With Josh Taylor having vacated the belt, the WBC has ordered Jose Zepeda to fight Regis Prograis for their 140 pound title, with a negotiation period okayed until August 30, when after that, if no deal has been made, the fight will go to purse bids. But as Zepeda’s guy, Rick Mirigian, has tweeted, purse bids will not be likely – “This fight will get made, I will see to it,” Mirigian tweeted yesterday.
Initially, Jose Ramirez was to have fought Zepeda for the vacant belt, yet we now have Prograis facing the man who gave us an absolutely epic fight with Ivan Baranchyk in October of 2020.
Prograis, 33 years old and a southpaw, and Zepeda, 33 years old and a southpaw, should give us a great fight. Prograis, 27-1(23) lost a close one to Taylor for his sole pro defeat, with the October 2019 fight being nothing short of superb. Prograis of New Orleans has won three fights since that night in London, with each of these wins coming via stoppage. Prograis believes, with plenty of justification, he is the best in the world at 140 (the Taylor battle could easily have gone his way on the cards).
Zepeda, has not lost since his close decision defeat at the hands of Ramirez, with “Chon” picking up five wins and boxing a NC. Zepeda is a former two-time world title challenger, while Prograis is a former WBA light-welterweight champ and he also held the WBC interim belt.
So who wins this one?
Prograis has excellent skills, Zepeda is a real warrior. The two styles belonging to both fighters should gel well and we should get an exciting fight. Prograis feels he has never really been beaten in a fight, while Zepeda is pretty much the same way (his unlucky shoulder injury of a loss to Terry Flanagan back in 2015 robbing us, and the two fighters, of a potential thriller).
Prograis, the more polished fighter of the two, is the pick to win here, but this pick is not made with anything like total confidence. Again, we could get a special fight with this one.