Josh Taylor stays unbeaten and was boxing’s absolutely unified 140-pound champion earlier than he gave up three of his 4 world titles.
Three years after Taylor edged Regis Prograis of their title unification battle, although, Prograis feels he has surpassed the Scottish southpaw as the most effective fighter of their division. Whereas Prograis is for certain he has improved since their intently contested 12-rounder, the highly effective southpaw contended late Saturday evening that Taylor hasn’t gotten higher.
Prograis hopes he will get the chance to show his superiority in a rematch, however the New Orleans native believes he gained some momentum in demonstrating his level by changing into the primary opponent to knock out Jose Zepeda. Prograis (28-1, 24 KOs) defeated Zepeda by Eleventh-round knockout Saturday evening at Dignity Well being Sports activities Park in Carson, California to win the WBC tremendous light-weight title Taylor relinquished earlier this 12 months.
“Pay attention, I need my get-back greater than something,” Prograis said throughout his post-fight press convention. “However I really feel like proper now I really feel like I’m the person within the division. So, I do wanna battle him once more. However I do really feel like I’m higher than him. However we’ll see. We’ll see what occurs. I been feeling that. You recognize, this, I informed you, this isn’t a shock. I been feeling like I’m the most effective at 140. I been feeling like that.”
The 33-year-old Prograis is 4-0, together with 4 knockouts, since Taylor edged him by majority determination within the ultimate of the World Boxing Tremendous Sequence’ 140-pound event in October 2020 at O2 Enviornment in London. Zepeda (36-3, 28 KOs, 2 NC), a robust southpaw from La Puente, California, is the most effective of the 4 foes Prograis has knocked out since his shut loss to Taylor.
The 31-year-old Taylor (19-0, 13 KOs) is scheduled to field British southpaw Jack Catterall (26-1, 13 KOs) in a 12-round rematch February 4 at OVO Hydro in Glasgow. Catterall dropped Taylor and gave the long-reigning champion maybe essentially the most tough battle of his profession final February 26 at OVO Hydro, however Taylor gained a controversial cut up determination.
Ahead of later, Prograis in all probability should face the previous WBC/WBO champion Taylor beat, Jose Ramirez, to change into boxing’s second undisputed 140-pound champion of the four-belt period in Could 2021. Ramirez (27-1, 17 KOs), of Avenal, California, is the primary of two obligatory challengers for Prograis’ championship and except Prograis secures a title unification battle, he might need to fulfill Ramirez subsequent.
Nonetheless his schedule develops in 2023, Prograis is ecstatic to be a champion for the second time in his 10-year professional profession.
“You recognize, it’s unhappy in boxing to the place it’s such as you take a loss,” Prograis defined, “and I nonetheless really feel like I gained the battle, however you’re taking a loss and other people simply, they sweep you beneath the rug. You recognize, it’s like I needed to climb my method out of hell, out of boxing hell, and, you already know, I’m again right here. However for me, it’s not a shock. I informed you it’s not a shock. I labored my ass off each single day for 3 years to get again [to] this. … If the [Taylor rematch] current itself, then yeah, and I’ll undoubtedly beat him for positive.”
Keith Idec is a senior author/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He will be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.