Regis Prograis defeats Joseph Diaz Jr. in brutal 10-rounder

Regis Prograis’ victory over Joseph Diaz Jr. was Saturday night’s highlight as the co-main event of Golden Boy’s card at the Credit Union 1 Arena in Chicago. It was a brutal 10-round battle between two southpaws near the end of the road, but their courage and hunger to extend their careers fueled them.

The fight was about these junior welterweights proving it to themselves because Prograis, coming off two consecutive losses, said he would retire with another, and Diaz had six defeats in his last eight contests going into it Saturday night.

Prograis controlled the first round with the jab until he got clipped with an authoritative left hook, wobbling him and making it a brawl that favored Diaz. His legs were still rickety when he came out for the next interval, but he regained control behind his jab as his opponent tried to time the perfect strike.

At one point in the fourth, both fighters were inches apart, and Diaz’s left hook snapped Prograis’ head accidentally into his. This created a cut on Diaz’s left eyelid.  

Then Diaz’s plan started working in the fifth, hurting Prograis with overhand lefts and hooking plus uppercutting rights, as blood masked his face. The ring doctor checked Diaz out at the beginning of the sixth, asking him how many fingers he held up. Twice one was up, but Diaz said two, and he was allowed to fight anyway.  

Prograis subsequently got back to fighting from the outside, tagging Diaz, and later, “Rougarou” chants echoed in the ninth. But Diaz spoiled that, landing a double right hook and another in single burst that hurt Prograis at the end of the round. 

Diaz’s face was still bloody, but his white trunks were stained on the front, too. By the 10th, he was nearly gassed out when he landed a left hook to the body and a two-punch combination, but got outworked by 12 incoming jabs, per CompuBox. 

The judges unanimously favored Prograis: 98-92, 96-94 and 96-94.

In his post-fight interview, Prograis said the difference was his conditioning, crediting his training in Las Vegas for the last two months. He also gave props to Diaz, saying his tough opponent caught him. “He is stronger than you think.” 

Prograis was also asked about a rematch: “If somehow, me and Jojo get the chance to fight for a belt or big ass money, we’ll do it.”

Diaz thought he won and said he’s gonna keep fighting. 

On the rest of the card: Oscar Duarte won a majority decision over Kenneth Sims Jr. in their title eliminator at junior welterweight. Joshua Edwards took 89 seconds to outclass Cayman Audie. Tristan Kalkreuth took out Devonte Williams in two rounds. And Yair Gallardo beat Quinton Rankin by unanimous decision.