When asked to discuss the stakes in Saturday's WBC 140-pound title bout between defending champion Regis Prograis and former undisputed lightweight king Devin Haney, promoter Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Sport couldn't help but seem giddy.
"I think it's a 50/50 fight on Saturday and I can't wait," Hearn told "Morning Kombat" on Thursday. "It's just a tremendous matchup with so many questions to be answered."
Although the 25-year-old Haney (30-0, 15 KOs) is technically a 4-1 betting favorite, according to most oddsmakers, that's actually a lot closer to the "50/50" threshold Hearn mentioned than many of boxing's typical headlining bouts. But the part where Hearn couldn't be more correct ahead of this highly anticipated showdown inside the Chase Center in San Francisco (DAZN PPV, 8 p.m. ET) are the questions.
Prograis (29-1, 24 KOs) is fresh off such a poor showing in the first defense of his second title reign at 140 pounds, in a split-decision win against Danielito Zorrilla in June, that some have questioned whether the 34-year-old slugger has shown marked signs of decline. Haney, meanwhile, brings a different set of questions ahead of his junior welterweight debut, including whether his chin and power will carry up with him, and whether fans actually believe he won his last fight in May when he took home a disputed decision win over Vasily Lomachenko.
Regardless of said questions, fans are expecting an interesting style clash as the long, technical Haney pairs his educated jab and sublime footwork against the brawling, aggressive style of the southpaw Prograis.
"I think he is good but I just don't think he has what it takes to beat me," Prograis told CBS Sports on Monday. "Yeah, he's good but I just know that I am better. I really don't think he is as good as people think he is. A lot of people look at the outside stuff instead of the inside stuff. He was undisputed at 135 but was he really the best fighter at 135? I don't think so. I'm not overlooking him or anything but it's just going to be another night."
For Haney, the fight represents an exciting reunion with Hearn after the boxer nicknamed "The Dream" left Matchroom Sport and DAZN for a three-fight run on ESPN (through co-promoters Top Rank and DiBella Entertainment) which saw Haney accrue millions of dollars through a two-fight series in Australia with George Kambosos Jr., which ended with Haney unifying all four world titles at 135 pounds.
Not only does Hearn have no hard feelings for Haney leaving, he compared the relationship to the one he has with Mexican icon Canelo Alvarez, who has come and gone from Matchroom Sport in recent years whenever the right set of fights materialized. The major difference for Haney is that this is the strategy that he and his father/trainer/manager, Bill Haney, have implemented from the beginning, including when Haney first went to Mexico in 2015 to turn pro as a teenager instead of chasing the typical amateur and Olympic journey.
"I think being a free agent, or someone that moves across networks, is risky," Hearn said. "It doesn't give you the security you might want in your career but once you back yourself, it enables you to fight the fights that you want to be in across different networks and promoters. And when we signed Devin, we really took a chance with him as such a young man. We had a dream that he would become undisputed lightweight world champion with us.
"I've got to say, there's not much loyalty in boxing, but this kid did everything that he could to stay with us, to the point where I even said to him, 'Mate, you've got to do it,' and he said, 'Let me make these fights and I promise you that I will be back.' True to his word, he came back."
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Haney didn't just come back, he returned armed with the kind of verbal vengeance that has made this such an exciting build. Prograis has spent most of his time attacking Haney for his perceived lack of power while Haney has focused on the sizable advantage in pure skill that he expects to hold over the more raw and aggressive Prograis.
"I'm going in there to hurt him and just show him I'm on a different level," Haney said at the final press conference this week. "The world will see how great Devin Haney really is. This is a massive event for boxing. I knew that it would be a big event coming back here and now the time is almost here. I'm not a novice fighter, I've been in there with the best in the world. Anybody that says they're just going to use power to beat me, you're never going to win. I've been on this level before, he has not been on this level, I will show him."
The pre-fight build has also given Haney a chance to echo the rest of the boxing world on wondering what exactly happened to Prograis in his June homecoming in New Orleans against Zorrilla. Prograis appeared lifeless as the threat of Zorrilla's power seemed enough to discipline his opponent in 12-round bout that was largely void of activity.
Prograis was very honest when asked to pinpoint what went wrong, citing the pressure that came with being the A-side of, what was expected to be, a hometown showcase fight. The native of New Orleans, who relocated to Houston after Hurricane Katrina, blamed the fact that he stopped by his mother's house just hours before the event and became embroiled in a distracting ticket controversy that he now credits as a blessing in disguise.
"If I had to thank anybody, it was Zorrilla," Prograis said. "If that fight wouldn't have happened, I would never be getting this shot. If I had knocked him out in the first few rounds, like I normally do, I wouldn't be getting this opportunity. For me, it was just an off night. He came to run around the ring all night as a replacement on three weeks' notice. It's no excuse but you are only as good as your last fight and I can't wait to prove it."
Considering the Zorrilla fight also marked Prograis' own return to Matchroom Sport after bouncing around promotionally in recent years, it comes as no surprise that Hearn would equally downplay the merits of such an underwhelming performance.
"I think, as the [Haney] fight gets closer, people are starting to give Regis a real shot," Hearn said. "There's probably too much attention and analysis on the Zorilla performance because I just don't think he could get himself up for that fight. My God, he is up for this fight and Haney better be ready to be hit harder than he ever has been hit before."
With no shortage of big names in and around the division, Hearn believes the winner of Saturday's fight "must fight" Ryan Garcia next. It's an idea that would be easy to procure because, not only does Garcia hold interest, the 25-year-old star also fights for DAZN but under the Golden Boy Promotions banner.
All Prograis wants to talk about, however, is what he plans on doing to Haney first.
"Haney is somebody that wants to prove himself," Prograis said. "I think that when the fight gets hard -- and it's going to get hard – he won't lay down but he is going to be forced to lay down. That is what I am going to do. I don't think he is one that will quit but I am going to force him to lay down. It's going to be 12 rounds of f---ing hell. That's what I am prepared for. Anything he can do, I am prepared for."
Let's take a closer look at the odds for each bout on the main card before getting to a prediction and expert pick on the main event below.
Fight card, odds
| Favorite | Underdog | Weightclass |
|---|---|---|
| Devin Haney -480 | Regis Prograis +360 | Vacant WBC junior welterweight title |
| Liam Paro -178 | Montana Love +143 | Junior welterweights |
| Andy Cruz -3500 | Jovanni Straffon +1350 | Lightweights |
| Ebanie Bridges (c) -600 | Miyo Yoshida +430 | IBF bantamweight title |
Viewing information
- Date: Dec. 9
- Location: Chase Center -- San Francisco, California
- Start time: 8 p.m. ET
- How to watch: DAZN PPV (Subscribe now) | Price: $59.99
Prediction
If Prograis is unable to get inside, this could prove to be a very, very long night for him.
Few boxers, even at his young age, have the type of technical mastery and defensive dominance that Haney does. And after years of making a hard cut to 135 pounds as a huge lightweight, Prograis may find out the hard way just how much Haney's power, stamina and explosiveness might increase when he's not as physically taxed at the higher weight.
The only real question mark that has ever been shown by Haney is whether or not he has the chin to survive the type of two-action that Prograis plans to deliver but so few have been able to create against Haney.
Former lightweight champion Jorge Linares hurt Haney late in their 2021 bout, forcing Haney to hold on and circle away until the final bell. That was the last time, however, that Haney has found himself in an overly compromising position as few boxers, regardless of weight, have enjoyed the type of control that Haney exhibits behind his educated jab.
While Prograis is uniquely skilled enough to give Haney trouble in pockets, particularly should he prove able to cut off the ring consistently, it's difficult to imagine him fighting any better than he did in his lone pro defeat. Prograis dropped a competitive split decision to former undisputed 140-pound champion Josh Taylor in their World Boxing Super Series finale in their 2019 thriller, but it was the kind of fun fight that makes it difficult imagining Haney being a willing participant.
Look for Haney to spend most of the bout using his footwork to avoid tight spaces while picking Prograis apart from distance in a fight that is sexy on paper but has too much potential to be a one-sided clinic.
Pick: Haney via UD12
Who wins Devin Haney vs. Regis Prograis, and which prop is a must-back? Visit SportsLine now to see Peter Kahn's best bets for Saturday, all from the boxing specialist who has netted his followers a profit of nearly $4,000, and find out.
