Devin Haney: the new WBC junior welterweight champion
By Hamzah Amir Ahmed
Devin “The Dream” Haney was in cruise control on Saturday night as he completely dismantled Regis Prograis to become the new WBC junior welterweight champion.
Devin Haney poses for a photo alongside his father Bill Haney and Eddie Hearn after defeating Regis Prograis in their WBC junior welterweight title fight. (Image: Getty Images)
From the moment the first bell rang, Haney was untouchable. His slick skills and finesse were too much for Prograis as he was overwhelmed throughout the fight. The first big moment came in round three as Haney landed a sublime straight right hand which dropped the defending champion. Haney has been long accused of lacking power but he put the boxing world on notice after that punch.
Devin Haney punches Regis Prograis during their WBC junior welterweight title fight. (Image: Getty Images)
Prograis simply had no answer for Haney and he had nothing to offer in return as he was very predictable and one-dimensional. His face and body were constantly taking punishment. In the sixth round, Prograis was nearly sent to the canvas for a second time as he was rocked by another wonderful combination by the challenger. Despite being out of his depth, Prograis refused to throw in the towel and fought on bravely and admirably.
Despite seeing his opponent’s situation, Haney remained disciplined and finished the fight in a cool and composed manner rather than chase a knockout. It was after the fight where Haney said that it was his father and coach, Bill Haney, who urged him to stick to the plan, he said: “I wanted to go in there and I know I was getting him hurt.
“My dad said stay focused, stick to the game plan.”
All three judges scored the contest 120-107. Prograis had nothing but complements for Haney, he said: “He was better than I thought.
“His power did surprise me, I thought he was a soft puncher.”
It will be one to forget for Prograis as he broke an unwanted record according to CompuBox. Over the 12 rounds, Prograis managed to land 36 punches. This breaks the record for the lowest punches landed in a fight that has gone the distance. This comes just under a month after Edwin De Los Santos set a record of 40 against Shakur Stevenson.
For Haney it will be one to remember as he is now a two-division champion at just 25-years-old. After his dominating display, Haney said: “I felt so much stronger in this camp, I felt great.”
From his ringside view, Haney’s father had the best seat in San Francisco’s Chase Center to watch his son’s mesmerising, and quite literally, jaw-dropping performance. His words on the fight were the most touching as he said: “Devin is remarkable.
“He’s truly special.
“I think he showed tonight his ability to handicap a fighter.”
Now the question is what’s next for Haney?
Haney on his future said: “I want to talk to my dad and see what’s next.
“I want to do a fight at 147 but there’s a lot of fights at 140.”
Promotor Eddie Hearn did throw out a few names including Teofimo Lopez and Gervonta Davis. Both matchups would be extremely difficult to call. One thing is for sure, Haney will do whatever it takes to win and show the world of boxing that he is the best when he steps into the ring.