LONDON -- At times it felt like the World Boxing Super Series final between Regis Prograis and Josh Taylor would never happen. Now boxing fans can breathe a sigh of relief as the two will meet on Oct. 26 on DAZN. Not only will Prograis and Taylor be putting their perfect records on the line but the fight will also be a junior welterweight unification. Prograis will be making the first defense of his WBA title while Taylor will be making the first defense of his IBF strap.
Prograis (24-0, 20 KOs) who goes by the nickname 'Rougarou' is just as scary in the ring as the werewolf-like creature his nickname derives from. The 30-year-old is a beautiful mix of boxing skills and power, making him a tough out for anyone. With his quick hands Prograis works behind a clean jab and he possesses power in both hands capable of knocking opponents out. Prograis always seems to be in the proper position and he likes to break opponents down with right hooks and slick uppercuts. His straight left hand which explodes as quickly and ferociously as an alligator in the swamps of Louisiana can also do plenty of damage and has ended more than a few fights.
While Prograis lacks a truly elite name on his resume he has put together a good run recently. Starting in 2017 Prograis ran through Joel Diaz Jr., Julius Indongo, Juan Jose Velasco, Terry Flanagan, and Kiryl Relikh. The WBA title that Prograis currently holds was taken from Relikh in their fight and it was a dominant performance from the challenger, stopping Relikh in the sixth round. The three best junior welterweights are widely considered to be Prograis, Taylor, and Jose Ramirez and with Prograis and Taylor going head-to-head the winner could rightfully lay claim to being the best fighter in the division. Ideally the winner of this fight would challenge Ramirez for his WBC and WBO titles with the winner becoming undisputed buy as is often the case in boxing that could just be a pipe dream.
In some ways Taylor (15-0, 12 KOs) is your typical European fighter. He stands very upright and likes to stay busy with his jab even though he doesn't put a ton behind it. What he does put a lot on is his right hook and left hand, two punches that can both do damage. Taylor likes to get in the pocket where he can unleash a combination before stepping back out of danger. He also does a tremendous job of varying his attacking upstairs and to the body. The Scotland native relies heavily on his quick reflexes to avoid punches and while he has found success with that style he also leaves himself open. Taylor doesn't use the jab much to work his way inside, instead using it as a weapon to score with from the outside. That means Taylor really relies on those reflexes to work his way into the pocket and that could be dangerous against a puncher like Prograis.
Similarly to Prograis, Taylor began a good run starting in 2017. First he handed Ohara Davies his first career loss, then beat the tricky Miguel Vazquez before adding Viktor Postol, Ryan Martin, and Ivan Baranchyk to his list of victims. Now Taylor will look to prove his supremacy in the junior welterweight division but unifying the WBA and IBF titles.
It isn't very often that boxing fans are treated to a true toss-up fight. It is even more rare that the toss-up fight is also a unification fight but that will be the case on Saturday night. Prograis is the more aggressive of the two and he also has carries just a bit more power on his punches. However, he isn't just a wild slugger and his heavy jab can help him control things from the outside while also helping to set up his power punches. If Taylor tries to stay on the outside he is going to find it difficult to keep Prograis from charging forward because his jab isn't that much of a deterrent. However, if he can keep his feet moving and pick his spots to get inside and unload he could find success.
PREDICTION: There isn't much that separates Regis Prograis from Josh Taylor. They both have good power and plenty of skills but Prograis has slightly more power and his heavy jab is a better weapon than Taylor's. Those slight differences will end up playing a big role in this fight and Prograis is going to leave London with a unanimous decision win, his WBA belt, Taylor's IBF strap, and the Muhammad Ali trophy.
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| Prograis, catching Kiryl Relikh with a straight left hand |
While Prograis lacks a truly elite name on his resume he has put together a good run recently. Starting in 2017 Prograis ran through Joel Diaz Jr., Julius Indongo, Juan Jose Velasco, Terry Flanagan, and Kiryl Relikh. The WBA title that Prograis currently holds was taken from Relikh in their fight and it was a dominant performance from the challenger, stopping Relikh in the sixth round. The three best junior welterweights are widely considered to be Prograis, Taylor, and Jose Ramirez and with Prograis and Taylor going head-to-head the winner could rightfully lay claim to being the best fighter in the division. Ideally the winner of this fight would challenge Ramirez for his WBC and WBO titles with the winner becoming undisputed buy as is often the case in boxing that could just be a pipe dream.
In some ways Taylor (15-0, 12 KOs) is your typical European fighter. He stands very upright and likes to stay busy with his jab even though he doesn't put a ton behind it. What he does put a lot on is his right hook and left hand, two punches that can both do damage. Taylor likes to get in the pocket where he can unleash a combination before stepping back out of danger. He also does a tremendous job of varying his attacking upstairs and to the body. The Scotland native relies heavily on his quick reflexes to avoid punches and while he has found success with that style he also leaves himself open. Taylor doesn't use the jab much to work his way inside, instead using it as a weapon to score with from the outside. That means Taylor really relies on those reflexes to work his way into the pocket and that could be dangerous against a puncher like Prograis.
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| Taylor, on the attack against Ivan Baranchyk |
It isn't very often that boxing fans are treated to a true toss-up fight. It is even more rare that the toss-up fight is also a unification fight but that will be the case on Saturday night. Prograis is the more aggressive of the two and he also has carries just a bit more power on his punches. However, he isn't just a wild slugger and his heavy jab can help him control things from the outside while also helping to set up his power punches. If Taylor tries to stay on the outside he is going to find it difficult to keep Prograis from charging forward because his jab isn't that much of a deterrent. However, if he can keep his feet moving and pick his spots to get inside and unload he could find success.
PREDICTION: There isn't much that separates Regis Prograis from Josh Taylor. They both have good power and plenty of skills but Prograis has slightly more power and his heavy jab is a better weapon than Taylor's. Those slight differences will end up playing a big role in this fight and Prograis is going to leave London with a unanimous decision win, his WBA belt, Taylor's IBF strap, and the Muhammad Ali trophy.
No way, Taylor will beat him😉
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