Jack Catterall v Regis Prograis Rescheduled For October 26
The super-lightweight fight between Jack Catterall and Regis Prograis has been rescheduled for October 26, organizers said on Monday.
Catterall (29-1-0 13 KO) and Prograis (29-2-0 24 KO) were initially meant to meet in the ring in Manchester, England on August 24, but an injury in training to Catterall forced the fight to be canceled.
It was initially unclear whether the fight was postponed or scrapped entirely but a social media post from Matchroom Boxing, which represents both fighters, confirmed the bout is back on for October.
“New date. The Super Lightweight showdown between @jackcatt1 and @regisprograis takes place October 26 at @thecooplive,” Matchroom posted on Instagram, adding that tickets are on sale.
After the cancellation of the first date, Matchroom said it would offer fans refunds for tickets, although there has been no word yet on whether customers who had yet to claim refunds would be able to still use the same tickets.
Catterall enters the bout following the biggest win of his career in May when he finally avenged his controversial 2022 defeat to Josh Taylor by claiming a comfortable points win in Leeds, England.
That victory put Catterall in prime position for a world title shot; he is the No 2-ranked contender by both the WBO and WBC, and third with the IBF and WBA. But with no opportunities available as the reigning champions rest following recent fights, the Englishman agreed to fight Prograis.
It’s a risky bout that comes with potentially huge rewards. A win over the former two-time world champion would announce Catterall as a major force at 140lbs and boost his case to fight for the vacant WBC title.
However, Prograis has his own ambitions to get back in the winners’ circle having lost the WBC title to Devin Haney in December in a near-shutout points defeat.
The New Orleans native first became a world champion when he held the division’s WBA title in April 2019, but like Catterall, controversially lost to Taylor in their unification bout six months later. He became a two-time champion in November 2022 by claiming the vacant WBC belt with an 11th-round knockout of Jose Zepeda. Prograis had one defense before the defeat to Haney.
Prograis admitted last week that the cancellation of the August 24 date left him annoyed having been deep in a grueling training camp in the stifling Nevada heat.
“I have truly invested in myself for this training camp,” he said. “I was working my ass off in Las Vegas, setting up camp, paying for everything. Every day, I was busting my ass and watching Jack’s fights before I went to sleep. And now this happens. It’s very upsetting.”
He will be relieved that the bout is back on, even if it means resetting his training schedule.
