Regis Prograis says the world hasn’t seen the best of him yet after dominant win over Terry Flanagan in WBSS

Interim WBC junior welterweight champion Regis ‘Rougarou’ Prograis 23-0 (19) believes people are yet to see the best of him after his dominant win over Terry ‘Turbo’ Flanagan 33-2 (13) in the quarterfinals of the World Boxing Super Series (WBSS) at the Lakefront Arena in New Orleans this past Saturday night.

The offensive dynamo entered the ring intent on showing the finer points of his defensive game after his explosive eighth-round stoppage of Juan Jose Velasco three months earlier.

Discussing the wide 12-round unanimous decision win over Flanagan with Kevin Iole of Yahoo! Sports this week, Prograis said he could’ve finished off the 29-year-old British southpaw within the distance after dropping him in the eighth, but wanted to showcase his full range of skills.

“In the eighth round, he was hurt real bad, and I could have gotten him out of there if I wanted to do that,” Prograis said. “But I stayed calm and stayed composed and I just boxed. I had four more rounds to go and I wanted to go those four more rounds. I wanted to show people that I can box…

“People talk about how much I get hit, so I looked at the tape and I got touched three times in 12 rounds, to be honest with you. Maybe five, but as far as flush shots, it was just once or twice. I just wanted to show people that if I want to be, I can be unhittable.”

The rising star is already creating a buzz in the sort with his entertaining and fan-friendly style. But the 29-year-old from New Orleans doesn’t feel like he can rest on his laurels.

An eager student of the game, Prograis says there’s nothing he love more than to sit down and watch old boxing tapes, looking to pick up new moves from the old masters to incorporate into his ever-evolving style.

“I watch them very, very often, pretty much on a daily basis, especially when I’m home,” said Prograis. “Pretty much all the time on a daily basis, I’m watching fights. I’m just a student of the game and I just love it…

“I just love watching boxing. I watch it because I love fights and I watch because I can pick things up from those guys. You can’t ever stop learning and growing in this sport.”

As a fellow southpaw, Prograis rates defensive genius Pernell ‘Sweet Pea’ Whitaker amongst his favourite fighters to watch. But if there was one fighter he could be, it would be ‘Manos de Piedra’.

“I can look like all those dudes, but one of my favorites was [Roberto] Duran,” Prograis revealed. “If I could mimic my style to be just like one fighter, it would be Duran, even though I’m a southpaw.

“I’m slick, too, though, and I watch Pernell a lot also. I’m a combination of a few different things, basically. My style is kind of like a bumblebee, mixed in with all kinds of stuff.”

Next up for Prograis will be a fight against WBA 140-pound champion Kiryl Relikh 23-2 (19) in the semi-finals of the WBSS on a date to be advised. Until then, he is going to continue to learn and improve.

“It’s my job, but I love it,” he said. “I have so much fun watching boxing and when you love to do something, you’ll stay committed. And I’m committed to being the best I can possibly be.”