Prograis To Sign With Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing, Was Also Pursued By Arum’s Top Rank

Regis Prograis has chosen a new promoter.

BoxingScene.com has learned that the WBC super lightweight champion is expected to sign a three-fight deal with Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing. As part of that contract, the 34-year-old Prograis’ fights will be streamed by DAZN worldwide.

The first fight of Prograis’ new deal likely will take place sometime this summer, against an opponent to be determined.

Prograis (28-1, 24 KOs), a New Orleans native, chose to work with Hearn’s company over a longer offer from Bob Arum’s Top Rank Inc.

Arum’s company wanted a five-fight commitment from Prograis, which would’ve afforded the former WBA 140-pound champion opportunities to fight on ESPN against such potential opponents as the winner of the upcoming Josh Taylor-Teofimo Lopez bout, former WBC/WBO 140-pound champ Jose Ramirez and unbeaten contender Arnold Barboza Jr. Taylor, Lopez, Ramirez and Barbosa all are promoted by Top Rank.

Junior welterweight contenders Jack Catterall, Richardson Hitchins and Liam Paro are among the Matchroom-affiliated fighters who are possible opponents Prograis could face in main events streamed by DAZN.

Prograis also has decided to form Rougarou Promotions, a tribute to his nickname. Rougarou Promotions will co-promote his fights with Matchroom, which has an exclusive content deal with DAZN.

Prograis previously was promoted by Probellum, which announced his signing in October 2021. He parted ways with promoter Lou DiBella in 2020.

The Katy, Texas resident’s last fight, an 11^th-round knockout of Jose Zepeda, headlined a pay-per-view show that was promoted by MarvNation Promotions, a small company based in Southern California. MarvNation surprisingly won a purse bid for the right to promote the card headlined by Prograis-Zepeda on November 26 at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California.

The rugged Prograis dropped Zepeda during the 11^th round, when he knocked out Zepeda (35-3, 27 KOs, 2 NC) to win the then-vacant WBC 140-pound championship. Scotland’s Taylor vacated the WBC belt last year, which allowed the number one-rated Zepeda and the second-ranked Prograis to fight for it.

Taylor (19-0, 13 KOs) is the only opponent to beat Prograis during his 11-year professional career. The former undisputed 140-pound champion topped Prograis by majority decision in their 12-round title unification fight in October 2019 at O2 Arena in London.

Taylor will defend his WBO junior welterweight title against Lopez (18-1, 13 KOs) on June 10 in a main event ESPN will televise from The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York.

In addition to wanting a rematch with Taylor, Prograis has been very vocal about finally fighting Ramirez (28-1, 18 KOs). Prograis has repeatedly called out Ramirez for “ducking” him over the past several years.

Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.