Haney dominates Prograis to grab WBC super-lightweight world title
Devin Haney beat Regis Prograis by unanimous decision in his division debut to win the WBC super-welterweight title.
Devin Haney has wrested the WBC super-lightweight world title from Regis Prograis, knocking his opponent down once on the way to a unanimous decision victory in San Francisco.
Haney, the former undisputed lightweight world champion stepping up to the 140-pound division for the first time, won by scores of 120-107 from all three judges on Saturday.
Haney sent Prograis to the canvas in the third round with one of many devastating combinations and wobbled Prograis again in the sixth on the way to the dominant victory.
Haney (31-0) remained unbeaten with a slow but dominant victory over Prograis in front of a sellout crowd at Chase Center in San Francisco, home of the Golden State Warriors.
He was cheered wildly while repeatedly landing a stiff left hand and several hard right hooks that kept Prograis from finding a rhythm.
He dropped Prograis in the third round with a stinging straight right hand.
Prograis couldn’t avoid Haney’s crisp right hand to the head that repeatedly landed and opened a small cut on his nose in the sixth round.
“It’s a dream come true,” Haney said. “I knew I had him hurt a few times. I went in there and was real disciplined. I made it as easy as possible.”
‘The biggest fights are the most money’
It was Haney’s first fight as a super welterweight after dominating as the undisputed lightweight crown. Haney made the decision to move up after having trouble making weight at lightweight.
Now as a two-division champion, Haney is eyeing a third title.
“I want to talk to my dad and see what’s next,” Haney said. “I want to do a fight at 147 but there’s a lot of fights at 140.”
The hometown favourite later said the move up in weight had made a new fighter of him.
“A tremendous difference,” a victorious Haney told DAZN in the ring at the Chase Center, home of the NBA’s Golden State Warriors.
“You see it in my performance. I felt so much stronger… 140 got a new king.”
Hard-hitting southpaw Prograis was making the second defence of the WBC title he won with an 11th-round knockout of Jose Zepeda for the vacant title in November last year. Prograis lost for the first time since October 2019.
He notched a split decision win over Danielito Zorrilla in June but fell to 29-2 with 24 knockouts with the defeat.
The win opens the door for Haney to take part in big money fights now. Among those being rumoured for his next fight are Gervonta Davis and Ryan Garcia.
“I want to make the biggest, best fights happen,” Haney said.
“The biggest fights are the most money.”