Trainer Stephen Edwards says WBC light welterweight champion Regis Prograis will need to overcome the style advantage that challenger Devin Haney has in their fight on December 9th on DAZN PPV at the Chase Center in San Francisco, California.
The younger fighter, 24-year-old Haney (30-0, 15 KOs), has the reach, speed, footwork, skills, and ring IQ advantage over the 34-year-old Prograis (29-1, 24 KOs).
Edwards feels that Prograis will have to find a way to overcome the stylistic advantage Haney has and suggests that he look to put a hurting on him.
Keys to victory for Prograis
- Nonstop pressure
- Try to hurt
- Be fearless
- Focus on power game
- Don’t allow keep it long
If Regis doesn’t find a way to cut off the ring, Haney won’t take chances and will stay on the outside content with jabbing to win a decision.
After getting hurt in a couple of his fights, Haney has learned his lesson not to brawl with his stronger opponents, so he’ll likely focus on boxing from range all night on December 9th.
It might not be entertaining to watch for the fans, but it’s the only way Haney can win without risking getting knocked out by the bigger, stronger, more rugged Prograis.
Haney is like a Ferrari going up against an all-terrain fighter, Prograis. It won’t work for Haney to mix it up with Prograis because he won’t last long in a fight of that nature.
Haney with stylistic advantage over Regis
“If Devin fights for a decision in this fight and doesn’t overly engage with Regis, I think the fight favors him stylistically. Plus, he’s about ten years younger, and that’s a real thing,” said Stephen Edwards to MillCity Boxing about Devin Haney having the advantages over WBC light welterweight champion Regis Prograis for their fight on December 9th.
“I know Regis doesn’t have a lot of fights, but he’s still 34 and Devin is 24. The reflexes and everything are different. I think the fight favors Devin stylistically.”
Haney is a nightmare to fight, but he’s vulnerable to the power game, and that’s Prograis’ specialty. With that said, Prograis can’t fight afraid as he did against Danielito Zorrilla and will need to do a better job of cutting off the ring because Devin will win all night if he lets him.
“Regis isn’t a big one-punch guy. He’s a wear-you-down kind of guy,” said Edwards. “He’s got hard fists, but he’s not a ‘Boom,’ and you go to sleep like Tommy Hearns. He’s kind of a hard-fisted guy.
“Loma has fast feet, and his boxing acumen allows him to fight guys like Devin Haney and Teofimo. Most of the people don’t take these kinds of fights when they get to Loma’s age coming from the weights that he comes from.
“Devin has a long, rangy jab and fanatic conditioning. He’ll be able to put Regis in different spots with his jab and not get caught on the ropes. Devin knows how to keep the fight in the center of the ring.
“Going twelve rounds with Loma, whether you think he won or lost, is a great experience for a young fighter, and he responded like a champion. Look at Loma and look at Regis. They’re both built kind of like in terms of not being that tall, and both with the short arms,” said Stephen.
Prograis must hurt Haney
“They don’t really fight alike, but they got a similar build,” Edwards said. “Regis is a lot bigger, but Regis doesn’t have Loma’s pedigree and doesn’t have his jab. Coming off his last performance, Regis is going to have to turn the perception of himself around.”
Prograis has to focus on wearing down Haney, and nailing him with counter shots, which has been his weakened. Jorge Linares had Haney numerous times in their fight in 2021.
If Linares knew how to fight through the clinch, he would have finished Haney off because he was being held nonstop in the final three rounds and he was letting it happen without continuing to punch. Prograis can’t let Haney hold because he’ll do it each time he gets close, and he won’t have a chance to get his shots off.
“He’s going to have to deal with everyone saying negative stuff about him on social media,” said Stephen. “Everyone is saying he’s slipped, he’s aged, and he’s going to have to have really high self esteem to deal with the backlash from that last fight [against Danielito Zorrilla].
“Devin is riding high after getting the decision in his last fight [against Vasily Lomachenko]. He responded like a champion. I think a lot of things are in his favor in this fight. I think Regis is an excellent fighter.
“I like his coach. That guy is good. They’re going to have to make some adjustments. Regis does a lot of contorting his body, and Regis will just stand back and pop him with his jab and move around the ring and get a decision.
“Regis is going to have to work on his feet, figure out how to close the distance, and neutralize Devin’s jab. Devin has arguably the best jab in boxing. Loma was able to neutralize his jab a little bit. That pedigree means a lot as far as scoring points is concerned.
“Regis has got his work cut out for him. He’s going to have to be in dog shape. He can’t wait on Devin. He’s going to have to find a way to close the distance. Devin is going to be able to do things at range, and Regis is going to have to figure out how to break that range.
“Devin has got a 73-inch reach. He’s got really, really long arms for a lightweight, and Regis is kind of stoutly built. Like I said, he’s [Prograis] is going to have to break the range, use his feet to get past Devin’s jab. He’s going to have to put a hurt on Devin.
“Those heavy hands are going to have to come into play. If I’m Regis, I got to start getting shape now, dealing with. It’s going to be a lot for him to overcome just with his feet. A good fight for Regis would be against Gary Antuanne Russell.
“Devin can jab and move around the ring and look like he’s way better than him, but it’s a bad style match-up for him. To overcome a style match-up, you got to be a great fighter. When a guy has a style advantage over you, and you’re able to overcome it, you’re special,” said Edwards.