By Jim Calfa: Regis Prograis says he will not agree to a catchweight if Gervonta Davis shows interest in fighting him in the light welterweight division.
If Tank wants the fight with WBC champion Prograis (29-1, 24 KOs), it will need to be at 140. Tank wouldn’t just be asking for a catchweight. There would be the obligatory rehydration clause to go along with itin a double whammy.
It’s a bit early for Prograis to be talking about fighting guys like Gervonta, because Regis still needs to defend his WBC title against Devin Haney on December 9th. Fans & the oddsmakers have Haney (30-0, 15 KOs) as the favorite in that contest.
Even if Prograis does beat Haney, it’s doubtful that Tank Davis would move up to 140 to face him. It’s believed that the Baltimore native’s promoters at Mayweather Promotions & PBC carefully select his opponents, and they tend to go in the direction of weaker fighters or guys with obvious flaws in the chin department, like Ryan Garcia.
Prograis’ best bet for a big money fight if he successfully defends against Haney would be Teofimo Lopez, but even that match likely won’t happen. Top Rank will want Ryan Garcia or Haney for Teofimo, and it likely won’t matter if Prograis defeats Devin.
Regis might be stuck with a lackluster opponent like Jack Catterall, Sandor Martin, or Richardson Hitchins. Those are good fighters, but they’re not popular.” From 135 to 147 is that glamour. There are so many big fights that could be made just around us,” said Regis Prograis to the media when asked if 140 is the best division.
“I think it’s going to be all big fights going on around these three weight divisions. No, no catchweight. 140 it is,” said Prograis when asked if he’d be open to fighting Gervonta Davis at a catchweight between 135 & 140.
It would be interesting to see if Prograis changes his mind about not being agreeable to a catchweight if Tank Davis shows interest in fighting him and he realizes how much money he can make from that fight. Money changes everything.
If Prograis can get $30 million like Ryan Garcia just got fighting Tank Davis, he’ll probably agree to a catchweight, even if it’s as low as 136.
“I told you. I want to be like the Hagler of my division. No, we’re not doing no catchweight. It’s going to be 140, and that’s it,” said Prograis.
“Of course,” said Prograis when asked if Tank Davis is the biggest fight for him. “You’re talking about the ‘Face of Boxing’ between him and Canelo. So, I can’t fight Canelo. So, him. It would probably be the biggest fight between him, Ryan, or Teo. That is the biggest fight.”
It’s too bad that PBC & Mayweather Promotions would never match Tank Davis against Prograis because that would be an interesting fight, and a lot better than watching the Baltimore native fight Isaac Cruz or Ryan Garcia again.
“He got his a** whipped by an old a** man,” said Prograis when asked about his thoughts on the Rolando ‘Rolly’ Romero vs. Ismael Barroso last May. “He [Barraso] said he was 30? That man was 50-something. He was old as s**t, and Rolly got his a** whipped by an old man.”
Rolly lucked out when the referee Tony Weeks jumped in and stopped the Barroso fight in the ninth round because he was on his way to losing the fight.
“I wouldn’t want to fight Rolly, but he does have a belt, and that would be an easy a** belt to pick up,” said Prograis. “I want money, obviously, legacy, and stuff like that. If it happens, it happens. I think he’s s***ty. Rolly? I don’t think he’s that good. He has power, but as a fighter, I don’t think so. He fights like a martial artist or something like that.
“I don’t think he can keep the belt. He should have either an easy a** fight or cash-out, get a big fight. Maybe after I beat Devin, I can go fight him, and he can cash out, get a lot of money, and go do what he got to do,” said Prograis.
