are you coming to 140 and fighting the big killers at 140, fighters that are stopping people? Like me. I’m stopping people, hurting people.
“When I fight somebody, I’m going to take something out of you. The same thing with Matias and the same thing with Josh Taylor. Those are all big guys at 140, and all have big knockout power.
“I don’t know if he’s [Haney] food, but he’s in a tough spot,” said Prograis.
Prograis warns Haney
“If he fought me like he fought Loma, I stop him,” said Prograis when asked how he’d do against Devin Haney if they fought. “Those left hands and jabs that he was getting hit with. Loma is a 126-130-pounder.
“I’ve been at 140 my whole career. Him [Haney] coming up, I stop him. I would hurt him real bad. He’s a good boxer, but he doesn’t have the power to keep me off.
“Loma won the fight, but it wasn’t the robbery like people say. It was a close fight. I still thought Loma [should have been given the victory by the judges]. If Haney wasn’t the champion, Loma deserved to win that fight.
“Being a champion played a part in that [decision],” Prograis giving his thoughts on the recent controversial victory for the undisputed lightweight champion Devin Haney over Vasyl Lomachenko on May 20th.
