By Ian S Palmer
Former WBA World and WBC Diamond Super Junior Welterweight Champion Regis Prograis of New Orleans returns to the ring this Saturday, November 26th when he takes on fellow southpaw Josse Zepeda of Long Beach, California. The 12-rounder from Carson, California is for the vacant WBC Super Lightweight Title and can be seen live in North America on pay per view with the FITE Network also televising it. Prograis last boxed in March when he stopped Tyrone McKenna in six rounds. Zepeda last saw action in October, 2021 when he stopped Josue Vargas in just 105 seconds.
The 33-year-old Prograis has an impressive record of 27-1 with 23 Ko’s. He won interim WBC Junior Welterweight Title when he stopped Julius Indongo in the second round in March, 2018 and then won the vacant WBC Diamond belt against Juan Velasco with an eighth-round stoppage. He defended against Terry Flanagan and Kiryl Relikh and also won the WBA belt against Relikh before running into IBF Champion Josh Taylor in the World Boxing Super Series Final in October, 2019 and was edged by a majority decision for his lone pro defeat.
Prograis enjoyed a fine amateur career and has also won the NABF Junior Super Lightweight Title and NABF Super Lightweight Crown since turning pro in 2012. He’s boxed a total of 125 rounds since then and stands 5-feet-8-inches tall with a 67-inch reach. The most noticeable thing about Prograis is obviously the 23 Ko’s in 27 victories which translates into a current knockout ratio of 82.1 per cent.
Prograis is a dangerous puncher who isn’t really interested in hearing what the judges have to say about his fight but he’s also a fine boxer. Along with beating Julius Indongo, Relikh, Velasco, Ivan Redkach and Flanagan, he’s also beaten the likes of Joel Diaz Jr., Luis Eduardo Florez, Aaron Herrera, Abel Ramos, Juan Heraldez and Hector Velazquez. Prograis has earned his shot at the vacant title here but he’d also like to land a rematch with Josh Taylor down the road to avenge his loss.
Zepeda is also a 33-year-old veteran southpaw and owns a mark of 35-2 with 27 Ko’s. He originally won the vacant Silver Jr. Welterweight Crown in October, 2020 in a classic slugfest against Ivan Baranchyk. Zepeda was down twice in round one and once in rounds two and five while Baranchyk was down once in rounds two, three, four and five before he finally couldn’t get back up.
It was thought Zepeda may have suffered a lot of damage from the fight but he then beat Hank Lundy by 10-round unanimous decision without much problem seven months later and stopped Josue Vargas five months after that. Zepeda’s first pro loss came to Terry Flanagan when he was stopped in the second round in a shot at the WBO Lightweight Title in July, 2015. He suffered a dislocated left shoulder and remained on his stool when the bell rang to start the third round.
He then dropped a majority decision to WBC Super Lightweight Champion Jose Ramirez in February, 2019 in another world title opportunity. Zepeda stands 5-feet-8-inches tall with a reach of 70.5 inches, for a 3.5-inch reach advantage on Prograis, and has boxed 157 rounds since turning pro on Christmas Day, 2009. He’s also got better-than-average power in his fists with a current knockout ratio of 69.2 percent.
Zepeda also won the vacant WBO International Super Lightweight Crown in June, 2017 when he stopped Miguel Zamudio in the sixth round. He then won the vacant WBA Inter-Continental Lightweight Championship by stopping Carlos Diaz Ramirez in the fifth round a year later. Zepeda has also beaten the likes of Jose Pedraza, Luis Arceo, Emanuel Lopez, Robert Frankel, Victor Manuel Cayo, Armando Robles and Abner Lopez.
Prediction…
Prograis is a world-class boxer with plenty of skills and power with his power being the reason for most of his victories however. Zepeda’s been on the deck a few times before but still owns a pretty solid chin and remarkably quick recovery powers as we saw in his tilt with Baranchyk. Still, when you combine Prograis’ power and skills I’m expecting him to come out on top this Saturday night in a hard-fought battle. .
