Haney Steps Up To 140 To Take On Prograis For His WBC Belt On December 9th
The undisputed lightweight champion Devin Haney is officially moving up to junior welterweight to face Regis Prograis for his WBC belt on December 9th, 2023.
The move was in the offing since Haney had cleaned up the division at 135 pounds. The fight had been teased following Haney’s win over Vasiliy Lomachenko. In the aftermath, there were talks over whether there should be a rematch due to the controversial nature of the win. But since that did not go ahead, Haney’s decision to move up became clearer. A fight with Shakur Stevenson failed despite Haney’s offer of 25 percent. Meanwhile, the weight cut at 135 was becoming increasingly difficult. The WBC responded by stripping Haney’s belt at 135 as he became a ‘champion in recess.’
As for Prograis, the fighter secured the title after having grabbed the vacant belt by stopping Jose Zepeda in the 11th round. The first defense of the title followed with a split-decision win over Danielito Zorrilla. And yet, the fight at 140 with Haney took some time to get made. Prograis admitted he had signed his side of the agreement, with the only sticking point being that Haney had not signed. But now that it has been confirmed, Eddie Hearn promised an entertaining fight.
🗣️ 𝐖𝐁𝐂 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐞𝐫 𝐋𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞 ✍️@RPrograis defends his 140lb crown against @Realdevinhaney on December 9 👑#HaneyPrograis is LIVE on DAZN worldwide & DAZN PPV in the U.S & Canada pic.twitter.com/Hh1yCkI2it
— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) September 26, 2023
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“I am thrilled that we can finally get our teeth into talking about one of the best fights of 2023. The build-up to this one is going to be like the fight itself — intense, fiery, and explosive. There is no love lost between them and bragging rights alone are a huge prize, but with Regis wanting to prove he’s the man to beat at 140 pounds and Devin aiming to become a two-weight world champion as a homecoming hero, the stakes simply couldn’t be higher,” Eddie Hearn said
“It’s been a long time coming. It’s been a dream of mine to fight in my hometown. I’m excited for the opportunity to become two-division world champion in the city where it all started. The energy in the building is going to be electric. I haven’t fought at home since I was an amateur, so I’m looking for my city to show up and show out,” Haney
“As a kid, I always envisioned fighting at the Oracle (Arena) in Oakland. Now with Chase Center, I have two dream locations with a bridge between them. So, my first order of business is to blow the roof off Chase Center on Dec. 9 with an amazing event. I picked a focused and hungry champion to invite to my hometown. Regis is going to be trying to knock me out and that’s exactly what I need him to be trying to do,” Haney
“On paper this is a tough fight because it’s my first fight at a heavier weight division,” Haney said. “I’m comfortable with the plan I have. God willing, I’m going to be stronger and faster than ever. I’m going to dominate him, and the division will be put on notice. “It’s never personal. This is a business at the end of the day. We’re two gentlemen at the end of the day, but when we get in the ring, we don’t have respect for each other. I’m going to go in there and do my job,” Haney
“Finally, we’re ready to go. I can’t wait to put on a show. I’ve already started training camp and I’ll be more than ready to do what I do best. Devin has done well at 135 pounds, but I’m the best in the world at 140 pounds and I will prove that once again. “Since my last fight they mentioned Devin’s name and that’s the only person I’ve had on my mind. I will not only beat him, but I will beat him up. I will hurt this kid. It’s nothing he can do that’s going to stop me from dominating. It’s going to be a massacre. Again, I will hurt him,” Prograis