Sam Jones says Regis Prograis is ideal for Jack Catterall

After the dust had settled on his victory over Josh Taylor, Jack Catterall and his team sat down to plot his next move. 

There was no thought about dialling back the level of opposition and waiting for a super lightweight world title opportunity to present itself. Instead, Catterall, 29-1 (13 KOs), and his team were determined to maintain the momentum created by the exciting win over his bitter rival and set out to secure the most attractive fight they could.

When he and his team looked down the list of available opponents, one name stood out above all others. 

“Jamie Moore has always said to me, ‘Regis Prograis is a good fight for Jack,’” Catterall’s manager, Sam Jones, told BoxingScene.

“He’s a good puncher. He’s a phenomenal fighter but his style, we believe, will compliment Jack. Apart from the world champions and the world title fights, this is the best fight in the division by a mile.”

Prograis. 29-2 (24 KOs), has been one of the most exciting fighters in world boxing over the past decade but appears to have lost some of his explosiveness and menace in recent outings. He was flat against Danielito Zorrilla last June and almost unrecognisable as Devin Haney outboxed him last December. The consensus seems to be that, at 35 years old, Prograis needs to beat Catterall if he is to remain a significant player at super lightweight.

However, Jones isn’t expecting a reckless Prograis to turn up and fight for his career in Manchester.

Prograis is a two-time world champion and has been an established figure at the top of the 140lb tree for years. Jones believes that the Louisianan has nothing left to prove and will fight with determination rather than desperation. Prograis’ calibre means that he is already a threat, but if he can reignite that old spark, things could get very interesting.

“No, not desperate, because Regis Prograis has done everything in boxing. He’s won world titles and he’s been a part of big nights. But he’ll want to come and prove a point the same way Jack’s wanting to prove a point,” Jones said.

“We believe that Jack has achieved what he has but he just hasn’t got the hardware to show for it.

“But ultimately, it’s a big fight. It really is.

“If you look at the odds, it’s close. It’s very, very close. It’s what people would call a 50-50 fight, but we believe it’s not. Public-wise, if you look at the comments, it’s very much a mixed reaction on who people believe is going to win the fight.”

Catterall has been a major name in British boxing for years and, after his wins over Jorge Linares and Taylor, the fight with Prograis will be his third consecutive appearance as a major headline attraction. He has been given the opportunity to top the bill at the first ever boxing event to be held at the new Co-Op Live Arena which, when fully opened, is the largest indoor venue in Europe.

Prograis is a quality fighter and an engaging character and if Catterall can get past him in impressive fashion, it will rubber stamp his status as one of the very best super lightweights in the world.

From this point on Jones only wants his fighter to be involved in the biggest possible fights and to establish himself as a fighter capable of carrying major shows.

“Jack wants the biggest and best fights. That’s what Jack’s always said to me from the beginning. Our plan, funnily enough, has gone to a tee,” he said. “It’s all gone according to plan. This is my fourth fight with Jack. It feels like a lot longer than that.

“Listen, I would like to think I complimented his ability a little bit with my enthusiasm. There’s loads of big fights out there for Jack. First and foremost – and I mean this because I respect Regis a lot – all that matters is Regis Prograis.

“After that, we’ll worry about what comes after.”

John Evans has contributed to a number of well-known publications and websites for over a decade. You can follow John on X @John_Evans79