Former two-time light welterweight champion Regis Prograis says he wants to challenge IBF 140-lb champion Subriel Matias this year or in 2025 to dethrone him.
Prograis Sees “Easy” Road to Matias Fight
Prograis (29-2, 24 KOs) sees the fight against Matias (20-1, 20 KOs) as an easy one to make due to them both with Matchroom Boxing.
Matias has a title defense on June 15th against Liam Paro (24-0, 15 KOs) on DAZN from the Coliseo Juan Aubin Cruz Abreu, Manati, Puerto Rico. If wins that fight, Prograis can potentially fight him next if he doesn’t face someone else.
Prograis, 35, hasn’t fought since losing his WBC title to Devin Haney last December in San Francisco. To stay active, he should return to the ring soon. His promoter, Eddie Hearn, should have already found him someone to fight by now.
“I want that fight. That’s the fight I want. Either late 2024 or 2025, that’s the fighter I want to fight, Matias,” said Regis Prograis to Fighthype about wanting to challenge Subriel Matias for his IBF light welterweight title.
“I know he’s been talking a lot. That’s an easy fight to make. We’re both with Matchroom. I feel like I’ll get one or two fights and then go for Matias. I’ll have to see when I get in there with him. He’s never fought anyone like me.”
It would be an easy fight to make for Prograis if Matias isn’t being picked out for bigger matches against Devin Haney, Isaac Cruz, Teofimo Lopez or Ryan Garcia. That’s the problem that Prograis has. There are a lot of fighters that want to face Matias, and they’d have a better chance of getting the fight than him.
Prograis Confident in Victory
“All the people he’s been beating are C-level opponents,” Prograis continued about Matias. “You can’t say he’s fought an A or B-level opponent yet. He’s definitely dangerous. He’s doing his thing, but these guys he’s fighting, they’re trying to make him out to be a boogeyman.
“I don’t buy it. You got to ask what high-level fighter did he fight? None. He stopped everybody. He’s supposed to fight these guys. They’re not high-level guys, but it’s going to be different when he gets in there with a high-level guy.
“I seen him get hurt by way lesser opposition. I’m going to show you who a real boogeyman is, and I’m going to be a two-time champion. That’s what I’m going to do,” said Prograis.
