WBC junior welterweight champion Regis ‘Rougarou’ Prograis 28-1 (24) is a short-priced favourite to retain his title against replacement opponent Danielito Zorrilla 17-1 (13) at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans on Saturday night.
The bout will be broadcast live worldwide on DAZN.
The 34-year-old New Orleans southpaw is in his second reign as champion after previously holding the WBA belt, which he lost to Josh Taylor 19-1 (13) in the final of the World Boxing Super Series four years ago.
In November last year Prograis claimed the vacant WBC 140-pound belt against fellow southpaw Jose ‘Chon’ Zepada 36-3 (27) by 11th round knockout Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California.
Prograis was originally scheduled to face undefeated Australian southpaw Liam Paro 23-0 (14) before the 27-year-old suffered an injury in training and was forced to withdraw from the bout. Zorrilla, 29, of Puerto Rico is an orthodox boxer.
“It’s not hard to focus because when you fight someone that people say is lesser than you, those are the dangerous fights and the hard ones as you don’t know what they have got, and you need to perform against them,” said Prograis.
“People do pull off upsets. I’m not looking past him, but you have in your mind that there’s massive fights out there, but I know that I won’t get to them unless I take care of my business on Saturday. So, until then, I don’t think about anyone else because you might not get there.”
Prograis will be having his first fight in his hometown of New Orleans as a world champion. The last time he boxed there was in October 2018 when he outpointed Terry Flanagan over 12 rounds six months before he dethroned Kiryl Relikh for the WBA 140-pound belt by sixth-round knockout in Lafayette, Louisiana.
Prograis loves his home city so much he even has a sprawling tattoo of it inked across his chest.
His fight comes one week after Teofimo Lopez 19-1 (13) lifted the WBO and Ring magazine junior welterweight titles from Josh Taylor 19-1 (13) by unanimous decision last weekend.
“There’s pressure on me already as I’m fighting at home in New Orleans, my people are coming to see me,” Prograis said. “And yes, Teo has done his thing against Josh, so I still feel that I am the best at 140-pounds, but Teo deserves his credit, and I give that to him. So, I must go out and look great and prove I am the best, and then we can get that fight so there will be no doubt.
“You can’t control what people think. Some may say I’m the best, some will now say Teo, Subriel Matias, some might even say Rolly [Romero]. I still feel I’m the best; you put me in with Rolly, I beat him. Put me in with Teo, I beat him. Put me in with Matias, I beat him. We can’t prove that until we fight, but that’s how I feel and the only way to prove it is to fight each other.”
