Regis Prograis (22-0, 19 KOs) successfully defended his interim WBC super lightweight title Saturday night, defeating Juan Velasco (20-1, 12 KOs) by TKO in the eighth round of their bout.
Prograis put on a show for his hometown of New Orleans, Louisiana, knocking down Velasco three times throughout the course of the fight.
Round one was shockingly close, Prograis started off very slow. Velasco tagged Prograis with a handful of combinations and looked to stun Prograis at one point. That was all the action Velasco would bring to the fight.
Prograis found his rhythm in the second round of the fight and didn’t look back. He was relentless in his attack to the body, with both hands.
Prograis totaled three knockdowns on the night. Knocking down Velasco with a left hand to the middle of the body that instantly dropped him in the fifth round. Velasco survived the remaining 45 seconds of the round but wasn’t the same for the rest of the fight.
Velasco stopped trying to exchange and virtually had no offense.
Prograis bodywork wore down Velasco, Prograis dropped Velasco in the seventh round with a nasty liver shot. Velasco didn’t want to continue while on the stool before the beginning of the eighth round.
The fight ended in Round 8 after the corner threw in the towel before Velasco took any more unnecessary damage.
After a pair of searing body shot knockdowns, @RPrograis gives his NOLA fans the ending they wanted. #PrograisVelasco pic.twitter.com/kQdNEgz17n
— Top Rank Boxing (@trboxing) July 15, 2018
Prograis hinted at future plans in the post-fight interview. “I already got my plans, I’m going to enter the World Boxing Super Series.”
With this win, Prograis has earned a spot in the World Boxing Super Series 140 pound tournament.
Although that is his plan, he didn’t rule out a mega fight, should one be offered.
“But, if an opportunity presents itself, maybe Manny Pacquiao would come down to 140, I’d love that fight,” said Prograis. “Or if [Vasiliy] Lomachenko wants to move up, I’d take that fight also.”
Regis Prograis is becoming a household name in the Junior Welterweight division and plans to prove he is the best.
Header photo by Mikey Williams/Top Rank
