8:20 AM ET
Ben BabyESPN Staff Writer
- ESPN Staff Writer
- Previously a assemblage shot writer for The Dallas Morning News
- University of North Texas graduate
Nine days earlier Regis Prograis has his biggest combat successful years, helium was desperately looking for a bath -- portion driving.
Part of the weight-cutting process involves drinking 2 gallons of h2o a time successful bid to marque the inferior welterweight bounds of 140 pounds. On this day, helium pulled up to a Burger King for a speedy stop, lone to beryllium told the restroom is lone for customers.
"Obviously, I can't devour nary Burger King close now," an aggravated Prograis told ESPN. "So ... yeah."
Having to relieve himself outdoors is simply a occupation Prograis volition gladly tackle -- fixed the past fewer years. Prograis is 1 of boxing's erstwhile champions who highlights a unsocial occupation successful the sport. Talented fighters specified arsenic Prograis who are unattached to immoderate of boxing's marquee promotions are often caught successful pugilistic purgatory -- excessively bully for lesser opposition, excessively risky for big-name fights.
On Saturday, Prograis volition get his ace astatine being a two-time champion erstwhile helium faces Jose Zepeda astatine Dignity Health Sports Park successful Carson, California (PPV, 9 p.m. ET). A triumph gives him the WBC inferior welterweight loop and a large accidental to amusement wherefore helium deserves much marque fights successful the future.
"I ever archer people, boxing-wise, it's frustrating," Prograis told ESPN. "I consciousness similar people, they effort to fastener maine out. I archer radical I'm my ain boss. People don't tally me. I bash my ain thing. I'm my ain boss."
Prograis (27-1, 23 KOs) is successful his biggest combat since he mislaid a unified rubric combat against Josh Taylor successful October 2019, which was besides the finals of a World Boxing Super Series tournament. Prograis mislaid a bulk determination 115-113, 117-112, 114-114. After taking the IBF and WBA loop from Prograis, Taylor went connected to bushed Jose Ramirez to go the undisputed champion.
At the time, Prograis was promoted by DiBella Entertainment. But aft the Taylor fight, helium divided ways with DiBella and yet recovered his mode to Probellum, an upstart promotional outfit spearheaded by erstwhile Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer.
Prograis gave Taylor much problems than Ramirez, who was stopped successful their 2021 bout. But that didn't assistance Prograis either. After that fight, Prograis' hostile lineup has been underwhelming -- Juan Herladez, Ivan Redkach and astir recently, Tyrone McKenna.
The New Orleans autochthonal said helium was penciled successful to combat connected the Oleksandr Usyk-Anthony Joshua II undercard successful Saudi Arabia connected Aug. 20, but that combat was scrapped. There was besides speech of a bout against erstwhile contender Viktor Postol.
However, erstwhile Ramirez backed retired successful July of a combat against Zepeda for the WBC loop because of a struggle with his October wedding, Prograis jumped connected the opportunity.
Prograis was grooming for the imaginable Postol fight, but erstwhile Zepeda became available, helium stopped his campy with longtime trainer Bobby Benton, went to Colombia for a week to sojourn his begetter and past restarted campy with Benton successful mentation for this weekend. Essentially, Prograis said helium has been grooming for the past six months.
"Literally, I conscionable took that aforesaid mindset into these past 3 years," said Prograis, who has a gym successful his location successful the Houston suburb of Rosenberg, Texas. "I conscionable kept training, training, training."
Prograis isn't unsocial arsenic 1 of boxing's sojourners. Jaron "Boots" Ennis, who is signed with D&D Boxing, is ESPN's No. 3 welterweight and successful a akin situation.
Ennis (29-0, 27 KOs) knocked retired Custio Clayton successful Carson, California, successful May. In his postfight interrogation connected Showtime, Ennis cited his presumption arsenic the IBF's No. 1 contender and called retired champion Errol Spence Jr., who was seated astatine ringside.
"It's clip to spell fishing," Ennis said, a play connected Spence's proclamation arsenic the "big fish" successful the division.
But for Ennis and Prograis, reeling successful the large names has been a challenge. Top Rank has held a stranglehold connected the 140-pound part (Taylor, Ramirez, Teofimo Lopez Jr., to sanction a few), portion Premier Boxing Champions has locked things up successful the 147-pound people (Spence, Keith Thurman, Yordenis Ugas).
Zepeda is Prograis' champion hostile since Taylor. The Californian challenged Ramirez successful 2019 for the WBC loop but mislaid successful a bulk decision. Like Prograis, Zepeda wants to found himself astatine the apical of the division.
"I wasn't amazed astatine each that we got this fight," Zepeda said astatine a quality league successful October. "We some wanted it, we some privation to go satellite champions. Both of america request this title, we're 33 years aged and successful our prime. Whoever wins this rubric volition person a life-changing experience."
Should Prograis win, helium knows a imaginable combat against Ramirez is looming since Ramirez is the mandatory challenger. But Prograis besides wants different ace astatine the lone combatant who has beaten him arsenic a pro.
"First connected my deed database is Josh Taylor," helium said.
He knows however important his accidental connected Saturday volition beryllium for the semipermanent arc of his career. And fixed the struggles of navigating boxing's authorities implicit the past 3 years, it's not 1 that helium wants to squander.
"My confidence, it ne'er diminished," Prograis said. "I ever felt the aforesaid mode astir myself.
"I cognize I'm the best, I conscionable request to beryllium it. That's all."
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