“For sure, it’s must-win.” REgis prograis has a lot riding on his upcoming Fight with jack catterall

By: Sean Crose

“I feel like me and Jack is the biggest fight you can make in the division without a belt being on the line,” former junior welterweight titlist Regris Prograis said in a press release to announce his August 24th bout against Jack Catterall. “We were actually supposed to fight a few years ago but it just never happened, and so now we’re here. I think this is the best time right now.”

Prograis, who suffered his first defeat last December at the gloved fists of Devin Haney, clearly knows there’s a lot riding on this match with Catterall. “For sure, it’s must-win,” he said. “I have a goal now. Every time I get the belt I kind of just don’t care about it. Now I have a goal again. I want to be a three-time world champion and this is the man that I have to get past. Catterall is one of the biggest names in the division right now. The 140lbs division is stacked right now.”

Although no title is at stake, the fight with Catterall, which will go down in Manchester in the United Kingdom, can be seen by Prograis as a chance for a serious comeback. A good performance outside his own American homeland, will help people forget about the loss to Haney, after all, or at least to place it in the rear view mirror. “Like I said, this is the biggest fight that they can make without a belt being on the line,” Prograis said. “I’m ready to do it again in front of the crazy UK fans.”

Catterall, fresh off his victory over Josh Taylor, is on a hot streak. Not only has he now topped Taylor, the only man to have previously beaten him, Catterall as also defeated the liked of Jorge Linares. “I’m delighted,” Catterall said. “That chapter with Josh now is closed. It’s a new chapter. Before the first fight I found myself in a great position, number one in the WBO, but I was sitting on the shelf for too long.”

Like Prograis, Catterall knows that a victory here can lead to some impressive career openings. “I think we understand that the division is wide open right now,” Catterall said. “There’s no immediate shot at the world title but I didn’t want to be waiting until the back end of the year or early next year to get back in the ring, with the hopes of maybe landing a world title fight.”