Regis Prograis Beats Joseph Diaz to Keep his Career Alive
Following a surprisingly pleasant, exciting bout, former super lightweight champion Regis “Rougarou” Prograis (30-3, 24 KO) defeated a rowdy Joseph “Jo Jo” Diaz by unanimous decision. This was the definition of a “wild card fight” given that both men were in desperate need of a win. Prograis’s last win, a unanimous decision over Danielito Zorrilla, came a whisker over two years ago.
Technically speaking, Diaz entered this duel coming off a unanimous win over Jorge Valencia back on June 21. However, with that win, Jo Jo is actually 2-6 in his last eight bouts. Ironically, the fiery tailspin that their careers have been suffering both came after their losses to two-division champion Devin Haney.
LET’S DO IT AGAIN!
Given the difficulty each boxer has experienced winning fights recently, neither are ranked in the top fifteen of the four major sanctioning bodies. This puts both in a nasty situation. Being long in the tooth and lousy with losses gives them no intrinsic value to any of the top players in the division.
Yet, presumably neither Rougarou nor Diaz are ready to be gatekeepers for young lions to cut their teeth on. With that being the case, it might be in their best interest to stage a rematch. The match was genuinely thrilling, containing countless ebb and flows in terms of who was in control. Not to mention drama in the form of a cut that Jo Jo suffered fairly early in the duel. Selling this rematch should be easy enough given the enjoyment it provided.
GOING FOR THE GOLD
Now, if Prograis persists in his dreams of becoming a world champion, he does have the Haney angle as well. There is no guarantee that Haney would want to face Rougarou again due to how soundly he bested him the first time. Although, who knows? Even if Devin Haney did want to dance again, he must first beat WBO welterweight champion Brian Norman Jr. on November 22.
In the instance that Haney lost to Norman Jr., it’s possible that Jr. may be eager to put Prograis on his ledger. Norman still needs to fatten his resume a bit and Rougarou would make for a nice addition. Admittedly that is more of a long shot. So, let’s see what Team Prograis can parlay this badly needed win into next.
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