BN Preview: In the battle for relevance, Devin Haney needs Regis Prograis as much as Regis Prograis needs Devin Haney

By Elliot Worsell

INCREASINGLY it has appeared like the solely solution to make Devin Haney, the world’s finest light-weight, a bona fide famous person is for him to maneuver by the weights and in doing so put himself in hurt’s means. For historical past would counsel that it’s only then, when deprived bodily, and going after new objectives, followers will be capable to look past Haney’s propensity to go 12 rounds and as an alternative respect the talent he shows in disarming and dominating opponents.

For now, till that occurs, the actuality is that this: not since September 2019, when combating Zaur Abdullaev, has Haney, 30-0 (15), managed to complete a struggle inside the scheduled distance. In reality, in the 4 years following that win he has gone the full course with Alfredo Santiago, Yuriorkis Gamboa, Jorge Linares, Joseph Diaz, George Kambosos (twice), and Vasiliy Lomachenko. All good opponents, of that there isn’t a doubt, but by advantage of going the distance with them, and with seemingly little curiosity in successful fights by another methodology, Haney has created for himself a repute as somebody more practical than thrilling; somebody whose bark is louder than his chunk; somebody whose promotional push begins and ends at the pre-fight press convention.

Last day out, in opposition to Lomachenko in May, Haney was in a extra compelling and action-packed struggle than ordinary and in addition, in beating Lomachenko, secured the finest win of his profession up to now. However, there have been lots watching that struggle who felt the 12-round resolution awarded to Haney was beneficiant in the excessive and that Lomachenko, thought of to be barely previous his finest, deserved to go residence with the victory. That he didn’t get the win is not any fault of Haney’s, after all, however there’s actually a sense that the American’s rise to superstardom, which his promoter is determined to speed up, would require extra than simply the resolution victories he has been racking up lately.

Enter Regis Prograis, the WBC belt-holder at super-lightweight, whom Haney challenges on Saturday (December 9) in San Francisco. Prograis, whereas something however susceptible, does at the very least characterize a brand new look and a brand new impediment for Haney, the overcoming of which ought to ship the California native the form of acclaim he had been looking for all through what was a brief however profitable light-weight reign. Up at a brand new weight, and having lately introduced the relinquishing of all his light-weight belts, Haney is clearly trying so as to add extra chapters to his legacy and drag himself out of his consolation zone, one thing we will solely applaud.

Moreover, in the type of Prograis, 29-1 (24), he has taken a struggle in opposition to an opponent who, in distinction to Haney himself, carries a repute for pleasure and thrills and spills. This, for Haney, might be all he requires to convey out the finest in him; whether or not meaning matching Prograis and beating him at his personal recreation, or just utilizing his expertise, as he so usually does, to defuse the extra aggressive and highly effective method of the man in entrance of him. Either means, nevertheless he will get it completed, wins over opponents like Prograis at the next weight will go some solution to establishing Haney as the famous person he so badly needs to change into. Because with out taking the danger and difficult himself on this method, and with out discovering opponents who can act as an ideal foil for him, a fighter with a mode like Haney’s, very much an acquired style, will all the time discover it tough to reside as much as the billing of their promoter.

Indeed, an consciousness of that is maybe why Haney and Prograis have been so vocal forward of this specific struggle on Saturday. Their promo video, for occasion, which was weeks in the past used to announce the bout, was one in every of the finest now we have seen produced by any promotional firm this calendar yr. Not solely that, each boxers have continued the forwards and backwards throughout subsequent press conferences and in addition on-line, giving the event a superfight really feel one might argue it doesn’t essentially deserve based mostly on type and pedigree.

“I’m going to beat the s*** out of him,” mentioned Haney. “I’m grateful to be on this place and it’s a dream come true. This is a large struggle for boxing and it’s an enormous alternative for me as a result of I’ve all the time dreamed of changing into a two-weight world champion. I’m joyful that I can problem Regis, who’s the finest at 140 [pounds]. But I’ll present that I’m on a distinct stage and that I am the finest. I’m excited for it, and I feel the struggle goes to be fireworks. I’m far above him.

“If you look at the receipts, I called Regis Prograis out before the [Danielito] Zorilla fight. This was the fight I always wanted at 140 if I couldn’t get one of the massive fights at 135. Regis Prograis was the guy who was next in line. Whether he was to look good or not, it didn’t matter to me.”

The struggle to which Haney alludes, Prograis vs. Zorilla, was a struggle wherein Prograis, regardless of flooring Zorilla in spherical three, flattered to deceive. Stuck in first gear for much of it, he allowed his opponent again into the struggle, in the finish taking the win through cut up resolution after 12 rounds [cards of 118-109 and 117-111 in Prograis’ favour, with a 115-113 card in the favour of Zorilla]. This might merely characterize an instance of a world-class fighter struggling for motivation and inspiration and in want of a greater calibre of opponent to take them to the subsequent stage. Or it might characterize one thing else; maybe regression in Prograis, or his true stage.

To give him the good thing about the doubt, although, one solely has to take a look at the form of stage at which Prograis has been competing since pushing Josh Taylor to the wire in 2019. Since then, regardless of exhibiting he was each bit Taylor’s equal, Prograis has needed to sit and watch Taylor take a look at himself in opposition to a few of the finest, all the whereas languishing in fights in opposition to opponents like Juan Heraldez, Ivan Redkach, Tyrone McKenna, Jose Zepeda and the aforementioned Zorilla. Though none of these are essentially dangerous fighters, for somebody like Prograis, somebody who has already confirmed himself a stage above them, there wanted to be extra and there wanted to be higher.

In that respect too, then, he might be as motivated by Haney as Haney is by him. After all, now, some 4 years after narrowly falling quick in opposition to Taylor in the UK, Prograis, 34, will once more have an opponent able to offering him with that little little bit of concern each fighter needs with a view to really maximise their potential and make the most of their expertise. Once extra, having been in the wilderness for a while, Prograis finds himself taking part in a excessive stakes recreation and, though the one with the belt, is aware of a win in opposition to Haney elevates each his profile and incomes potential.

“We can go back-and-forth but I don’t try to get underneath anyone’s skin,” he mentioned. “That’s not what I do. For me, I’m going to struggle him, and I don’t care what you’ve bought. It’s about me and also you now. I take a look at who he’s now as a result of that’s who I’m combating. I don’t care about all his previous s***. I care about combating him now and that’s what I’m trying ahead to. I imagine I’ve the energy to take anybody out.

“I additionally suppose he’s going to be stunned by my talent. I’ve been working my ass off. I’ve been in LA coaching and sparring and in Texas doing the similar s*** for a very long time. It’s not going to be ‘skill versus power’; it’s going to be ‘skill versus skill’. And then I nonetheless have energy too. I wish to present folks on this struggle my talent.

“Thank you, Zorilla. If I would have blasted Zorilla out in two rounds, then I don’t think he [Haney] would have fought me. I really don’t. I had an off night. But it happened and we’re here now, so let’s go on December 9. I’m going to keep my belt. I’m not giving it up. I feel like I’m going to stop him.”

It is just not past the realms of chance that Prograis stops Haney this weekend and certainly if there’s to be a stoppage one would think about Prograis might be its architect. What is extra, Prograis is true to spotlight his personal technical skill and refute the concept that every one he brings to this struggle is energy and aggression, two issues Haney, the supposedly faster and cleaner fighter, should counteract together with his talent. Because the fact is, Prograis, when at his finest, is as artful a 140-pound fighter as you’re more likely to discover this present day; a person stuffed with tips and traps and an old-school mentality which mixes a starvation to win with a starvation to concurrently fulfill those that pay to look at him carry out. He will get this side of the recreation greater than most, which is possibly why followers get pleasure from watching him and why somebody like Haney, who continues to be making an attempt to strike this stability himself, was so eager to pursue a struggle in opposition to him this yr.

Whether what Prograis brings to the ring in opposition to Haney is finally sufficient to see him triumph is essentially depending on how (a) Haney manages the transfer up in weight and (b) how Prograis offers with each the pace of Haney and his jab, a punch he used so brilliantly in opposition to George Kambosos in Australia, not as soon as however twice. That issue might be key, as is the case in each Haney struggle, and one wonders what Prograis will be capable to do to neutralise the Haney jab and guarantee it isn’t essential to the end result of the struggle. The menace of Prograis’ energy might be vital, naturally, however so too will his aggression and his ring intelligence if he’s to shut the distance on Haney and maintain him the place he needs to maintain him. If unable to do that, nevertheless, and if a 34-year-old Prograis is just not the similar Prograis we noticed in 2019, it’s onerous to see something aside from Haney, a person 9 years his junior, peppering him from the exterior and doing sufficient to win yet one more resolution.

On the undercard, in the meantime, undefeated Australian Liam Paro, 23-0 (14), fights Montana Love, 18-1-1 (9), at super-lightweight, and Cuban novice star Andy Cruz, 1-0 (0), goes for his second professional win in opposition to Hector Tanajara, 21-1-1 (6), at light-weight. As properly as that, UK-based Australian Ebanie Bridges, 9-1 (4), defends her IBF girls’s bantamweight belt in opposition to Miyo Yoshida, 16-4 (0), a Japanese challenger who has misplaced three of her final 5 fights.