Regis Prograis is very motivated to claim a world title when he takes part in the next leg of the junior welterweight edition of the World Boxing Super Series, by taking on WBA champion Kiryl Relikh at the Cajundome in Lafayette on April 27.
The bantamweight unification bout between WBO champion Zolani Tete and WBA titleholder Nonito Donaire is will be the co-featured attraction of the card, as part of the WBSS tourney at 122-pounds.
“This is really a prestige event for us,” said Ben Berthelot, president and CEO of the Lafayette Convention and Visitors Commission, to The Advocate. “These fights could have been held in any city in the world, but they’re going to be here. There’s already so much positive energy about that weekend (the fight coincides with the Festival International de Louisiane). And now this.”
Prograis (23-0, 19 KOs) had hoped to get the fight to his hometown, but he's happy a deal was finalized.
“It was my goal to have this fight in New Orleans,” Prograis said. “But at least it’s in Louisiana.”
The contest with Relikh will be the toughest of Prograis' career at this point in time. Relikh claimed the WBA title in March of last year with a unanimous decision against Rances Barthelemy. In the WBSS quarterfinals he beat Eduard Troyanovsky Relikh to advance.
Prograis advanced to the semifinals with a unanimous decision against Terry Flanagan on Oct. 27.
“I could have probably knocked him out,” Prograis said. “But I wanted to go 12 rounds. When you’re fighting like Relikh, you’ve got to be prepared for that. Relikh is a champion.”
“People may have worried that all of these delays and the other stuff has affected me negatively, but that’s not so,” Prograis said. “I never lost faith in sticking it out to help make it happen.
“I’m looking forward to getting in the gym and training hard like I always do and then winning a world championship in Louisiana.”
