Regis Prograis: “I Hope Catterall Becomes a World Champion”

American super lightweight boxer Regis Prograis (29-3, 24 KOs) spoke with Ready to Fight about his defeat to British opponent Jack Catterall (30-1, 13 KOs) and discussed his next steps in his career.

As a reminder, on October 26 in Manchester, United Kingdom, Catterall won against Prograis by unanimous decision. Jack was knocked down in the 5th round, while Prograis was down twice in the 9th and again in the 12th.

– You showed us something special today, including one of the best interviews I’ve ever heard from a defeated fighter, full of respect for Jack Catterall. After having some time to process everything, how would you summarize what happened tonight?

– “He was just better. I believe he was better. I started off boxing very well; he couldn’t touch me. But then I switched my game plan, and I got caught. From that point on, everything went the way it did.”

– Yesterday, you said your legs were in great shape and that you had a fantastic camp. That showed in the first three to four rounds—a close fight with a southpaw, and then you knocked Jack down for the first time in his career. He admitted it stunned and scared him, but he was able to come back.

– “Yes, he really came back. Like I said, Jack was much better than I expected. You look at an opponent in training and think, ‘I’ll catch him with this.’ But when you step into the ring, it’s completely different. My legs felt fine, but I injured my knee and ankle. My right knee and ankle are really swollen.”

– You went down but got back up despite the heavy knockdown and injury. In the final round, it seemed like your ankle was letting you down, but you continued to fight until the end. That’s the gladiator spirit in you, isn’t it?

– “I think so. I just couldn’t stop. I had to keep going. No one was going to stop me, so I just got up and continued, giving it my all.”

– What about Jack? Do you think he will become a world champion?

– “I hope so. He should have become a world champion in his fight with Taylor. He got his rematch and took his chance. I’ll be rooting for him and hope he becomes a world champion.”

– What’s next? Bare-knuckle fighting or returning to camp to consider your plans?

– “I think I need to think it over first. I just did this interview and said that I change my mind every three seconds. Tomorrow, I might wake up and decide something completely different. But if I stay in boxing, I’ll probably move up to welterweight (up to 66.7 kg). It’s time to let my body grow and gain muscle mass. Maybe I’ll try my hand at bare-knuckle fighting. I’ll talk to my team, and we’ll decide what to do next.

I dream of becoming a champion for the third time, but I might have to try a new weight class. I’ve been fighting in the super lightweight division my entire 12-year professional career, and it’s time to try something new. Many do this—move up in weight—and we’ll see how it goes for me.”