Los Angeles, Ca. — Ahead of his October 26th World Boxing Super Series Super Lightweight final, New Orleans world champion boxer Regis Prograis sat-down with WGNO sports reporter Karen Loftus during his training camp in L.A. to talk more about the coming fight in London.
Karen Loftus: “Regis, since your last fight in April in the World Boxing Super Series semifinals, you’ve had a lot going on– mainly a lot of waiting. You had waiting, you had a civil complaint against the owners of the World Boxing Super Series, but now the important thing is that we have a date for the finals. Tell me what these last few months have been like for you.”
Regis Prograis: “I think really it’s been real chill. With the whole World Boxing Super Series, my whole thing is I joined it to fight the best obviously and I always felt like it was going to happen. They were kind of dragging their feet with some things and there were some deadlines that they missed, that basically they had to get straight. We kind of just put the pressure on them, put the fire under them and made it happen. I’m glad that now it’s finally happening but in my mind I never doubted that the fight was going to take place.”
KL: “And how about the location? We’re going international. First international fight. The fight’s in London at the O2. This is big time.”
RP: “Yeah, exactly. For me, a lot of fighters say it’s a dream come true but this is really like a dream come true for me to be fighting over in London. To be fighting in London at the O2 is just like huge. Most fighters don’t get this opportunity. First off, the UK fans are just like some of the best in the world. As far as boxing goes they care about it more basically. You walk in the street and you’re like a superstar. People know you and all that stuff.”
KL: “With that though is sort of the unknown since you’ve never fought internationally. What are you anticipating as far as challenges, fighting overseas, the travel and how early are you guys going over there before the fight?”
RP: “We’re going over there three weeks early so it won’t be no jet-lag or none of that stuff like that. For me it won’t be no excuses going on. Three weeks early is a lot of time to basically adjust to everything.”
KL: “Let’s talk a little bit about your opponent Josh Taylor. We’ve talked about experience before and how that can be a big factor in a fight. You have more experience this time– 24-0, he’s also undefeated 15-0. Is there a big discrepancy in the amount of fights that you guys have had and do you think that’s going to be a factor?”
RP: “I think I have more experience but he has more experience in longer fights– basically 12 rounds. I don’t know but I know he’s fought more 12 round fights than I did because I only fought one. Just one. And he has more than that. But for me, none of that stuff don’t matter. At the end of the day it’s a fight. It’s one person going to win and all the other stuff you can put all that stuff behind. I don’t look at none of that stuff. I was saying in London about the “Tale of the Tape,” all that stuff for me it don’t matter. Of course he’s taller than me. He’s longer than me. But I’m not worried about none of that stuff.”
KL: “As you mentioned, you had the presser in London where you guys officially announced the fight. You guys got to go face-to-face. He had some words for you– a little back and forth– some friendly trash talk. You have any more you’ve got to say to him?”
RP: “Nah, I mean for me, yeah he was saying ‘I’m gonna rip your head off’ and all that stuff and I’m like ‘Alright bro.’ I’m just so calm and all that stuff like ‘Alright, you’re gonna see.’ We kind of went back and forth the first time when I went to Scotland– first we was in the ring together. At first he was like, ‘Be ready for a war.’ and I was like, ‘You’re gonna see. OK. You’re going to see what’s going to happen.’ And then I was like, ‘Look at your face. You got a big old gash over your eye like I never had none of that stuff ever.’ I’m flawles. I’m 24-0, 20 knockouts, ranked number one in the world, WBA Champion and I’ve been flawless. I’ve never even been close to losing a round. That’s kind of why he kinda got upset in the ring. I was like ‘Look at your eye. If that happened to you from him, imagine what I’m going to do to you.’ So that’s kind of where were start popping off and stuff and same thing at the press conference.”
KL: “So needless to say, confidence is as high as ever?”
RP: “Always. My confidence is always high. For me, to be honest, I just I don’t want to sound cocky and arrogant and stuff but I really just can’t see how he can beat me. I just don’t. I’m talking about skill-wise. Like I said, the “Tale of the Tape” never counts because of course you can look and see the size difference. He’s way taller than me. He’s longer than me. But does he hit harder than me? Is he faster? Is he stronger than me? Is his heart bigger than mine? Is his IQ higher than mine? We’ll answer all those things on fight night. It’s 12 rounds. I’m going to hit him. And when I hit him, I’m going to hurt him. And when I hurt him, that’s when it’s going to really get interesting.”