SAN FRANCISCO — Devin Haney, a 25-year-old who was formerly the undisputed lightweight champion, won the fight by a majority decision of 120–107 against Regis Prograis, earning him the title of WBC super lightweight world champion.
In order to move up a weight class, Haney gave up his 135-pound WBC, WBA, IBF, and WBO titles in November. Though it was his first fight at the weight, Haney(31-0,15KOs) got off to a good start, and in the third round, a straight right hand brought his opponent down. “A tremendous difference. You see it in my performance. I felt so much stronger 140 got a new king,” said Haney in media reports.
Before unleashing flawless one-two combinations that culminated in stinging right hands, Haney stood in front of Prograis(29-2, 24KOs) from Louisiana, U.S and established the jab from a distance. In the third round, Prograis’ defense was broken down by that exact combination, which resulted in a lightning-fast hit that dropped the 34-year-old.
The rest of the match, Prograis showed little to no resistance as Haney, 25, from California, U.S hammered him with stinging shots almost at whim, earning him more than respect for his right hand. Prograis would sustain injuries in the sixth and ninth rounds from Haney’s bucking him, demonstrating his self-control to hold off on going in for the knockout. Rather than back out, he chose to box magnificently till the end to secure the decisive victory.
“I went in here and I hit him with a sharp right hand. I capitalized on his tendency of leaning in. I know I was getting him hurt. My dad said stay focused, stick to the game plan,” added Haney.
“I’m not gonna lie, he’s better than what I thought. I’m gonna give him credit. We still keep the same energy. I say what I mean, but I’m gonna tell the truth, Devin Haney is better than I thought, he is,” said Prograis in media reports.
“His feet are faster, he’s quicker than I thought he was. I couldn’t seem to get to him. That’s all. He was quick. His power did surprise me. He does have power. It’s not a one-punch type of shot, but he’s quick. It’s the shot you don’t see. That’s the kind of power he has,” Prograis added.
