Report: Regis Prograis vs. Devin Haney set for Dec. 9 in San Francisco

Report: Regis Prograis vs. Devin Haney is now scheduled for Dec. 9 at Chase Center in San Francisco.

The pay-per-view fight between Regis Prograis and Devin Haney is now set for Dec. 9 in San Francisco.

ESPN is reporting that Haney, the undisputed 135-pound champion, will be moving up in weight to challenge the 140-pound titleholder at Chase Center, the home arena of the Golden State Warriors.

The outlet cited “sources.”

The fight was originally scheduled for Oct. 28 in Las Vegas.

Haney became undisputed champion when he easily outpointed George Kambosos Jr. in June of last year and then defeated the Aussie more decisively in the rematch four months later.

The native of San Francisco, who lives in Las Vegas, is coming off a close decision over Vasiliy Lomachenko on May 20.

Haney (30-0, 15 KOs) will be making his debut as a full-fledged 140-pounder.

Prograis, from New Orleans, became a two-time junior welterweight titleholder when he stopped Jose Zepeda last November.

He successfully defended against Danielito Zorrilla on June 17, winning a split decision that should’ve been unanimous.

Prograis (29-1, 24 KOs) lost his first belt by a majority decision in a title-unification bout with Josh Taylor in Oct. 2019.

[lawrence-related id=38079,37870,37532,37522,37827]

Weekend Review: Tim Tszyu makes scary statement in Australia

Weekend Review: Tim Tszyu made a scary statement against Carlos Ocampo in Australia.

A critical look at the past week in boxing

BIGGEST WINNER
Tim Tszyu

OK, it was only Carlos Ocampo. Tszyu was expected to defeat the solid, but limited Mexican on Sunday in Broadbeach, Australia to set up a showdown with undisputed 154-pound champion Jermell Charlo in the fall. It was the way he did it that was so impressive. Tszyu needed only 1 minute, 17 seconds to hurt Ocampo (35-3, 23 KOs), put him down twice and deliver a Knockout of the Year candidate in front of his appreciative home country fans. In that short amount of time the son of Hall of Famer Kostya Tszyu made it clear that he has carved out his own name in the sport and left no doubt that he’s a genuine threat to the best junior middleweight on the planet, Charlo. Tszyu (23-0, 17 KOs) was scary before, particularly after victories over respected opponents Terrell Gausha and Tony Harrison. Now it’s reasonable to wonder whether Charlo could survive 12 rounds against him. If nothing else, that matchup – Charlo vs. Tszyu – became a lot more interesting after a memorable performance down under.

 

BIGGEST LOSER
Regis Prograis

Progais apologized to his hometown fans after his split-decision victory over Danielito Zorrilla in a stinker Saturday in New Orleans. That should tell you something. Everyone is entitled to an off night but the 140-pound titleholder abused that notion, assuming the posture of the aggressor throughout but rarely taking the risks necessary to get close to Zorrilla for fear of getting hurt. Prograis landed a putrid 8.5% of his punches (42 of 297), according to CompuBox. He blamed Zorrilla, suggesting it’s difficult to do your job when your opponent runs for 12 rounds. That’s not fair. Yes, the Puerto Rican used his feet as a primary weapon but that was strategic. He stopped often enough to land some of the hardest punches of the fight. That included a right hand in the opening round that put Prograis down, although the referee ruled it a slip. The winner admitted afterward that the shot gave him pause. In the end, Prograis had his hand raised, which is the principal objective. At the same time, he lost ground in terms of perception. Is he overrated?

 

RABBIT PUNCHES

Charlo and Tszyu were scheduled to fight in January but Charlo had to pull out after breaking his hand, after which Tszyu fought Harrision in March and then Ocampo. Now focus has returned to Charlo. The WBO has ordered Charlo to defend against Tszyu by Sept. 30 or risk losing that belt. Of course, there are no guarantees that they’ll come to terms but my guess is that the competitor in Charlo will want to prove he’s better than Tszyu. I believe the fight will happen sometime in the fall. … The two judges who had Prograis winning – 118-109 and 117-110 – obviously gave him credit for being the aggressor regardless of his inability to land punches consistently. I believe they gave him too much credit. Yes, Prograis moved forward almost the entire fight but Zorrilla matched him power shot for power shot. In fact, according to CompuBox, they landed the exact same number of power punches, 38. The scoring should’ve been tighter. The third judge and I scored it for Zorrilla 114-113. …

Prograis had a number of miserable rounds. His worst was Round 2, in which he landed none of the 43 punches he threw. That’s a record for most punches thrown without landing one in a single round, CompuBox informed Boxing Junkie. He also landed only one punch in each of three more rounds. Of course, Zorrilla had his own problems. He had two rounds in which he connected on only one punch. And we should keep in mind that CompuBox stats aren’t official. Still, these numbers give you an idea of how horribly one of the world’s top fighters performed. … Bonus stat: Prograis landed 4 of 371 jabs (1.1%). Why bother throwing it? … Sam Goodman (15-0, 7 KOs) turned in a breakthrough performance on the Tszyu-Ocampo card, defeating fellow 122-pound contender Ra’eese Aleem (20-1, 12 KOs) by a split decision (117-111, 116-112 and 112-116). I had it 115-113 for Goodman. Aleem got off to a strong start but a determined, durable Goodman outworked him in the second half of the fight to pull away. The Aussie will be a handful for whomever he faces going forward. … Welterweight contender Shakhram Giyasov (14-0, 9 KOs) showed his class on the Prograis-Zorrilla card, dominating Harold Calderon (27-1, 18 KOs) en route to winning a one-sided decision in a 12-round bout. Giyasov won a silver medal for his native Uzbekistan in the 2016 Olympics. …

News item: Golden Boy Promotions has sued 140-pound contender Ryan Garcia to ensure that he honors the remainder of his contract with the promotional firm. Garcia’s representatives say the move was retaliation after the fighter requested mediation over what his team believes were contract breeches on the part of Golden Boy. What a mess. It’s not difficult to imagine Garcia sitting out the remainder of his contract after losing faith in his longtime promoter, which would be a shame given Garcia’s talent. … Badou Jack, a 200-pound titleholder, reportedly rejected an offer to face 168-pound champion Canelo Alvarez. Jack said Alvarez wanted a 180-pound catch weight AND a rehydration clause, which he wouldn’t accept. I don’t blame him. Enough with the rehydration clauses, which place the larger fighter at too much of a disadvantage and could cause health issues. I understand that the bigger draw – Alvarez, in this case – has the right to use his leverage but it’s also important to have a level playing field. If you’re worried about your opponent’s size, face men in your weight class. Here’s an idea: Fight David Benavidez.

[lawrence-related id=37848,37841,37827,37817,37814,37795]

Weekend Review: Tim Tszyu makes scary statement in Australia

Weekend Review: Tim Tszyu made a scary statement against Carlos Ocampo in Australia.

A critical look at the past week in boxing

BIGGEST WINNER
Tim Tszyu

OK, it was only Carlos Ocampo. Tszyu was expected to defeat the solid, but limited Mexican on Sunday in Broadbeach, Australia to set up a showdown with undisputed 154-pound champion Jermell Charlo in the fall. It was the way he did it that was so impressive. Tszyu needed only 1 minute, 17 seconds to hurt Ocampo (35-3, 23 KOs), put him down twice and deliver a Knockout of the Year candidate in front of his appreciative home country fans. In that short amount of time the son of Hall of Famer Kostya Tszyu made it clear that he has carved out his own name in the sport and left no doubt that he’s a genuine threat to the best junior middleweight on the planet, Charlo. Tszyu (23-0, 17 KOs) was scary before, particularly after victories over respected opponents Terrell Gausha and Tony Harrison. Now it’s reasonable to wonder whether Charlo could survive 12 rounds against him. If nothing else, that matchup – Charlo vs. Tszyu – became a lot more interesting after a memorable performance down under.

 

BIGGEST LOSER
Regis Prograis

Progais apologized to his hometown fans after his split-decision victory over Danielito Zorrilla in a stinker Saturday in New Orleans. That should tell you something. Everyone is entitled to an off night but the 140-pound titleholder abused that notion, assuming the posture of the aggressor throughout but rarely taking the risks necessary to get close to Zorrilla for fear of getting hurt. Prograis landed a putrid 8.5% of his punches (42 of 297), according to CompuBox. He blamed Zorrilla, suggesting it’s difficult to do your job when your opponent runs for 12 rounds. That’s not fair. Yes, the Puerto Rican used his feet as a primary weapon but that was strategic. He stopped often enough to land some of the hardest punches of the fight. That included a right hand in the opening round that put Prograis down, although the referee ruled it a slip. The winner admitted afterward that the shot gave him pause. In the end, Prograis had his hand raised, which is the principal objective. At the same time, he lost ground in terms of perception. Is he overrated?

 

RABBIT PUNCHES

Charlo and Tszyu were scheduled to fight in January but Charlo had to pull out after breaking his hand, after which Tszyu fought Harrision in March and then Ocampo. Now focus has returned to Charlo. The WBO has ordered Charlo to defend against Tszyu by Sept. 30 or risk losing that belt. Of course, there are no guarantees that they’ll come to terms but my guess is that the competitor in Charlo will want to prove he’s better than Tszyu. I believe the fight will happen sometime in the fall. … The two judges who had Prograis winning – 118-109 and 117-110 – obviously gave him credit for being the aggressor regardless of his inability to land punches consistently. I believe they gave him too much credit. Yes, Prograis moved forward almost the entire fight but Zorrilla matched him power shot for power shot. In fact, according to CompuBox, they landed the exact same number of power punches, 38. The scoring should’ve been tighter. The third judge and I scored it for Zorrilla 114-113. …

Prograis had a number of miserable rounds. His worst was Round 2, in which he landed none of the 43 punches he threw. That’s a record for most punches thrown without landing one in a single round, CompuBox informed Boxing Junkie. He also landed only one punch in each of three more rounds. Of course, Zorrilla had his own problems. He had two rounds in which he connected on only one punch. And we should keep in mind that CompuBox stats aren’t official. Still, these numbers give you an idea of how horribly one of the world’s top fighters performed. … Bonus stat: Prograis landed 4 of 371 jabs (1.1%). Why bother throwing it? … Sam Goodman (15-0, 7 KOs) turned in a breakthrough performance on the Tszyu-Ocampo card, defeating fellow 122-pound contender Ra’eese Aleem (20-1, 12 KOs) by a split decision (117-111, 116-112 and 112-116). I had it 115-113 for Goodman. Aleem got off to a strong start but a determined, durable Goodman outworked him in the second half of the fight to pull away. The Aussie will be a handful for whomever he faces going forward. … Welterweight contender Shakhram Giyasov (14-0, 9 KOs) showed his class on the Prograis-Zorrilla card, dominating Harold Calderon (27-1, 18 KOs) en route to winning a one-sided decision in a 12-round bout. Giyasov won a silver medal for his native Uzbekistan in the 2016 Olympics. …

News item: Golden Boy Promotions has sued 140-pound contender Ryan Garcia to ensure that he honors the remainder of his contract with the promotional firm. Garcia’s representatives say the move was retaliation after the fighter requested mediation over what his team believes were contract breeches on the part of Golden Boy. What a mess. It’s not difficult to imagine Garcia sitting out the remainder of his contract after losing faith in his longtime promoter, which would be a shame given Garcia’s talent. … Badou Jack, a 200-pound titleholder, reportedly rejected an offer to face 168-pound champion Canelo Alvarez. Jack said Alvarez wanted a 180-pound catch weight AND a rehydration clause, which he wouldn’t accept. I don’t blame him. Enough with the rehydration clauses, which place the larger fighter at too much of a disadvantage and could cause health issues. I understand that the bigger draw – Alvarez, in this case – has the right to use his leverage but it’s also important to have a level playing field. If you’re worried about your opponent’s size, face men in your weight class. Here’s an idea: Fight David Benavidez.

[lawrence-related id=37848,37841,37827,37817,37814,37795]

Regis Prograis wins ugly fight against Danielito Zorrilla by split decision

Junior welterweight titleholder Regis Prograis won an ugly fight against Danielito Zorrilla by a split decision Saturday in New Orleans.

Regis Prograis retained his title but didn’t look anything like a champion.

The 140-pound beltholder had trouble catching up to a clever, elusive Danielito Zorrilla but got enough done to win a split decision Saturday in New Orleans, Prograis’ hometown.

The official scores were 118-109, 117-110 and 113-114. Boxing Junkie scored it 114-113 for Zorrilla.

Prograis apologized to his hometown fans for his so-so performance but he believes he did enough to have his hand raised.

“I definitely was confident I would get the decision,” Prograis said afterward. “I got the [knockdown] early. And I kept pressing the action. But you know he ran around the whole time. … He tried to survive.”

Prograis (29-1, 24 KOs) put Zorrilla (17-2, 13 KOs) down with a left hand in Round 3 but had trouble landed punches from beginning to end.

Zorrilla’s plan was to move his feet to maintain distance and land punches from a safe position, which was somewhat effective. He didn’t land many blows but his shots were cleaner than Prograis’ in a number of rounds and he took few shots himself.

He put Prograis down with a hard right in the opening round but the referee ruled it a slip.

Perhaps that was why Prograis, the aggressor throughout the fight, was leery to take the risks necessary to get close enough to Zorrilla to do meaningful damage.

As a result, he spent most of his time posturing and chasing more than punching.

The two judges who had Prograis winning evidently were impressed by the fact he at least tried to push the action even if he landed relatively few punches.

The two-time titleholder was making the first defense of the WBC belt he won by knocking out Jose Zepeda in the 11th round last November.

He can now target the other titleholders, although he said he isn’t interested in fighting Rolando Romero (WBA) and Teofimo Lopez (WBO) has said he’s retired. Subriel Matias owns the IBF belt.

“There are a lot of big fights out there for me,” Prograis said. “We’ll see what happens.”

Regis Prograis wins ugly fight against Danielito Zorrilla by split decision

Junior welterweight titleholder Regis Prograis won an ugly fight against Danielito Zorrilla by a split decision Saturday in New Orleans.

Regis Prograis retained his title but didn’t look anything like a champion.

The 140-pound beltholder had trouble catching up to a clever, elusive Danielito Zorrilla but got enough done to win a split decision Saturday in New Orleans, Prograis’ hometown.

The official scores were 118-109, 117-110 and 113-114. Boxing Junkie scored it 114-113 for Zorrilla.

Prograis apologized to his hometown fans for his so-so performance but he believes he did enough to have his hand raised.

“I definitely was confident I would get the decision,” Prograis said afterward. “I got the [knockdown] early. And I kept pressing the action. But you know he ran around the whole time. … He tried to survive.”

Prograis (29-1, 24 KOs) put Zorrilla (17-2, 13 KOs) down with a left hand in Round 3 but had trouble landed punches from beginning to end.

Zorrilla’s plan was to move his feet to maintain distance and land punches from a safe position, which was somewhat effective. He didn’t land many blows but his shots were cleaner than Prograis’ in a number of rounds and he took few shots himself.

He put Prograis down with a hard right in the opening round but the referee ruled it a slip.

Perhaps that was why Prograis, the aggressor throughout the fight, was leery to take the risks necessary to get close enough to Zorrilla to do meaningful damage.

As a result, he spent most of his time posturing and chasing more than punching.

The two judges who had Prograis winning evidently were impressed by the fact he at least tried to push the action even if he landed relatively few punches.

The two-time titleholder was making the first defense of the WBC belt he won by knocking out Jose Zepeda in the 11th round last November.

He can now target the other titleholders, although he said he isn’t interested in fighting Rolando Romero (WBA) and Teofimo Lopez (WBO) has said he’s retired. Subriel Matias owns the IBF belt.

“There are a lot of big fights out there for me,” Prograis said. “We’ll see what happens.”

Regis Prograis vs. Danielito Zorrilla: LIVE updates, results, full coverage

Regis Prograis vs. Danielito Zorrilla: LIVE updates, results, full coverage.

Regis Prograis defeated Danielito Zorrilla by a split decision to retain his 140-pound title.

The official scores were 118-109, 117-110 and 113-114. Boxing Junkie scored it 114-113 for Zorrilla.

Prograis (29-1, 24 KOs) put Zorrilla (17-2, 13 KOs) down with a left hand in Round 3 but had trouble landed punches from beginning to end.

Zorrilla’s plan was to move his feet and land punches from the outside, which was effective. He put Prograis down with a right in the opening round but the referee ruled it a slip.

Prograis stalked Zorrilla most of the fight but, evidently leery of the Puerto Rican’s power, couldn’t get inside. As a result, he spent most of his time chasing more than punching.

Two of the judges evidently were impressed by the fact Prograis was the aggressor even though he landed few punches.

A full report can be read here.

***

Welterweight contender Shakhram Giyasov (14-0, 9 KOs) of Uzbekistan dominated Harold Calderon (27-1, 18 KOs) of Miami en route to winning a one-sided decision in a 12-round bout. The official scores were 120-108, 118-110 and 116-112.

***

Julissa Guzman of Mexico knocked out previously unbeaten Ramla Ali of Somalia with a single left hook 42 seconds into Round 8 of a 122-pound fight. Guzman (13-2-2, 7 KOs) had put Ali (8-1, 2 KOs) down in Round 5.

***

Regis Prograis is scheduled to defend his 140-pound title against unranked Danielito Zorrilla tonight (Saturday) at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Prograis’ hometown (DAZN).

Prograis (28-1, 24 KOs) is making his first defense after winning the vacant WBC title by stopping Jose Zepeda in 11 rounds last November. Zorrilla (17-1, 13 KOs) is from Puerto Rico.

The featured bouts on the card begin at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT. The main event will take place more than two hours into in show.

Boxing Junkie will post the results of the main event and other featured bouts immediately after they end. Simply return to this post and refresh when the time comes.

Full coverage – a fight story, photo gallery and analysis – will follow on separate posts the day of the fight and the following day.

Enjoy the fights!

[lawrence-related id=37776,37759,34340,34322,34314]

Regis Prograis vs. Danielito Zorrilla: LIVE updates, results, full coverage

Regis Prograis vs. Danielito Zorrilla: LIVE updates, results, full coverage.

Regis Prograis defeated Danielito Zorrilla by a split decision to retain his 140-pound title.

The official scores were 118-109, 117-110 and 113-114. Boxing Junkie scored it 114-113 for Zorrilla.

Prograis (29-1, 24 KOs) put Zorrilla (17-2, 13 KOs) down with a left hand in Round 3 but had trouble landed punches from beginning to end.

Zorrilla’s plan was to move his feet and land punches from the outside, which was effective. He put Prograis down with a right in the opening round but the referee ruled it a slip.

Prograis stalked Zorrilla most of the fight but, evidently leery of the Puerto Rican’s power, couldn’t get inside. As a result, he spent most of his time chasing more than punching.

Two of the judges evidently were impressed by the fact Prograis was the aggressor even though he landed few punches.

A full report can be read here.

***

Welterweight contender Shakhram Giyasov (14-0, 9 KOs) of Uzbekistan dominated Harold Calderon (27-1, 18 KOs) of Miami en route to winning a one-sided decision in a 12-round bout. The official scores were 120-108, 118-110 and 116-112.

***

Julissa Guzman of Mexico knocked out previously unbeaten Ramla Ali of Somalia with a single left hook 42 seconds into Round 8 of a 122-pound fight. Guzman (13-2-2, 7 KOs) had put Ali (8-1, 2 KOs) down in Round 5.

***

Regis Prograis is scheduled to defend his 140-pound title against unranked Danielito Zorrilla tonight (Saturday) at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Prograis’ hometown (DAZN).

Prograis (28-1, 24 KOs) is making his first defense after winning the vacant WBC title by stopping Jose Zepeda in 11 rounds last November. Zorrilla (17-1, 13 KOs) is from Puerto Rico.

The featured bouts on the card begin at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT. The main event will take place more than two hours into in show.

Boxing Junkie will post the results of the main event and other featured bouts immediately after they end. Simply return to this post and refresh when the time comes.

Full coverage – a fight story, photo gallery and analysis – will follow on separate posts the day of the fight and the following day.

Enjoy the fights!

[lawrence-related id=37776,37759,34340,34322,34314]

Regis Prograis vs. Danielito Zorrilla: date, time, how to watch, background

Regis Prograis vs. Danielito Zorrilla: date, time, how to watch, background.

Regis Prograis will defend his 140-pound title against Danielito Zorrilla on Saturday night in New Orleans, Prograis’ hometown.

REGIS PROGRAIS (28-1, 24 KOs) vs. DANIELITO ZORRILLA (17-1, 13 KOs)

  • Date: Saturday, June 17
  • Time: 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT (main event later in show)
  • Where: Smoothie King Center, New Orleans
  • TV/Stream: DAZN
  • Division: Junior welterweight (140 pounds)
  • At stake: Prograis’ WBC title
  • Odds: Prograis 10-1 favorite (average of multiple outlets)
  • Also on the card: Shakhram Giyasov vs. Harold Calderon, welterweights; Justis Huni vs. Andrew Tabiti, heavyweights; Ramla Ali vs. Julissa Alejandra Guzman, junior featherweights
  • Prediction: Prograis UD
  • Background: The talented Prograis lost his WBA 140-pound belt and considerable momentum to Josh Taylor by a majority decision in a title-unification bout in 2019 but rebounded to win his last four fights, including an 11th-round knockout of Jose Zepeda to win the vacant WBC title in November. The 34-year-old from New Orleans could now be on a collision course with Teofimo Lopez, who outpointed Taylor to take the Scot’s WBO belt this past Saturday. Of course, Prograis must get past the unranked Zorrilla first. The 29-year-old Puerto Rican, a good boxer-puncher, delivered quality victories over Ruslan Madiyev and Pablo Cesar Cano in 2021 but then lost a clear decision to unbeaten Arnold Barboza Jr. last July, stemming his momentum. He bounced back with a first-round knockout of journeyman Aristides Quintero in March. Prograis had been scheduled to face Liam Paro but Paro pulled out because of an injury a few weeks ago.

[lawrence-related id=37759,34340,34322,34314]

Regis Prograis vs. Danielito Zorrilla: date, time, how to watch, background

Regis Prograis vs. Danielito Zorrilla: date, time, how to watch, background.

Regis Prograis will defend his 140-pound title against Danielito Zorrilla on Saturday night in New Orleans, Prograis’ hometown.

REGIS PROGRAIS (28-1, 24 KOs) vs. DANIELITO ZORRILLA (17-1, 13 KOs)

  • Date: Saturday, June 17
  • Time: 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT (main event later in show)
  • Where: Smoothie King Center, New Orleans
  • TV/Stream: DAZN
  • Division: Junior welterweight (140 pounds)
  • At stake: Prograis’ WBC title
  • Odds: Prograis 10-1 favorite (average of multiple outlets)
  • Also on the card: Shakhram Giyasov vs. Harold Calderon, welterweights; Justis Huni vs. Andrew Tabiti, heavyweights; Ramla Ali vs. Julissa Alejandra Guzman, junior featherweights
  • Prediction: Prograis UD
  • Background: The talented Prograis lost his WBA 140-pound belt and considerable momentum to Josh Taylor by a majority decision in a title-unification bout in 2019 but rebounded to win his last four fights, including an 11th-round knockout of Jose Zepeda to win the vacant WBC title in November. The 34-year-old from New Orleans could now be on a collision course with Teofimo Lopez, who outpointed Taylor to take the Scot’s WBO belt this past Saturday. Of course, Prograis must get past the unranked Zorrilla first. The 29-year-old Puerto Rican, a good boxer-puncher, delivered quality victories over Ruslan Madiyev and Pablo Cesar Cano in 2021 but then lost a clear decision to unbeaten Arnold Barboza Jr. last July, stemming his momentum. He bounced back with a first-round knockout of journeyman Aristides Quintero in March. Prograis had been scheduled to face Liam Paro but Paro pulled out because of an injury a few weeks ago.

[lawrence-related id=37759,34340,34322,34314]

Regis Prograis: Focus on Danielito Zorrilla with big fights on horizon

Regis Prograis will defend his 140-pound title against Danielito Zorrilla on Saturday in New Oreleans. Is Teofimo Lopez next?

Regis Prograis believes he’s the best 140-pounder in the world.

And he can make a strong case by dominating and then stopping Jose Zepeda in 11 rounds this past November to regain a world title after losing one in a close fight with Josh Taylor in 2019.

Of course, he isn’t going to build on his momentum against obscure and unranked Danielito Zorrilla of Puerto Rico, his opponent Saturday in Prograis’ hometown of New Orleans (DAZN).

The big opportunities are around the corner, however. Fellow beltholder Teofimo Lopez is an ideal opponent for Prograis (28-1, 24 KOs) but there are several other compelling matchups out there.

Danielito Zorrilla (right) is a significant underdog against Regis Prograis. Ed Mulholland / Matchroom.

That’s assuming he can get past Zorrilla (17-1, 13 KOs). Prograis said he respects all of his opponents: “People do pull off upsets.”

“It’s not hard to focus because when you fight someone that people say is lesser than you, those are the dangerous fights and the hard ones [because] you don’t know what they’ve got, and you need to perform against them,” he said.

“… I’m not looking past him. You have in your mind that there’s massive fights out there, but I know that I won’t get to them unless I take care of my business on Saturday. So, until then, I don’t think about anyone else.”

Well, that’s not entirely true. How could he not think about the big fights that could lie ahead?

Lopez made a huge statement by outpointing previously unbeaten Josh Taylor to win his belt on June 10. And the other major titleholders, Subriel Matias and Rolando Romero, are respected.

“Yes, Teo has done his thing against Josh,” he said. “… I still feel that I am the best at 140 pounds, but Teo deserves his credit, and I give that to him. So I must go out and look great and prove I am the best, and then we can get that fight so there will be no doubt.

“You can’t control what people think. Some may say I’m the best, some will now say Teo, Subriel Matias, some might even say Rolly. I still feel I’m the best; you put me in with Rolly, I beat him. Put me in with Teo, I beat him. Put me in with Matias, I beat him.

“We can’t prove that until we fight, but that’s how I feel, and the only way to prove it is to fight each other.”

Yes, there are a number of intriguing possibilities if Prograis has his hand raised on Saturday.

[lawrence-related id=37727,34340,34322,34314]