Prograis: “I want to be the legitimate best!”
Regis Prograis watched Season I of the World Boxing Super Series and the quest for the Muhammad Ali Trophy and wants to follow the footsteps of the Cruiserweight Ali Trophy winner, Ukraine’s Aleksandr Usyk.
“The World Boxing Super Series is great not only for me but for the sport,” said theAmerican.
“I saw what it did for Usyk winning all the belts so I know what is possible. Winning the tournament would mean that I’m the legitimate best in the world at 140lb.”
For Prograis it is not only about the belts, but also about the prestige of being part of an elite group of world-class fighters competing for The Greatest Prize in boxing.
“Of course fighting for the belts is good but to fight for the Ali Trophy is also an amazing accomplishment. Not many fighters can say they have that.”
The WBC Interim Champion faces Belarus’ WBA Super World Champion Kiryl Relikh in the semi-finals early next year after beating Terry Flanagan convincingly via a unanimous points decision in New Orleans.
“He is a strong dude, comes forward, but I just think if I fight like I did against Flanagan there is nobody that can come close to me.”
Prograis, known as ‘Rougarou’ – a creature with a human body and the head of a wolf – is preparing himself to go all the way.
“Just like the amateurs where you can’t duck anybody, it’s excellent to have fights lined up back to back. It’ll be a busy season but it’ll be worth it.
“In the aftermath of the tournament, I should get a lot of big opportunities for a lot of big fights.”
The World Boxing Super Series returns in 2019 with six sensational semi-final match-ups. Locations and venues will be announced in due course.
WBSS Season 2 Semi-Finals:
Bantamweight
Nonito Donaire vs Zolani Tete
Naoya Inoue vs Emmanuel Rodriguez
Super-Lightweight
Regis Prograis vs Kiryl Relikh
Josh Taylor vs Ivan Baranchyk
Cruiserweight
Mairis Briedis vs Krzysztof Glowacki
Yunier Dorticos vs Andrew Tabiti
Ali Trophy Quarter-Final Results:
1. October 7th, Yokohama Arena, Yokohama, Japan – Ali Trophy Quarter-Finals
Naoya Inoue (Japan) beat Juan Carlos Payano (Dominican Republic) – KO1
WBA ‘Regular’ Bantamweight Championship
&
Kiryl Relikh (Belarus) beat Eduard Troyanovsky (Russia) – UD
WBA Super-Lightweight Championship
2. October 13th, Ekaterinburg Expo, Ekaterinburg, Russia – Ali Trophy Quarter-Finals
Zolani Tete (South Africa) beat Mikhail Aloyan (Russia) – UD
WBO Bantamweight World Championship
&
Andrew Tabiti (USA) beat Ruslan Fayfer (Russia) – UD
Cruiserweight Quarter-Final
3. October 20th, CFE Arena, Orlando, USA – Ali Trophy Quarter-Finals
Emmanuel Rodriguez (Puerto Rico) beat Jason Moloney (Australia) – SD
IBF Bantamweight Championship
&
Yunier Dorticos (Cuba) beat Mateusz Masternak (Poland) – UD
Cruiserweight Quarter-Final
4. October 27th, U.N.O. Lakefront Arena, New Orleans, USA – Ali Trophy Quarter-Finals
Regis Prograis (United States) beat Terry Flanagan (England) – UD
‘Interim’ WBC Super-Lightweight Title
&
Ivan Baranchyk (Belarus) beat Anthony Yigit (Sweden) – TKO7
Vacant IBF Super-Lightweight Championship
5. November 3rd, SSE Hydro, Glasgow, Scotland – Ali Trophy Quarter-Finals
Nonito Donaire (Philippines) beat Ryan Burnett (Northern Ireland) – TKO4
WBA ‘Unified’ Bantamweight Championship
&
Josh Taylor (Scotland) beat Ryan Martin (United States) – TKO7
WBC Super-Lightweight Silver Title
6. November 10th, UIC Pavilion in Chicago, USA – Ali Trophy Quarter-Finals
Mairis Briedis beat Noel Mikaelian – UD
WBC Diamond Belt
&
Krzysztof Glowacki beat Maksim Vlasov – UD
vacant Interim WBO World Championship
