Tonight’s marquee main event saw Devin Haney knock off Regis Prograis and win the WBC super lightweight title at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif.
Haney is undergoing a career switch, as he announced before the fight that he’d be moving up in weight to take on tougher competition.
“I did everything at 135 that I could,” Devin Haney said in a statement to ESPN in November. “The biggest fight for me was making that Gervonta Davis fight, and his side showed no interest in making the fight. I’ve outgrown the division, so now I make my quest to 140 to become a two-division champion.”
Haney (31-0, 15 KOs) narrowly escaped defeat in his last outing, defeating Vasyl Lomachenko in a close decision in May in Las Vegas.
Meanwhile, Prograis (29-2, 24 KOs) had won five straight, recently winning a split decision against Danielito Zorrilla in June, handing Zorrilla his first-ever pro loss. Prograis’ lone blemish came in Oct. 2019 to Josh Taylor.
Here is how the fight between Haney and Prograis played out.
Round 1: Both men take the center of the ring. They each trade jabs before Prograis goes to the body. Haney lands a left. A two-punch combination lands from Haney. Both men circle the ring with under a minute left. Haney misses with a left but comes back with two jabs. Prograis lands an uppercut, and the round ends.
Round 2: Both men go back to the center. A two-punch body combination from Prograis lands. Prograis goes upstairs. Prograis and Haney begin to trade before Prograis catches Haney with back-to-back right hands. Haney counters with his own. Prograis goes to the body. Haney catches Prograis with an uppercut. Prograis slips going backward. After getting back to his feet, both men circle. Round 2 ends where it began.
Round 3: Prograis tries to back Haney up to the ropes with an overhand right. Haney counters with a combo of his own to knock Prograis down. Prograis survives the eight-count. Haney keeps his hands up, looking for an opening, going low to the body. Both men clinch, which is broken up by the referee. Haney goes low again and then back upstairs. The round ends with Prograis visibly swollen as he returns to his corner.
Round 4: Haney continues to go upstairs as Prograis covers up. Both men keep circling. Jab-jab from Prograis. Haney keeps his distance with a perfect one-two combo as he goes to the body to end the round/
Round 5: Jab, cross, hook from Prograis to begin the round. Haney counters with a combination of his own. Haney landed 48% of his power shots compared to 42% for Prograis. Body shot from Prograis. Haney is against the ropes. That was a left jab from Haney. A left hook afterward, then a body shot. Haney goes upstairs to end the round.
Round 6: Haney continues to go upstairs. A two-punch combination follows. Haney circles before a brief clinch ensues. Haney continues to work the body. Haney stuns Prograis with a right hand with under a minute left, putting him on his back foot. Prograis visibly bleeding out of his nose as the round ends with Haney arguably pitching a shutout.
Round 7: Both men circle. Haney continues to use his right jab. A right hand lands from Haney. Prograis goes low to the body. Haney comes back upstairs. Haney goes back to the jab. Haney returns upstairs to end the round with little offensive input from Prograis.
Round 8: Haney goes to the body. Haney goes back upstairs. Prograis has yet to throw a punch in the round. Haney continues to remain upstairs. Prograis attempts to put Haney against the ropes, but Haney counters to the body. Haney fires with a two-punch combo upstairs. Haney ends the round with a body shot.
Devin Haney is putting on a clinic 🥊 #HaneyPrograis pic.twitter.com/w2iGoKV4r1
— bjpenndotcom (@bjpenndotcom) December 10, 2023
Round 9: Haney continues to land upstairs before the fight is briefly interrupted by a wardrobe issue. Haney keeps peppering away. Haney moves backward, avoiding all of Prograis’ power shots before he gets caught with a right. Haney remains disciplined with under a minute left. Prograis fires back. 10 seconds left. Both men separate, and the round ends.
Round 10: Prograis’ corner is concerned for his safety, but the champion continues to fight. Haney lands to left jabs. Haney currently winning the “punches thrown” category by a landslide (33% to 10%). Haney digs inside the body. Both men remain in the center. Haney goes upstairs. Both men clinch. Haney returns upstairs, and the round ends with Prograis off his back foot.
Round 11: More of the same from Haney. A right cross lands before both men clinch. A few Prograis punches are blocked before Haney counters to the body. Haney keeps firing away while keeping his distance. Prograis is gassed as the round ends.
Round 12: The final round begins with Prograis leading the dance before Haney picks up right where he left. Both men clinch. Haney lands a left hook. Both men circle. Haney goes upstairs. Prograis stays complacent with under 30 seconds left in the fight. The Chase Center reacts in jubilation, as the final bell sounds.
Official Result: Devin Haney def. Regis Prograis via unanimous decision (120-107 x3) – wins WBC super lightweight title.
What are your thoughts regarding Devin Haney’s performance tonight? Let us know, Penn Nation!
