Negotiations are underway to match former world champions Mikey Garcia 40-1 (30) and Regis ‘Rougarou’ Prograis 26-1 (22) in an intriguing crossroads battle at 140-pounds.
Californian Garcia, 33, has not fought since his 12-round unanimous decision victory over former WBO welterweight champion Jessie Vargas in Frisco, Texas in February last year.
It was Garcia’s second bout at 147-pounds following his 12-round drubbing at the hands of current WBC and IBF welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr in Arlington, Texas in March 2019.
He was targeting a fight against Manny Pacquiao before the Filipino superstar signed on to face Spence at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on August 21.
Southpaw Prograis, 32, has won two fights on the trot, both by knockout, following his majority decision loss to Josh ‘The Tartan Tornado’ Taylor in the final of the World Boxing Super Series in London two years ago.
In May, Taylor unified all four major titles at junior welterweight with a 12-round unanimous decision win over previously undefeated Jose Carlos Ramirez in Las Vegas. The Scottish southpaw has a WBO mandatory title defence due against Jack Catterall later this year and has spoken about a move up to the marquee welterweight division.
With Taylor forging his own path, Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Boxing sees a fight between Garcia and Prograis as a natural.
“Mikey Garcia obviously boxed with us against Jessie Vargas back in 2020 now. It was our last US show before the pandemic,” Hearn said to Boxing Social.
“And he’s been looking for a lot of big fights. Of course, the Manny Pacquiao fight [was one of them]. The great thing about Mikey is he’ll box at 147 all the way down to under 140 if he has to.
“I love the fight with Regis Prograis. It’s one of those fights where the belts are held up at 140 by Josh Taylor, but that is probably the best fight at 140 that can get made.
“Obviously, you’d think the best fight in that division would be Josh if that’s the case. But certainly, outside of the championships or outside of any Josh Taylor fight, Regis Prograis vs Mikey Garcia is a tremendous fight.”
Hearn is in the process of signing a fight between pound-for-pound star Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez and IBF 168-pound beltholder Caleb ‘Sweethands’ Plant for September 11. Those negotiations are currently taking priority over the proposed Garcia vs Prograis bout.
“We’re talking to their two teams and we’re talking to DAZN,” said Hearn. “I think everything runs around Canelo Alvarez when you’re looking at planning schedules and when you’re looking at budgets.
“So once that gets made, the Canelo Alvarez fight and who he fights and where he fights, it’ll kind of shape the rest of the schedule for the rest of the year.
“But [Garcia vs Prograis] is definitely a fight I would love to bring to DAZN.”
