The Boxing Truth®

The story of the WBC Jr. Welterweight world championship bout between two-time world champion Regis Prograis and undefeated former Undisputed Lightweight champion of the world Devin Haney on December 9th in San Francisco, CA beyond what seemed to be legitimate bad blood between the two fighters was whether or not Haney, in his first fight in the 140lb. Jr. Welterweight division could defeat arguably the top fighter in the division, who because of his style a hybrid mix of hand speed and power, not all that unlike Haney’s, was also one of the more avoided fighters in and around the division. A crowd of 16,000 spectators filed into the Chase Center for what was one of the more anticipated fights of 2023. What the crowd in attendance saw was a demonstration of a true master class with Haney giving a lecture. From the opening bell, Haney’s hand speed, lateral movement, angles, and timing were on full display. Such attributes kept Prograis at a distance where he simply could not get his pun...

As the year 2023 begins to wind down, there are only a few dates left on the Boxing schedule in the month of December that should be of interest to many Boxing fans. One of those dates will take place on December 9th in San Francisco, CA as two-time Jr. Welterweight world champion Regis Prograis, current holder of the WBC Jr. Welterweight world championship, will make the second defense of his title against undefeated former Undisputed Lightweight champion of the world Devin Haney. An intriguing encounter between two dynamic fighters, which will take place at the Chase Center and can be seen in North America on DAZN Pay-Per-View and as part of a standard subscription to DAZN’s streaming network internationally. Ironically, this fight cones as many believe both fighters lost their respective last fights against different opposition. As most know, in his last outing in what turned out to be his final defense of the Undisputed Lightweight world championship, Devin Haney scored a controve...

The fight between undefeated former two-division world champion Shakur Stevenson and WBC number six rated Lightweight contender Edwin De Los Santos was not only for the vacant WBC Lightweight championship of the world, but some felt it could signal the beginning of what might be a new era in the 135lb. Lightweight division. A new era that seemingly has started with the former Undisputed Lightweight world champion Devin Haney choosing to roll the dice and move up in weight to challenge WBC Jr. Welterweight world champion Regis Prograis in a fight that will take place on December 9th in San Francisco, CA.  While Haney still holds three portions of the World Lightweight championship as of this writing, it is expected by many whether or not he wins that fight against Prograis that he will remain as a 140lb. Jr. Welterweight going forward, due largely to struggles he has had in making the 135lb. Lightweight limit in recent fights. Although there was little to say prior to Stevenson’s bo...

The career of undefeated former two-division world champion Shakur Stevenson thus far has been one of dominance. After winning world championships in both the 126lb. Featherweight and 130lb. Jr. Lightweight divisions, Stevenson in part because of difficulty making the 130lb. Jr. Lightweight limit prior to his last scheduled title defense of the unified WBO/WBC world championship against Robson Conceicao In September of last year, losing the championship on the scale prior to scoring a twelve round unanimous decision, Stevenson set his sights on the 135lb. Lightweight division where in his debut as a Lightweight, he scored a knockout of a “Game,” but overmatched previously undefeated Shuichiro Yoshino in an elimination bout to determine the number one contender for the World Boxing Council ( WBC ) Lightweight championship of the world. As most Boxing fans know, the WBC world championship had been fully unified as part of the Undisputed Lightweight championship of the world held by Devin...

It seems as though in recent weeks in the sport of Boxing, the trend has become "Homecomings." In that a fighter who has achieved notoriety in the sport coming back to their respective hometowns to compete before a crowd of enthusiastic supporters. While most of the time such scenarios are usually designed as a showcase for said fighter before a significant fight down the line, there are times when a "Homecoming Fight" turns out to be more competitive than some may have anticipated. One needs to look no further than WBC Jr. Welterweight world champion Regis Prograis' recent return to his hometown of New Orleans, LA to defend his title against Danielito Zorrilla for an example of a fight with the design of a showcase, which ultimately turned out to be a close call for the champion, who retained his title via twelve round split decision. The next "Homecoming Fight" of significance will take place on Saturday, July 1st in Toledo, OH as undefeated Heavywei...

With the landscape of the 140lb. Jr. Welterweight division in the process of transition as well as recently crowned WBO Jr. Welterweight world champion Teofimo Lopez inexplicably retiring in the days following his championship winning victory over longtime champion Josh Taylor, subsequently relinquishing the title, the storyline for Regis Prograis' defense of the WBC world championship on June 17th at the Smoothie King Center in his native New Orleans, LA against  Danielito Zorrilla represented not only a homecoming for the two-time world champion, but in light of the recent events in the division, a chance for Prograis to make a case for himself as being the top Jr. Welterweight in the world.  If the opening of this column seems like a long-winded run-on, it is, but in fairness, it may be the best way to describe the current state of the Jr. Welterweight division that frankly has seemed like a ride on a rollercoaster in recent weeks. The tongue and cheek attempt at humor of t...

The 140lb. Jr. Welterweight division remains in the spotlight in the month of June as two-time Jr. Welterweight world champion Regis Prograis will begin his second reign as world champion in the division when he puts his WBC world title on the line against Danielito Zorrilla on Saturday, June 17th in the champion's hometown of New Orleans, LA. The fight, which can be seen globally on digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN from the Smoothie King Center represents not only the beginning of Prograis' second reign atop the Jr. Welterweight division after previously holding the World Boxing Association ( WBA ) crown, but also his first fight under his new promoter Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Boxing. Prograis became a two-time world champion in November of last year when he scored an eleventh round stoppage of Jose Zepeda to win the vacant World Boxing Council ( WBC ) crown. In what was an exciting back and forth fight, Prograis had his ability to take a punch tested before...

  The fight between Josh Taylor and Teofimo Lopez, while being an encounter between two recent undisputed world champions in the sport for Taylor's WBO Jr. Welterweight world championship at the Theater in Madison Square Garden on June 10th, was one that was overshadowed by comments made in the days that preceded the fight as both fighters made references to the possibility of inflicting serious injury on the other. Although this observer made his feelings clear in previewing this fight as to such comments and conduct, which I stand by, it unfortunately did overshadow what was a compelling bout between two of the sport's top stars and one that was regarded as one of the most anticipated encounters of 2023. Despite my feelings regarding the conduct that preceded this fight, it was one that I was nevertheless looking forward to because of both the interesting clash of styles between the two fighters as well as the respective scenarios that each fighter found himself in, in coming...

The ten round Welterweight bout between former four-division world champion Adrien Broner and largely unknown contender Bill Hutchinson on June 9th at Casino Miami in Miami, FL was not one with the type of anticipation leading up to it that there was suspense in not knowing who would emerge victorious. This was due largely to how little was known about Hutchinson, who is also a practicing attorney when not competing in the Boxing ring, but how little if any footage existed of him competing. This observer noted in previewing this bout that even I, a proud Boxing lifer who studies fight films on a daily basis as also a noted historian in addition to covering the sport, could not find any footage of Hutchinson's previous bouts in his career. What Hutchinson did have going for him beyond being more active than Broner, who was coming off of a two and a half year layoff, was a respectable record of 20-2-4, with 9 Knockouts, but against opposition that could be described as lightly regard...

Press Release: By FITE – Los Angeles, CA (November 10, 2022) An outstanding undercard has been announced for ‘Battle of the Best’ headlined by the highly anticipated WBC Super Lightweight Championship between #1 Ranked Jose ‘Chon’ Zepeda (35-2, 27 KOs) and #2 Ranked Regis ‘Rougarou’ Prograis (27-1, 23 KO’s), set for Saturday, November 26 and emanating from ‘The War Grounds’, Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, CA, just outside of Los Angeles, CA. Presented and produced by Legendz Entertainment in association with Marv Nation, Zepeda vs. Prograis will be available live, Saturday, November 26 beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET / 6:00 p.m. PT. on FITE. Material  Courtesy of: FITE Used with permission. For more information about FITE including schedules, lists of compatible streaming devices, platforms, and, Smart TVs, and to learn how to download the FITE app on your device of choice please visit: www.FITE.TV   To preorder Zepeda vs. Prograis click the following ...

  All too often in the sport of Boxing, the politics of the sport for better or worse depending on one’s perspective tend to stand in the way of progress. The world “Progress” more often than not in Boxing usually means the pursuit for fighters to become not just a world champion, but to achieve what is a difficult goal, to become the one and only world champion in a weight division. To become “Undisputed.”   Due largely to the aforementioned element of politics that surround the sport, a world champion becoming truly “Undisputed” is rare. Perhaps more of a rarity is when an undisputed champion vacates their crown to seek accolades in a different weight class, where the reunification process of the crown they leave behind takes place in a relatively short period of time. The 140lb. Jr. Welterweight division is experiencing one such occurrence. Following undefeated undisputed world champion Terence Crawford successfully unifying the division in August 2017 with a third round kn...

  The highly anticipated debut of Triller’s Fight Club series carried with it a sense of intrigue. Following the success of the company’s first foray into the sport of Boxing last November, which was headlined by the eight round exhibition between Mike Tyson and Roy Jones, the introduction of the Fight Club series as well as the company’s acquisition of digital combat sports and entertainment streaming network  FITE TV  were an indication that Triller was not interested in a one-off venture, but rather to enter Boxing in the promotional realm. This events also followed on the heels of the company acquiring the rights to promote the June 5 th  Undisputed Lightweight world championship bout between undefeated champion Teofimo Lopez and unbeaten mandatory challenger George  Kambosos.   Off those acquisitions and looking to build on what some might view as surprising success of their first event in Boxing last November, Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA, pla...

  Credit: FITE  Press Release: By FITE –  Three Undefeated Boxers Highlight   Triller   Fight Club Undercard Expansion For April 17 in Atlanta Junior   Younan   (15-0-1), Quinton Randall (7-0) and Lorenzo Simpson (9-0) Put Undefeated Marks On The Line At Mercedes-Benz Stadium LOS ANGELES, March 30, 2021 --   Triller   Fight Club   today announced the latest additions to a world-class lineup of boxing for its April 17 event at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Joining the global PPV boxing and entertainment extravaganza will be three undefeated boxers, including welterweight   Quinton Randall   (Houston, 7-0), super middleweight   Junior   Younan   (Brooklyn, N.Y., 15-0-1) and middleweight   Lorenzo “Truck” Simpson   (Baltimore, Md., 9-0). Simpson will meet   Francisco Torres   (Buenos Aires, 16-3-1), while   Younan   will meet   Jeyson   Minda   (Quito, Ecuador/Salem, ...