Regis Prograis. Photograph by Tom Hogan
CARSON, California – Regis Prograis-Jose Zepeda was an elite-level matchup on paper and that’s the way it performed out on a cold Saturday evening within the open-air enviornment of the Dignity Well being Sports activities Park.
Prograis (28-1, 24 KOs), Ring Journal’s No. 1-rated junior welterweight, relentlessly wore down the sport and all the time harmful Zepeda to an Eleventh-round stoppage in entrance a pro-Zepeda crowd and numerous boxing luminaries. The New Orleans native picked up the vacant WBC 140-pound title together with his hard-fought victory, which was offered by Legendz Leisure in affiliation with MarvNatin Promotions and was broadcast stay on FITE.television (PPV).
“This was my hardest combat, I’m not going to lie,” Prograis stated throughout his post-fight interview. “I need to congratulate Jose Zepeda, that dude is hard, robust, so robust”
Zepeda (35-3, 27 KOs), Ring’s No. 3-rated contender, has quite a bit in widespread with Prograis. Each are 33. Each are southpaws. Each are hard-nosed boxer-punchers. Each are throw-back fighters keen to face the world’s finest fighters of their opponent’s backyards. Each are keen to earn their methods again to the highest after struggling setbacks.
Prograis scored three stoppages vs. mid-level opposition since struggling his solely loss, a majority resolution to Josh Taylor in 2019, coming into the Zepeda bout. Zepeda had received six in a row, together with the 2020 Combat of the Yr vs. Ivan Baranchyk, since dropping a majority resolution to then-titleholder Jose Ramirez in 2019.
Zepeda stated he would contemplate retirement if he didn’t beat Prograis throughout fight-week interviews.
“This is my third title alternative,” the La Puente, California resident instructed The Ring on Tuesday.
“I’ve all of the expertise. I’ve had two title pictures, I’ve been within the combat of the 12 months, that is it. That is the perfect preparation I’ve had in my profession, so Prograis goes to face the perfect model of me. It’s now or by no means. That is it for me. This must be it.”
It wasn’t, however Prograis thinks it will be a mistake for Zepeda to name it quits.
“I’ve a lot respect for you,” Prograis instructed Zepeda. “You ready me to win this belt and to carry this belt. Don’t cease (boxing). You gonna be a world champion.”
Nonetheless, on November 26, the evening belonged to Prograis, who wished it extra and wouldn’t be denied. Prograis was the aggressor all through a combat that started as a high-speed chess match and progressively remodeled right into a battle of attrition by the center rounds. Prograis compelled that transition.
Within the early rounds, Zepeda welcomed the higher-volume assault, assured that his composed counter-punching method would catch Prograis coming in the identical approach he repeatedly clipped Baranchyk. Nonetheless, Prograis is smarter and extra versatile than the Russian puncher that went to conflict with Zepeda and was in the end despatched to hell.
Prograis appeared to have enjoyable as his physique warmed up within the chilly evening air. He stored transferring, his palms, his head and higher physique, his ft; out and in, feinting, taunting, however often THROWING with dangerous intentions. He wished to combat. Zepeda wished to catch him coming in, however each junior welterweights proved to have world-class chins.
So, as Prograis progressively dragged Zepeda right into a extra bodily combat, he correctly attacked the physique, a tactic that paid dividends down the stretch. By the late rounds, Prograis’ assualt had swagger. He assailed Zepda with flamboyant overhand lefts blended in with hammer-jabs.
Zepeda had moments in each spherical however simply wasn’t in a position to damage or discourage Prograis, and he couldn’t match Prograis’ punch output or bodily energy after they grappled for many of Spherical 10. Zepeda acquired his final rise out of the gang by touchdown his finest pictures throughout that arduous spherical, however he was gassed going into the championship rounds and Prograis pounced on him early in Spherical 11, beautiful him with an enormous left and rapidly overwhelming him into the ropes the place referee Ray Corona waved it off at 59 seconds of the spherical.
“At first I wished to return out and field him,” Prograis stated, “however then I began catching my rhythm. I skilled laborious for this, like six months, I labored my ass off each single day, so I wished to take him deep and drown him.”
Mission completed. Prograis, now a two-time world titleholder, refused to name anybody out throughout his post-fight interview.
“I don’t should say no one’s identify. I’m going to allow them to say my identify.”
Members of the media introduced up Taylor in the course of the post-fight press convention.
Prograis stated he want to run it again in opposition to the one man to defeat him.
“I would like my get-back, greater than something,” he stated. “However I don’t really feel like I must chase him. I really feel like I’m the person at 140 kilos.”
E-mail Fischer at [email protected]. Comply with him on Twitter and IG at @dougiefischer, and be a part of him, Tom Loeffler, Coach Schwartz and buddies through Tom’s or Doug’s IG Dwell most Sundays.
