Chris Algieri thinks that the facets of Regis Prograis’s game are based on reflexes, athleticism, being deceptive, and those things could be negated by the highly skilled Devin Haney this Saturday night.
Algieri feels that the 34-year-old Prograis (29-1, 24 KOs) might be losing his reflexes based on his last performance against Danielito Zorrilla last June.
With Prograis’ defense being reliant on his reflexes, it will put him at a disadvantage against the younger & surprisingly bigger 25-year-old Haney (30-0, 15 KOs). Algieri notes that Prograis will still have his power, as that won’t go away with age quite as fast as reflexes.
Still, if he can’t land his big bombs on Haney due to his slower reaction time, he’s not going to get to him to land his best punches. If Haney outlands Prograis, he’ll win the fight, particularly with the contest in his backyard at the Chase Center in San Francisco, California.
Haney vs. Prograis will be shown live on DAZN for $75 for non-subscribers this Saturday, December 9th.
Prograis still has his power
“The only thing I say is look at the ages. Prograis is 34. Haney is 25. Prograis is one of those guys where a lot of his defense and deceptiveness comes from his natural talent and athleticism,” said Chris Algieri to ProBox TV, talking about this Saturday’s headliner between Devin Haney & Regis Prograis.
Regis looked good in his four previous fights before meeting up with the highly mobile Danielito Zorrilla last June, who was a nightmare in terms of movement, awkwardness, and huge power.
Zorrilla moved like he was afraid, yet when Prograis would get near him, he’d land huge shots with power that nobody has at 140. That guy is arguably the hardest puncher in the division.
Haney doesn’t move as well as Zorrilla and definitely doesn’t have his power. So, it’s possible that Prograis could enjoy the same success he was having before meeting up with Zorrilla.
“A lot of his head movement is based on his reactions. Reactions don’t age well,” Algieri continued about Prograis. “So, I don’t know if the writings are on the wall if people see something in him as an older fighter in terms of what he brings to the table.”
It’s not going to be easy for Prograis to get near enough to Haney to land his shots without eating a lot of jabs while coming in, and that’s going to make life difficult for him if he can’t slip his punches due to his deteriorating reflexes.
“Sure, he’s got power. He’s never not going to have power. He can punch. He’s not going to not be able to punch as he gets older, but his ability to get away from shots. His ability to be deceptive enough to set up that power, a lot of that comes from his athleticism and upper body movement, and that off-beat rhyme where he reacts,” said Algieri.
Devin = bad style match-up for Regis
“He doesn’t have much of a jab, and he doesn’t close that distance all that well,” Algieri said. “So maybe they’re seeing the writing on the wall. Prograis even said, ‘Hey, you guys are underestimating me.’ I think Prograis is a lot better than people give him credit for.
“The problem is the style match-up. Just like I said about Prograis’ difficulty in closing the gap and being a leader in fights, that’s not his strong point. He’s a counter-puncher, and he counter-punches off his athleticism, his good reactions, and his power getting himself into position.
“Against Haney, I don’t see the opportunities being there. He’s going to have to turn into a front-footed guy, and I think that means he’s going to get hit more, and he’s going to be there to be hit more. If he sits back on his back foot, he’s going to get picked apart by the length of Haney.
While acknowledging Prograis’ power as a constant factor, Algieri questions his ability to close the distance and engage Haney effectively. He suggests that Prograis’ reliance on counter-punching, which relies heavily on athleticism and reactions, may not work against Haney’s superior length and jab.
“So, he’s going to have to go forward. I just don’t think he’s deceptive or defensively conscious when he is going forward,” said Algieri. “We saw that in the Zorrilla fight. Zorrilla just moved. Tons of lateral movement, but that guy can actually punch. That kid can punch. He was throwing some big bombs.
Furthermore, Algieri points to Prograis’ struggles against other fighters who employed significant lateral movement, highlighting his shortcomings when forced to be the aggressor. He contrasts this with Haney’s effective use of forward movement against the likes of Lomachenko, demonstrating his ability to adapt and dictate the pace of the fight.
“Definitely not as sharp as Haney, but Prograis just wasn’t effective going forward,” said Algieri. “He was not effective in walking a man down. He’s much of a sit in the middle, stand in front of you, make you miss, make you pay kind of guy.
“What Haney did against Lomachenko is he didn’t have respect for the power of Lomachenko, and he knew he was the bigger man,” said Algieri.
Overall, Algieri’s analysis suggests that Haney’s youth, technical prowess, and ability to control the distance favor him in this matchup. He predicts that Prograis’ reliance on athleticism and counter-punching will prove ineffective against Haney’s disciplined and calculated approach.
However, Algieri acknowledges Prograis’ potential to surprise if he can overcome his stylistic limitations and adapt to a more aggressive fighting style. Only time will tell if Prograis can defy the odds and snatch victory from the younger champion.
