Devin Haney reigns supreme at 140 pounds: New king of the light-welterweight division!
- Devin Haney defeated Regis Prograis via a unanimous decision.
- Haney scored his first knockdown in eight fights.
- Haney’s father and coach urged him to stick to the game plan.
In San Francisco, Devin Haney defeated Regis Prograis by unanimous decision to win the WBC light-welterweight title.
American Haney outmatched his countryman and stopped him in the third round; Haney won the fight 120–107 according to all three judges.
“I went in here and I hit him with a sharp right hand,’ Haney said. ‘I capitalized on his tendency of leaning in.”
In the sixth and ninth rounds, Haney not only scored his first knockdown in eight fights, but also caught Prograis off guard. Despite this, he maintained his composure, knowing that his opponent may counterpunch.
Haney claimed that instead of sprinting toward the finish, his father and head coach, Bill Haney, pushed him to follow the game plan.
“I wanted to go in there and I know I was getting him hurt,’ Haney explained. ‘My dad said stay focused, stick to the game plan.’”
As the reigning lightweight champion, Haney was fighting at 140 pounds for the first time.
“I felt so much stronger – 140 got a new king,” Haney, 25, said.
In order to move up a weight class, Haney gave up his 135-pound WBC, WBA, IBF, and WBO titles in November.
This is his current 31-0 record with 15 knockouts. Prograis hasn’t lost since October 2019.
