Haney moving up to 140 to challenge Prograis for WBC title
Fight will take place Dec. 9 in San Francisco on DAZN PPV
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Devin Haney, having become the undisputed lightweight world champion and defended all the belts twice, is moving up to junior welterweight and will challenge Regis Prograis for his WBC title on Dec. 9, Matchroom Boxing announced on Tuesday, making official a fight that has been expected to be finalized for more than a month.
They will square off in the first boxing event to take place at the Chase Center — which opened in 2019 and is home to the NBA’s Golden State Warriors — in San Francisco, where the Las Vegas-based Haney was born, in the main event of a card that will be on DAZN PPV in the United States and on regular DAZN around the rest of the world. A DAZN spokesman told Fight Freaks Unite the price of the PPV would be announced closer to the bout.
“I am thrilled that we can finally get our teeth into talking about one of the best fights of 2023,” Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn said. “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.”
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Haney (30-0, 15 KOs), 24, who has never fought professionally in his birth city, made seven overall lightweight title defenses, including fully unifying the four major belts by blowout decision over then-three-belt champion George Kambosos Jr. on his turf in Australia in June 2022 followed by another rout in an October rematch, also in Australia.
In May, Haney won a close unanimous decision over former unified champion Vasiliy Lomachenko in Las Vegas and became a promotional and broadcast free agent, allowing him to easily pursue the fight he wanted against Prograis at 140 pounds after having boxed at 135 pounds since turning pro in 2015.
“It’s been a long time coming,” Haney said. “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.
“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 still holds three of the lightweight titles and was re-classified by the WBC as a “champion in recess.” But it is extremely unlikely he would return to lightweight regardless of the outcome against Prograis.
“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.”
Prograis (29-1, 24 KOs), 34, a southpaw from New Orleans, will be making the second defense of his second title reign, which commenced when he knocked out Jose Zepeda for the 11th-round to win the vacant WBC title in November. He made his first defense in June via desultory split decision over Danielito Zorrilla in New Orleans. Prograis’ only loss came by disputed majority decision in a 2019 unification fight with Josh Taylor.
“Finally, we’re ready to go. I can’t wait to put on a show,” Prograis said. “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.”
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Didn't Haney-Loma do only 150k ppv buys and that was with ESPN's promotional muscle behind it. This won't break 50k. Terrible.
Luckey I don’t have to pay for this fight I feel sorry for you in the states this is not a ppv fight,will be a good fight