Regis Prograis is Ready to Rumble!
With just under a month to go until fight night, Regis “Rougarou” Prograis is already prime for battle. On October 26, Prograis (24-0, 20 KO’s) will collide with Josh “The Tartan Tornado” Taylor (15-0, 12 KO’s) in the finals of the World Boxing Super Series super lightweight tournament.
The two will meet for the significant unification bout in the O2 Arena located in Greenwich, London. Sky Box Office will televise the bout. Hanging in the balance will be Prograis’ WBA super lightweight and WBC Diamond belt. Taylor will offer up his IBF super lightweight title, as well as the Ring magazine belt.
Throughout the buildup to the competitive dust-up, each combatant has been respectful and professional. Each continues assuring that they themselves will certainly walk away the victor. Still, neither has failed to give their upcoming rival their just due. In fact, Prograis and Taylor received far greater disrespect from heavyweight, and longtime colorful boxing character, Dereck “War” Chisora.
During one of the official pressers, Chisora was candid in expressing his acidic discontent that two “little guys” were the main event on a card in his London backyard. The Rougarou was the sole person on stage to take issue with Chisora’s unexpected outburst.
Since this time, however, War has been removed from the card all together. The change in line-up became necessary when his opponent, Joseph Parker, withdrew due to illness.
It would have been interesting to see the interactions between War and the Rougarou during the final press week though.
ROUGAROU READY FOR BATTLE
With this side melodrama placed to the side, Prograis is looking forward to making his trek to London. Even all these weeks out, the native Louisianan feels like he is hitting on cylinders. Whether it be the ferocity of his punches, split second in-ring decisions or his sturdy chin, Prograis reveals that he has never felt better.
This is not to say that Prograis doesn’t have tools to sharpen with his remaining time in camp. He readily admits that he does. Nevertheless, like most top fighters, he is in a mind state where he just can’t see himself losing. Although precarious for some, the Rougarou is even looking forward to facing Taylor’s southpaw style as stated in an interview with FightHype.
“For me it doesn’t matter, southpaw, orthodox, even if they switch. I think Josh Taylor, he’s a switch hitter. It doesn’t matter what they bring, I’ll be ready for everything!
“[…] I never know what I’m going to do, you know? I know they don’t know what I’m going to do because I don’t know what I’m going to do. […] I can do so many different things in the ring.
“So whatever he gives me, whatever he doesn’t give me, that’s what I’ll capitalize on and I will adjust to it and I’ll do whatever I need to do.”
Even the notion of waging battle on enemy territory cannot bend the Rougarou’s confidence. It’s commonly said that the UK boxing fans are some of the best on the face of the globe. Prograis feels that due to this high reverence for the craft of boxing, he will get his just due if the bout goes to the scorecards.
“I think I can win a decision no matter what. I mean I think all of, you know, the judges and officials, you know they are all neutral. So, I don’t think I will have to stop him or nothing like that.
“I think that I can, I definitely think that I can win a decision. Based on my style, you know the UK fans you know are real great fans and they’re real big into boxing. So, they know what they looking at.
“You know, it’s not like a lot people that’s biased and don’t know what they are looking at, especially the judges. They know what they looking at […] so I don’t feel like its pressure on me to knock him out.”
All in all, Prograis is ready for whatever may come. A boxing match, blood rumble, knockout or decision. The stage he is set to take is one that he’s sought his entire boxing career. Now, at this point in time, he is poised to take full advantage.
3kingsboxing will continue to cover and report on this explosive upcoming fight.
“Just be me, that’s the main thing. […] it’s not just one solution to how I’m going to beat him. I’m just going to go out there and be me and have fun like I always do.”
By: Bakari Simpson
