The dreadful marks of fight covered the face of Regis Prograis, the fallen champ, as he came out initially for the inquisition in the basement of the Chase Center in San Francisco. An hour previously, not long after the last bell which validated that his experience was over and he had actually suffered a nothing defeat to the dazzling Devin Haney who ended up being the brand-new WBC junior-welterweight world champ, Prograis talked with raw sincerity in the ring. “That motherfucker’s great, he’s much better than I believed he was,” Prograis stated of Haney, who had actually knocked him down in the 3rd round and injured him once again on many celebrations throughout a long and unpleasant whipping. “I simply could not get to him. I believed he was a soft puncher, however he does have power. I was down and I resembled: ‘What the fuck occurred?'” At the post-fight interview his face was bruised, cut and inflamed while red spots were smeared throughout his forehead, and below his left eye, like lipstick used in an intoxicated daze. His grace was clear as he applauded Haney, who had actually won every round on all 3 scorecards and produced a masterclass which moves him towards the greatest ranks of the pound-for-pound stakes. Haney, the 25-year-old previous indisputable world light-weight champ, looked a lot larger, more powerful, quicker and more youthful than Prograis in his very first battle at junior-welter. Invigorated by not needing to starve himself to make the 135lbs light-weight limitation, Haney produced the finest efficiency of his profession up until now. Prograis informed him as much in the instant after-effects of his squashing loss in a sold-out place: “I stated, ‘Bro, you’re much better than I believed you were.'” All his sneering words before the battle, which had actually buffooned Haney’s obvious absence of power and delicate chin, were changed by this brand-new and genuine regard. “I was attempting and attempting and attempting however I could not get to him,” Prograis stated, as he admired Haney for his “fast and sly power” and spectacular footwork. “I trained my ass off and it simply wasn’t sufficient,” Prograis confessed. The 34-year-old cut a moving figure for, instead of concealing away in sadness, he had actually pertained to face us. An American press reporter spoke solemnly however compassionately as he advised Prograis to “hold your direct high, stroll high. You’re still a champ to individuals and I would not quit if I was you.” Prograis nodded as the old fire in him blazed once again. “Thank you for the words, however I’m absolutely not quiting. Like I stated, three-time world champ, that’s my objective today. I talked my individuals in the dressing space, while they were sobbing: ‘Bro, select your direct. It’s a battle. You’re gon na win or lose. I’m not gon na lie. For this battle I trained my ass off for 4 months, and it simply wasn’t sufficient. Often that’s gon na occur in life.” Eddie Hearn, who promoted both males for this battle and had actually appeared to favour Haney all through a vociferous and in some cases bitter accumulation, finished up the Prograis interview by stating, “Well done, Devin.” Hearn rapidly understood his slip of the tongue and fixed himself, a little sheepishly, by turning to the deposed champ and stating his proper name: “Regis.” Prograis glanced up at him, shook his head with a bleak laugh, and sighed: “Goddamn, Eddie.” While others awaited the royal arrival of Haney, I followed Prograis out of the interview space and down the passage towards the cold night outside where the automobiles were waiting to take him and his group back to their hotel. He strolled ahead of his fitness instructors, family and friends. He would have been alone however for the reality that his seven-year-old child, Khalessi, held his left hand which had actually stopped working to do any damage to Haney. Prograis turned when I called his name. He smiled and strolled over to extend his right-hand man which had likewise not injure Haney. None of this mattered much any longer. I informed him just how much I ‘d appreciated the method he had actually performed himself amidst the heartbreak. As Prograis murmured his thanks and we clenched hands I reconsidered of just how much you actually learn more about the character of a guy in defeat. 5 minutes later on, in the very same space Progais had actually simply left, the brand-new king of boxing swept in with his entourage. Using designer sunglasses and white gloves, Haney had actually likewise returned the diamond studs in his ear lobes and slipped on the watch which is rumoured to be worth $700,000. He and his dad, Bill, who trains him, made their method to the leading table. They were signed up with by a beaming Hearn who appears intent on extending their one-fight advertising offer which had actually brought big-time boxing back to San Francisco, where Haney had actually been born and lived the very first 7 years of his life, for the very first time in over 20 years. Regis Prograis lands an unusual blow on Devin Haney throughout their battle in San Francisco. Picture: Jeff Chiu/APUnlike his vanquished challenger, Haney did not have a mark on his face as he consulted with a peaceful mix of nonchalance and conviction. It had actually been an efficiency of such virtuosity that Haney merely smiled when informed that Prograis had actually set an undesirable record by breaking the CompuBox record for the least punches landed in a 12-round world champion bout. Prograis had actually gotten in touch with simply 39 punches, compared to the 139 blows which had actually busted up his face, however Haney shrugged. He stated it felt as if Prograis had actually landed even less which not one punch had actually triggered him any difficulty. Haney compared it to a sparring session while likewise advising us that Prograis had actually been thought about, up until Saturday night, as the most accomplished and hardest-hitting world champ at 140lbs. “I did whatever that I stated I was gon na do,” Haney crooned. “I entered there and I handicapped him. We understood that he was gon na be available in with a huge left hand however we capitalised on his routine of leaning in … and after that I struck him with huge shots.” Haney smiled, for he had actually wearied of being chastised as a light-hitter who had actually not knocked out anybody for 4 years. “I understood that I was harming him,” he stated candidly before discussing that the serious weight-cut he had actually been required to produce so long in the lighter department had actually robbed him of all his power. Haney mentioned his routine shock that the compelling authority he had in the fitness center vanished as quickly as he stepped through the ropes for a light-weight contest. “I was eliminating myself to make 135,” Haney stated. “I would enter into a battle and be diminished. I would not be my finest self. Now I’m able to enter there and be the genuine Devin Haney.” He worried his belief that he might beat every other fighter in the junior-welterweight department along with all those who project at the welterweight limitation of 147lbs. “Devin is impressive,” his daddy stated. “He’s genuinely unique and he revealed that tonight.” Haney Sr reached to recommend that his child would quickly be all set to combat Terence Crawford, the remarkable and vicious No 1 pound-for-pound fighter on earth for a lot of boxing experts and fans. Crawford, who took apart Errol Spence at welterweight in July in the efficiency of the year, will go up to 154lbs in 2024– when he and Spence satisfy in a rematch. Haney Sr indicated that he would like Crawford to come pull back to welterweight after that bout, for this is the department where he feels his boy will be at his finest. In the meantime, there are plenty of luring and rewarding bouts at junior welterweight. Ryan Garcia was the name pointed out frequently after Prograis had actually been dispatched. Hearing that Garcia had actually called him out on social networks Haney smiled once again and stated: “It’s great to hear that he lastly wishes to battle.” Haney was more dismissive of Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis and recommended that a bout versus the powerful fighter from Baltimore, who knocked out Garcia in April, was presently not likely. He blamed Davis for continuously talking down the possibility of their conference in the ring and declared that Garcia was a far more apparent challenger. His daddy, an unrelenting trash-talker, included: “Stop letting Tank and his group piss on your head and inform you it’s rain with these irrelevant battles.” The reality Haney is so excellent and so flexible that he can be bracketed with elite fighters at various weights, from Davis to Crawford, is the most brilliant indication of his brand-new star appeal. Haney was lucky to have actually won his last battle, a frantically close choice on points versus a licensed terrific in Vasiliy Lomachenko in May, however that bout had actually been his last at light-weight. He looks changed now and the method which he harmed, dropped and entirely controlled a fighter as hard and strong as Prograis highlighted the chances which now await him in battles where he will no longer be drained pipes by savage weight-cuts. “It made a remarkable distinction and you can see that in my efficiency,” Haney stated. “I feel a lot more powerful and, in this camp, I had the ability to recuperate and unwind more. I felt fantastic. This suggests whatever. Considering that I was a young kid, my dream was to come back to the Bay Area and place on a huge occasion. What much better time than now with 16,000 individuals coming out to support me?” Haney was likewise fast to state just how much he wished to box in Saudi Arabia, where the cash is as profane as the absence of human rights stay glaring. His diamonds sparkled and his gold teeth shone as he showed simply a little bit longer on how a skillful efficiency had raised his typically unjustly maligned track record– regardless of having actually currently been an indisputable world champ with a perfect 30-0 record. Removing Prograis of his title with such ruthless effectiveness turned skeptics into followers in the area of 12 delicious rounds. “I desire the greatest battles that make the most cash,” Haney stated as he expected his glittering future, relatively unconcerned to the truth that, one night, boxing will get him too– similar to it had actually done to Prograis who lost for the 2nd time in 31 battles. As all the talk of money-spinning bouts continued it was difficult not to consider his challenger taking a trip back through the dark streets. At least Regis Prograis was not alone. He still had his household and group around him along with the briefly consoling understanding that, in accepting a disastrous loss with such class and composure, he had actually looked more like a champ of a male than ever previously.
Prograis demonstrates how a fighter can lose their crown and keep their self-respect
