WBC junior welterweight champion Regis Prograis 29-1 (24) says his last opponent Danielito Zorrilla 17-2 (13) was instrumental in getting his upcoming bout against Devin Haney 30-0 (15) made.
The 34-year-old New Orleans southpaw will meet former undisputed lightweight champion Haney, 26, in his hometown of San Francisco, California at the Chase Center on December 9.
The fight will be the first bout for Prograis since his near-disaster against 30-year-old Puerto Rican Zorrilla in June that he won by split decision.
Prograis said his subpar performance helped convince Haney to take the fight.
“We’re both going to make a lot of money and we’re only going to have one winner. That’s going to be me,” Prograis said to Brian Campbell.
“If I had to thank anybody, it would be Danielito Zorrilla. If that wouldn’t have happened, I’d never be getting this shot.
“[Haney is] good, but I don’t think he has what it takes to beat me. I know I’m better. I know how fast I am, I know how strong I am, and I have a chin. Devin Haney isn’t as good as people think he is.
“A lot of people look at the outside things compared to the inside stuff. Yeah, Devin Haney is good. Undisputed at 135. Is he even the best at 135? I really can’t say. I really don’t think so. I thought somebody else is the best at 135. Still, with me saying all that, I’m not overlooking him.”
Haney became the undisputed champion at 135-pounds when he travelled to Australia to defeat George Kambosos Jr 21-2 (10) on points in June last year. He repeated the performance in their immediate rematch four months later and won a close unanimous decision over former three-weight world champion Vasiliy Lomachenko 17-3 (11) in his last bout in May.
Despite his achievements, Prograis sasy Haney still has something to prove.
“Haney is someone who wants to prove himself,” Prograis said. “When the fight gets hard, and it will get hard, he won’t lay down. He’s going to be forced to lay down. That’s what I’m going to do.
“I don’t think he’s going to be one of those that quit or nothing like that, but I’m going to force him to lay down.
“It’s going to be twelve rounds of hell. That’s what I’m prepared for. I don’t know if he’s going to be able to get out of my grip. That’s it.
“I know people are going to say ‘cutting off the ring’ and stuff, but I’ve been working on that for four months already. Literally, everything that I’ve needed to work on, I’ve already been doing for four months. I’m prepared for anything he can do.
“If he wants to come in and fight me, if he wants to move, if he wants to jab around and even turn southpaw, I’m prepared for anything he can do, anything.
“I don’t see no way that he can beat me.”
