By: Sean Crose
“I am so excited to welcome Regis to the Matchroom team,” promoter – and Matchroom honcho – Eddie Hearn said in a surprising Saturday night press release. The Regis he was referring to was the one and only WBC junior welterweight titlist Regis Prograis. “The 140lb division is fast becoming the most exciting in the sport,” Hearn continued, “littered with big names and glamour fights, so to have the WBC king in the team is a massive coup for us.”
The 28-1 Prograis had been a free agent for a while, which made him one of the hotter commodities in the sport of boxing. “Now it’s official – I am with Matchroom,” Prograis said. “Over the last few weeks, I’ve been contemplating which move I should make next. I had a lot of good offers on the table. But I feel like Matchroom is the best for me. I just feel like it’s the right fit. From the beginning I had that gut feeling and it never left. I can’t wait to start this chapter in my career. I’ll be fighting Liam Paro in New Orleans on June 17. This is a dream come true.”
Suffice to say, the widely unknown 23-0 Paro rightfully sees this as the opportunity of a lifetime. “I have been dreaming about fights like this my whole life,” the Australian contender said. “What better way to make a mark on the 140lbs division than taking out the top guy. This is what it’s all about. I’m coming.” With that being said, Prograis is clearly expected to win on the 17th of June. The press release indicated his deal with Matchroom is long term, after all.
“Regis’ fights always promise action,” said Hearn, “and along with his charisma and personality, there’s a perfect blend that makes him one of the most marketable and fan-friendly fighters – and one that has told me he only wants the biggest fights in the division – unifications and undisputed.” Hearn was also happy to be promoting Prograis-Paro on Prograis’ home turf of New Orleans.
“I cannot wait to promote our first event in New Orleans,” Hearn said. “It’s another city to add to the growing list of places we’ve put on events in the States, and with our new three-year deal with DAZN, you can expect more great locations and more big-name signings to build in those cities.”
Prograis’ last fight was an eleventh round knockout of Jose Zepeda back in November.