Devin Haney Vs. Regis Prograis Breakdown
On December 9th, 2023, Devin Haney takes on Regis Prograis for the WBC junior welterweight championship of the world.
Haney arrives into the fight following his victory over Vasiliy Lomachenko via a unanimous decision, something which was disputed by the boxing community. This time, however, Haney takes on a world champion at 140 after having moved up from lightweight. Prograis, meanwhile, is still the main man at 140 after having only lost to Josh Taylor, the former undisputed champion at junior welterweight. So, let’s take a look at the tactical breakdown.
Haney
The key for Haney to achieve victory will be to implement his jab to disrupt Prograis’ rhythm and timing by using his lateral movement. And in doing so, he can frustrate the WBC champion in order to then capitalise on any counter-punching opportunities that may come his way. In his last fight against Danielito Zorrilla, Prograis could not close the distance.
His shorter reach hindered him, while the attempts to use feints with his guard was not impactful. And given that Haney excels when he keeps things at a distance, will the Dream be able to cope if Prograis closes the distance? Haney, therefore, may seek to tie up his man in the clinch to prevent any work on the inside.
Prograis
As for Prograis, his power punches and head movement can help him set up the victory. But in doing so, he must gauge the distance properly in order not to leave himself wide open. His left hand is the money shot, something which Haney will have to be wary of.
The champion fights his best on the back foot when he is seeking to counter punch. But if Haney is not willing to come forward, then Prograis may struggle to put the pressure when working his jab. The WBC champion’s jab is often readable as he shuffles his feet once he throws it.
In addition, the jab is often thrown at midrange, which may expose Prograis. In the Zorrilla fight, the latter managed to counter the American with his own jab and lead cross as Prograis touched the canvas. However, Prograis does make up for that with excellent reflexes.
Weaknesses
But at the age of 34, Prograis is no spring chicken. And much like Loma, he does fight with a low guard, often utilising pre-slips before he sets off his attacks. But that repetition of attack may leave him vulnerable to the lead cross, something which Haney is known for against southpaws.
Although Prograis could utilise a high guard, he often puts himself in a bad position with his footwork, which Haney could get the better of. That is why Prograis must cut the ring off. Against Zorrilla, the American struggled to pin his opponent on the ropes.
A key part of that was Prograis’ footwork, which was simply in a straight line. The boxer failed to use his lateral movement to stop Zorrilla from escaping the inside. And Prograis only moved in a lateral fashion once Zorilla circled away from danger. That has left boxing fans with an intriguing match-up. So who will come out victorious?
Comments
“I’m going to beat the sh**t out of him. I’m thankful to be in this position and it’s a dream come true. This is a huge fight for boxing and it’s a big opportunity for me because I have always dreamed of becoming a two-weight division world champion.
“I’m happy that I can hold on to my titles but also happy that I can challenge Regis, who is the best at 140. But I will show that I’m on a different level and that I am the best. I’m excited for it, and I think the fight is going to fireworks. I’m far above him,” Haney
“We can go back-and-forth but I don’t try to get underneath anyone’s skin. That’s not what I do. Maybe he doesn’t get the respect he deserves. He could have had it the easy way and I heard that they bought their losses away. I heard that from a bunch of people.
“But that s**t don’t matter for me. For me, I’m going to fight him, and I don’t care what you got. It’s about me and you now. I look at who he is now because that’s who I’m fighting. [And] I don’t care about all his past s**t. I care about fighting him now and that’s what I’m looking forward to. I believe I have the power to take anyone out,” Prograis
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