By Adam Baskin: Former 140-lb undisputed champion Josh Taylor says he sees Devin Haney as being “too sharp” and young for WBC light welterweight champion Regis Prograis.
Josh doesn’t give precise details for what the 24-year-old Haney brings to the table that makes him side with him as the winner, but it’s likely these elements:
- Jabs
- Mobility
- Clinching up
- Reach: Haney with four-inch reach advantage over the short-armed Prograis, who some fans have jokingly compared to a T-Rex.
- Boxing IQ
The reach could be a big factor for Haney, particularly if Prograis is fighting in the same timid manner that he did in his last fight against Danielito Zorrilla.
Haney’s fights against Vasily Lomachenko, Jorge Linares & Joseph Diaz Jr. showed that he lacks the power & the chin to an elite-level fighter.
As such, he’s being moved VERY carefully by his dad, Bill Haney, and he likely will be steered away from the killers at 140 to keep his career from fizzling out.
Devin is arguably another fighter who is more about strategic match-making & hype than being the real thing, which is why he’s being matched against the aging Prograis rather than fighters like Gary Antuanne Russell, Arnold Barboza Jr. & Subriel Matias.
Taylor has shared the ring with Prograis, beating him by a very close twelve round majority decision in 2019 in London in a fight that many felt that Regis should have won.
That was a younger Prograis, who was a lot more aggressive than we saw from him in his last fight against Danielito Zorrilla when he looked overly cautious and afraid after being dropped early and hurt by a big right hand from the Puerto Rican fighter.
Haney (30-0, 15 KOs) is negotiating to challenge the 34-year-old Prograis (29-1, 24 KOs) on December 9th, but nothing has been confirmed yet,.
“I think that’s a great fight; they’re two very good fighters,” said Josh Taylor to Boxing News about the Regis Prograis vs. Devin Haney fight, which is supposed to be taking place on December 9th in San Francisco.
Prograis could not cut off the ring against Zorrilla last June and seemed tied in knots mentally. Although he won the fight by a 12 round split decision, many boxing fans felt that Zorrilla was robbed in a fight that went to the hometown fighter, Prograis.
“I shared the ring with Prograis and me, and him had a good dust-up; I’ve not shared the ring with Haney, but I’ve met him a couple of times and saw him in training and stuff; he’s very sharp.”
“I just think Devin Haney is a little bit too young, too fresh, too sharp.”
