Regis Prograis corrected Eddie Hearn during an outdoor press conference Tuesday morning in San Francisco.
Prograis’s promoter calls the strong southpaw’s fight against Devin Haney a classic case of “skill [versus] strength.
” Haney, taller and right-handed, is often considered one of the best fighters in boxing, while Prograis’s power is often considered the most prominent element of his game.
marveled at his talent in the 12-round fight for Prograis’ WBC super lightweight title on December 9 at Chase Center in San Francisco.
Prograis predicts he will knock out Haney in the debut of the undisputed and undefeated lightweight champion at 140 pounds, but not before the two-time champion displays skills that Haney will also cannot be processed.
“I believe I have the power to take down anyone,” Prograis said.
“But I feel like, you know, I think – I don’t want to say too much, but I think he would be amazed by the skill.
Like I worked my ass off, man.
Like I’ve been working out in LA, working out, doing all that Texas bullshit, working out, all that bullshit for a long time now.
So this won’t be a battle between skill and strength.
It will be skill versus skill.
“And I still have power, but it won’t be, oh, it’s just skill versus power.
” No, this will be a battle between skill and skill and I want to show everyone that skill.
That’s what I want to show in this fight, skill.
And I had the power.
Obviously I also have strength, but it’s not a skill that counters strength.
It will be a question of skill versus skill.
Prograis (29-1, 24 KOs) has won 80% of his fights by knockout or technical knockout since the New Orleans native made his professional debut in April 2012.
Four of Prograis’ five fights have ended in knockout victories since he suffered his only defeat – a 12-round majority decision loss to then-unbeaten Scottish southpaw Josh Taylor in October 2019 at the O2 Arena in London.
Haney, 24, has won just 50% of his professional distance fights (30-0, 15 KOs).
Each of Haney’s seven fights has gone all 12 rounds since the Oakland native stopped Russian Zaur Abdullaev after the fourth round in September 2019 at the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York .
Oddsmakers clearly believe Haney’s boxing ability and youth will help separate him from Prograis in their DAZN Pay-Per-View main event.
DraftKings sportsbook has the IBF, WBA, WBC and WBO 135-pound champion as a 3-1 favorite to dominate Prograis.
