Mike Coppinger, ESPND10. December 2023, 12:21 a.m. ET
SAN FRANCISCO – Devin Haney delivered a virtuoso performance to become a two-division champion in his first bout at 140 pounds, scoring a decision victory over Regis Prograis on Saturday night at Chase Center.
All three judges scored the fight 120-107 for Haney, who won Prograis' WBC junior welterweight title. Haney was also the undisputed lightweight champion of the world before relinquishing all four of his belts in late November.
Haney (31-0, 15 KOs) won every round Saturday night on the strength of his precision striking, excellent striking and ring general ability beyond his 25 years. He scored a knockdown with a sharp right hand in round 3 and punched Prograis in the face during the 12-round victory.
Prograis' right eye began to swell before the end of the third round and he later suffered a cut across the bridge of his nose that bled profusely. Simply put, Prograis (29-2, 24 KOs) had no answers for Haney, a rising star who was ranked No. 7 pound-for-pound by ESPN.
“I did everything I said I was going to do,” said Haney, who fights in Las Vegas. “I went in there and blocked him. We knew he was going to come in with a big left hand. … We took advantage of his habit of leaning forward that I hurt him.
Haney entered the ring after the best win of his career, a razor-thin decision over future Hall of Famer Vasiliy Lomachenko in May to retain his undisputed 135-pound championship title. For his encore Saturday night, Haney picked a top-notch fighter who chastised him throughout the build-up.
Prograis, who fights out of Houston, mocked Haney by claiming he had “no power” and little punching resistance. But it was the 34-year-old Prograis who hit the canvas, landing just 38 punches, breaking the CompuBox record for fewest punches in a 12-round championship fight.
The previous record holder was Edwin De Los Santos, who landed 40 punches against Shakur Stevenson last month.
Haney was already highly regarded for his supernatural defense, but he raised his level in the city where he was born and lived until he was seven. And unlike Stevenson, Haney doled out plenty of punishment.
He buckled Prograis' legs several times during the fight and was in control from bell to bell. Haney not only solidified his status as an elite boxer, but also secured a shot at boxing's highest honor.
“I feel like I should be Fighter of the Year at this point,” Haney said at the post-fight press conference.
Naoya Inoue, the other boxer in the running for the award, will have a chance to stake his claim on December 26 in Tokyo when he meets Marlon Tapales for the undisputed 122-pound championship.
But that night, Haney was elusive.
“It was really hard to get to him,” said Prograis, ranked No. 3 in the junior welterweight division according to ESPN. His only previous loss came via majority decision in October 2019 against Josh Taylor. “His jab was good and quick. … His footwork was definitely better.”
Haney, who is 5'10″, appeared to be the taller man, although he was the one gaining weight.
“I knew I was way above him,” Haney said. “I was killing myself to get to 135 so much that I got into a fight and was exhausted. I wouldn't do my best. Now I’m able to go in and be the real Devin Haney.”
He won't stop at 140 pounds. Haney has plans to compete at welterweight soon. He only stayed at 135 pounds to pursue his goal of collecting all four lightweight belts. Haney achieved this by traveling to Australia for two fights with George Kambosos last year and winning both handily.
And against an even better fighter in Prograis, he was even more impressive.
“Devin is remarkable,” said his father, coach and manager Bill Haney. “He's really special. … I think he showed that tonight.” [with] his ability to hinder a fighter.