Regis Prograis Eyes a Migration From Boxing To Bare Knuckle
It is not an uncommon occurrence for fighters to make a snap decision to retire following particularly sour defeats. Especially when the competitor is entering the twilight of their career. Such was the case when former junior welterweight champion Regis “Rougarou” Prograis (29-3, 24 KO’s) recently announced his retirement from the sport of boxing following his undressing at the hands of Jack Catterall.
After having a somewhat successful first half, Prograis would go on to be outfoxed, dropped twice, suffer a leg injury and made to look silly on several occasions. Even worse, it immediately follows his loss to Devin Haney in their previous prizefight almost one year prior. Obviously, in the moment, it was too much for Rougarou who heaped praise on Catterall and revealed his intention to begin a career as a bare-knuckle brawler.
“Listen, Jack was just better! Jack was the better man, I am not going to lie. I just feel like he was the better man. He deserves a world title shot, I think I’ve fought the best of them. So far, I think Jack is probably the top, the top I’ve fought so far. So he definitely deserves a world title shot next. Give this man a round of applause!”
“Now it might be time to go over to bare knuckle or something like that. Obviously I’ll go talk to my team and stuff, but I think maybe twelve rounds might be too much for me now. So for now I think I’ll go to bare knuckle, do something else, and let the young guys take over. ”
SHIFTING SANDS
There is no question that his retirement came as something of a surprise. Since losing his title to Haney, Prograis had been very vocal about becoming a three-time champion. Clearly, his opinion on this has shifted toward retirement.
It is just as equally commonplace to see fighters renege on those words and return from short or extended stints in a retirement that didn’t take. Prograis is a prime candidate to fall into this category. Not only does he not seem like a shot fighter, he obviously has intention on continuing to chuck knuckles for pay. This is why bare-knuckle seems a curious choice.
WHICH WAY ARE WE REALLY GOING?
If being honest, it’s obvious that crafty mobile fighters, such as Josh Taylor, Devin Haney and now Jack Catterall, appear to be beyond his hunting capabilities. This does not mean he is ready for the rubbish heap. To be honest, Prograis was ranked #7 (WBO), #7 (IBF), #7 (WBA) and #12 (WBC) heading into the duel with Catterall. Said to say, he can definitely still make some interesting fights that will net respectable paydays.
Without being Prograis’ accountant, it would stand to reason that Rougarou stands to make more money in boxing than in bare knuckle fighting. Going a step further, the bare-knuckle league will unquestionably come with far more wear-and-tear. So why take more abuse on a smaller stage for less money? Once again though, it’s not uncommon for fighters to backtrack on spur-of-the-moment announcements like this. So let’s see what Prograis has to say in the upcoming weeks and months.
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