Josh Taylor and Regis Prograis put on a show in London!
In arguably the most anticipated and closest fights on paper of 2019, #1 seed Regis Prograis would meet #2 seed Josh Taylor in the junior welterweight World Boxing Super Series (WBSS) finals!
Futhermore, the two would unify the WBA (Progrias) and IBF (Taylor) titles and stand next to current WBC and WBO champion Jose Ramirez as the other unified champion at junior welterweight.
This fight did not disappoint for hardcore enthusiasts who like to see a chess match for dissection and educational purposes. For the average fan, the constant jostling on the inside and the inability to see the “little things that matter” may have caused them to lose interest at times.
Starting Off Fast
The IBF champion would start off fast, keeping overwhelming volume in the face of Prograis. Meanwhile, the latter elected to take his time and identify any patterns his opponent sets.
As the WBA champion would paw with the jab, Taylor would jump in and with nothing less than three-punch combinations to keep his opponent from getting comfortable. Prograis is very logical in his attack, therefore, if he gets comfortable at any point in the ring, it will be a long night for his foe!
Taylor also wanted to show how much bigger and stronger he was. This was evidenced by him pushing Prograis around on the inside and standing his ground when his opponent tried to reciprocate.
However, what comes with utilizing a working game-plan is the probability of setting a pattern. As Prograis hoped, the pattern was set.
Capitalizing Off The Opponents Working Strategy
Moving into the second quarter of the fight, Taylor had more than likely bagged the first three rounds based off volume. However, as he started to jump in, Prograis would intelligently take a half-step back and shoot a hook to the body.
Also instead of trying to win the battle of strength on the inside, he let Taylor dictate the clinch while he did excellent work to the body. The strategy would cause the IBF champion to retreat more instead of trying to overwhelm the WBA champion.
In addition, the body-work would keep the more athletic Taylor off his toes and more stationary. This strategy would ultimately put Prograis back into the mix heading into the third quarter.
Who Would Get The Edge?
Now with both men having a taste of utilizing a working strategy, here is where adjustments will have to come into play. Who would have the better combination of IQ and skill to set themselves apart from the other in front of the judges?
As the WBA champ found a home for his body-attack, the IBF champ would gain a second wind and continue to impose his will. Also at times, he would utilize movement and make Prograis come to him. This would ultimately lead his opponent into some traps.
At this point in the fight, the idea that this would be a 50/50 fight is truly being manifested. Both men have gotten the best of each other. Both were bloody as Prograis was leaking from the nose and Taylor from above his right eye.
However, it seemed Taylor had shown a little more versatility. He did an excellent job of imposing his will as well as utilizing his boxing ability from the outside.
By the twelfth round, Prograis seemed to understand it was a round he needed to win! He went on the attack and man-handled Taylor all over the ring. At one point, he chased the IBF champion from one end of the ring to the next, landing shots in the process.
This would turn out to be the biggest round of the fight for the WBA champion but would it be enough?
The Conclusion Of A Great Bout
In the end, fans were treated to a perception of a great fight turned into reality! However, in most cases there will be a winner and a loser.
The official scorecards read 114-114, 115-113 and 117-112 for the fighter from Scotland! The latter scorecard raised the eyebrows of many fans tuning in but the decision was not a bad one by any means!
3kingsboxing.com scored the fight 114-114 for a draw!
As the winner of the WBSS and the unified champion, Taylor stated afterwards that he is ready to unify the division against Ramirez!
“Where you at Ramirez? Where you at?”
Josh Taylor – WBA, IBF Junior Welterweight Champion
Indeed…when will Ramirez and Taylor get it on?!
By: EJ Williams
