Prograis: Broner Don't Want To Fight Me Now Because It's Too Much Risk For Him
By Jake Donovan
Published On Tue Feb 2, 2021, 09:24 AM EST
Regis Prograis doesn’t have to like the politics of the sport to know how to work around them.
There always seemed little chance of the former 140-pound champion making his way to the front of the line as the opponent of choice for Adrien Broner’s first fight back in more than two years. It didn’t stop the two from enjoying back and forth trash talk through social media, although in the end it meant just another targeted fight to fall by the wayside for the 32-year old southpaw.
“It’s happened to me every time, I call these guys out and talk some sh-t and then these fights wind up not happening,” Prograis noted to BoxingScene.com. “I’ve been saying Adrien Broner’s name for a while. Of course, it seems like he don’t want no part of me right now. He says a fight with me does nothing for his career.
“Should I talk sh-t about it? It’s like if I’m vocal I don’t get the fights I want. If I’m quiet, that seems like when I get fights. The main thing is to get back in the ring.”
Cincinnati’s Broner (33-4-1, 24KOs) eventually landed on Jovanie Santiago (14-0-1, 10KOs), an unbeaten 31-year old fringe contender from Dorado, Puerto Rico who lands the plum assignment atop a Feb. 20th Showtime-televised tripleheader. The bout is the first for Broner—a former four-division titlist—since a 12-round unanimous decision defeat to Manny Pacquiao in Jan. 2019.
Meanwhile, it’s back to the drawing board for Prograis (25-1, 21KOs), who is coming off of a 3rd round knockout of unbeaten Juan Heraldez last Halloween in San Antonio. The bout was his first in just more than a year, following a heartbreaking 12-round points loss to Josh Taylor in their World Boxing Super Series final and two-belt junior welterweight title unification clash in Oct. 2019.
The loss ended Prograis’ first career title reign after six months, with the intention of winning another belt at 140 before moving up to the welterweight division. Taylor and Jose Ramirez have all of the major titles at the moment and are eyeing a four-belt undisputed championship showdown this spring.
Prograis hopes to remain active while working his way back into the title mix, though preferably versus the more notable names in the division. A fight with Broner very much remains on his radar, although he fully understands why it’s not happening next—or possibly even any time soon.
“I don’t think AB is scared of me, I won’t say that,” acknowledges Prograis. He fought Pacquiao, he fought [former two-time welterweight titlist Shawn] Porter, he fought [former welterweight titlist Marcos] Maidana. As a man I don’t think he’s scared to fight me. As a businessman, I think he’s scared to mess up whatever he has planned. Like, he’s not scared of me as a person but I do think he’s scared to get in the ring with me at this point in his career.
“He doesn’t want to fight me now because it’s too much risk for him. But with Al Haymon involved with both of us now, maybe after this fight, we get to a point where it’s still a risk for him but a lot of reward. He’ll get in the ring if he gets whatever he’s asking for—$10 million, $5 million, $3 million. I do think it’s still a big fight, one of the biggest at 140. So, I get why Broner’s doing what he’s doing, but I do believe a fight between me and him will definitely happen.”
