There are few in the sport as serious about their craft as Regis Prograis. But even the unbeaten junior welterweight titlist has his limits.
“For me, it’s all about my kids.” Prograis (24-0, 20KOs) noted during a recent segment of ‘Road To London’ documenting his journey towards the Oct. 26 140-pound title unification bout versus Josh Taylor at The O2 in London, England. “For me, it’s about going back to my old days when I was little, about like what my parents did for me as a kid.”
The upcoming showdown with Scotland’s Taylor (15-0, 12KOs)—which also serves as the World Boxing Super Series finals—marks Prograis’ first career fight outside of the United States. The 30-year old—who split most of his life between New Orleans, Louisiana and Houston, Texas but now trains out California—enjoyed two local appearances in his journey to the finals, scoring a 12-round decision win over former lightweight titlist Terry Flanagan last November before dethroning Kiryl Relikh in a 6th round knockout this past April.
Just about any piece of footage beyond the ropes will include some semblance of his family, as he remains a devoted husband and loving father to his two children. Frequently showcased during his aforementioned documentary is time spent with his loved ones, whether playing video games, going on road trips and singing along to whatever’s on the radio or just lounging around and willingly serving as their human trampoline.
“All that boxing s*** is cool… that’s all cool with people who know me and all that,” notes Prograis, though in pointing out his ability to shut it down when it comes to family. “But that s*** don’t matter when it comes to my kids.
“Yeah, it’s great to be remembered as a potentially great boxer. But if all my kids remember me as is a piece of s***, that stuff don’t matter.”
Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox
