by “I I still love being a fighter,” says Regis Prograis as the two-time former world champion, aged 35, prepares for another test fight in Manchester on Saturday evening. The American super lightweight, who has excelled in the division for eight years, will face Jack Catterall, who has lost just once and controversially in 30 fights.
Prograis has suffered two defeats in 31 contests and his resolve and ambition will be tested again after a significant defeat in his last contest against Devin Haney. This humiliating defeat cost him his WBC world title. But Prograis is usually optimistic about finding new meaning in this difficult old business.
He emphasizes that his love for boxing is “the reason why I still do it.” I really want to become world champion again for the third time. This is something I long for. I’ve done it twice before, but three is special. Three is legendary because Muhammad Ali was a three-time champion.”
The winner between Catterall and Prograis has almost certainly earned another shot at the world title, but for once the high stakes were not accompanied by pinpricks or routine nonsense. “Jack is super friendly,” says Prograis in his laconic New Orleans style. “Really, really friendly. But I know we still have to fight.
“In the first duel it looked like we were talking nonsense, but he just asked me about my flight. I smiled and said, “Yeah, my flight was cool.” Then he asked me if I enjoyed Manchester. I was super happy because I’m back on the big stage and I want to go out there and show my skills.”
Last December, against Haney in San Francisco, the atmosphere was tense and frenetic. During fight week, a constant verbal battle with the big-talking Bill Haney, Devin’s father, often seemed to consume Prograis, and he admits he was distracted. “Oh, sure. 100%. I knew we were setting up the fight, but they were definitely on my mind.
“A lot of people don’t like Bill Haney. He can be a clown at times, but at the same time he is also smart. This is interesting because boxing is much more mental than physical. We all train hard, but your mentality makes the difference.
“Physically I was good but before the fight it was a mess. For everyone around me it was like a big old party, like a pre-fight celebration. I had my friends in my room, people filming, girls doing their hair. There was way too much going on and I didn’t like it.
“Manchester is so much better. When I’m not working out at the gym, I just stay in my hotel room, read and watch TV. To be honest, I would rather fight away now. This is almost his hometown [Catterall is from Chorley] and it is definitely his homeland. But there is no pressure on me. I’m just chilling. Nobody calls me. There’s nothing wrong with me.
“I’m returning to my roots. When I rose in the ranks, I would sit in my room all day before a fight. The last time I was in London [when he lost a narrow points decision in a compelling fight against Josh Taylor in October 2019] We did something every day. It was non-stop, I was on the road all the time and did a lot of media. It was too much and I learned from it. This time I’m training in the morning and evening, but otherwise I’m here [he gestures to his hotel room].”
Prograis smiles when I ask if he’s bored. “I’m used to boredom. But there is a cinema three minutes walk from here, and on Sunday I saw “The Apprentice,” the biopic about Donald Trump. It’s a terrible film, but it passes the time.”
The rest of this time is often occupied by thoughts of Catterall, and despite all his friendliness, Prograis is almost dismissive of his opponent’s credibility. In February 2022, Catterall, at his best, was robbed of his rightful victory against Taylor. He knocked down the feisty Scot and dominated the fight, but two of the three judges somehow gave Taylor the decision. Catterall won the rematch in May this year, but it was a much more difficult fight for him.
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Prograis shrugs when I ask if he is impressed by Catterall. “Not really. I feel like he won the first fight – but the second one was a lot closer. They kind of owed him the decision. But the Josh Taylor he fought was nothing but the guy who I fought in 2019. I still thought I beat Taylor and if we had a rematch I would probably stop him.
“So I don’t know how difficult it will be on Saturday night. Me and Taylor fought for 12 rounds. Jack doesn’t have as much resistance as Taylor. He’s more of a boxer, but Jack isn’t that smart, and if I land I’ll hurt him. Jack gets beaten a lot and I know he’s never had to deal with someone like me. And apart from Taylor, there’s nothing else on his resume. If you take Taylor off my resume, I’m still a two-time world champion. This game is all about levels, and I play levels above them.”
A voracious reader of boxing books, Prograis understands the dangers of the ring better than most fighters. But he sounds calm as he promises, “If I do what I did in sparring, everything will be perfect.” My trainer Bobby Benton is really calm and tells me, “Go have fun.”
“When I first heard that, it did something different in my brain. He told me to just have fun. I realize we thought this way as children. When I started boxing when I was 16, 17, I did it to have fun. But then you grow up, you start fighting and you rise to a higher level as you get older. It’s not fun anymore. You start to feel pressure.”
Prograis shrugs his shoulders. He looks calm and relaxed, as if after all his years of fighting and lessons in the ring he has truly found what he loves most about boxing.
“You can’t call it a game,” he says, “but I enjoy it.” That’s what I do and that’s what I like to do. So I just have to go out there, have fun, have fun and do what I did in the gym. If I can do all that, I shouldn’t have any problems on Saturday night.”
