Regis Prograis’ new dawn, at the age of 34, with Matchroom has been threatened by Devin Haney’s. He discusses his opponent on Saturday, the cost that has come with preparing for him, and who he really believes Eddie Hearn wants to win, with Declan Warrington
BN: After you struggled against Danielito Zorrilla in June you said that the pressure of fighting in your home city of New Orleans had contributed to your performance. Does fighting Devin Haney in San Francisco put the same pressure on him?
RP: Devin Haney’s not from there. He keeps saying it’s his hometown. He’s not from there; he was born there but he was raised in Henderson, Nevada. Maybe his family’s from there. But I’m actually from New Orleans – in New Orleans we’re all connected. That’s the difference between him and the Bay Area; I’m connected to New Orleans. It’s a big difference. Maybe he does [feel under pressure]. Maybe he doesn’t. I don’t know how he’s going to feel. I can’t worry about how Devin feels – I’m just worried about me.
California you have a tax; in Nevada there’s no state taxes, so you have to pay taxes on fighting out here. The fight was supposed to be out here but I guess no venues was available so that’s why we couldn’t fight in Nevada. [But] if you got a good team – accountants and all that stuff – it shouldn’t matter. We’ll figure it out. Obviously I’m having to pay taxes and stuff like that – it is what it is; we gotta pay taxes to live in this country – so I’m not really worried about it. I’m comfortable in California. I used to live here – I won my second title here when I fought [in 2022, Jose] Zepeda. I feel good about it. I lived here; I trained here. I could have protested. When they said “We’re gonna fight in the Bay Area” – my contract actually says I’m fighting in New Orleans or Houston. But I like California.
What did you think of Haney so recently vacating his remaining lightweight titles?
RP: It’s mind games – maybe overconfidence – but it’s mind games. The Haneys try to play every mind trick they can. But it actually makes me stronger – [which is] what they don’t understand. Another thing, I got tested six times for this fight – six times. They came last week – people keep coming; keep testing me. That’s a sign of “You might be scared”. “You think I’m cheating so you’re scared of me.” That’s another mind game, but it’s playing into my mind, because it’s making me more and more confident. “You doing all this stuff,” they playing mind games, “you can’t play that with me”. I don’t care about it. All that stuff make me stronger. They’re not in charge [of the drug testing] but why so many times? Six times? Did Floyd [Mayweather] and [Manny] Pacquiao even get tested six times? This is crazy. Four of ‘em was blood and urine. I don’t think they’re in charge [of testing] but they definitely could have put in there “We gonna test this many times; test him; test him; test him”. Why six times? That’s crazy.
I’m pretty sure it’s going to be seven or eight times [by fight night]. It’s crazy. A week before the fight they doing that stuff. Bill [Haney, Devin’s father, trainer and manager] tries to play those mind games. It maybe worked on a previous opponent.
Haney against Vasiliy Lomachenko (Getty Images) BN: You’ve changed your routine to prepare for this fight out of California…
RP: This is a big fight. I sacrificed more. My dad [Vidal] was like, “Man, if you get this fight you need to stay in California the whole time”. That’s kinda what I did. When I started hearing his name – rumblings – I started training in [Houston] Texas. Then I came out here way before camp started; I was working; I was sparring. I came out here for a month and I went back to Texas for three weeks and I came out here the rest of the time. It’s really been like a four-month camp. All the sacrifices I’m doing; dedicating myself more. I [typically] came out here to California and did two or three weeks, but this time it was a whole camp. It’s being separated from my family. It’s hard, bro – it’s really hard. I haven’t seen my kids in a long time. Me and my wife [Raquel] is beefin’ right now – we ain’t even talking. It’s hard. It really is hard. I’m not gonna lie – I say the wrong stuff sometimes. Tensions are real high right now, and I take it out on her and stuff. That’s kinda why. When I come out here, man, when you in training camp you just – training. That’s it. There’s nothing else. I train three times a day. I train; I eat; I sleep. I train; I play a video game or something like that. That’s all I do. When I’m at home I’m a family man so I’m taking my kids to their practices; I’m with my kids all the time; I’m doing stuff. I want to be there for my kids. When I’m here, I’m literally just focused on training.
B&N: Bill Haney watched Josh Taylor-Teofimo Lopez, and then your victory over Zorrilla, and they then signed to fight you…
RP: It’s normal. He was scouting. That’s what he does. He’s good at that, and, you know, they chose me. It’s an insult. But it’s a good insult. It’s definitely an insult, but I embrace this – this is one of the biggest fights of my career because I came off a bad win, so it’s cool to me.
BN: You typically thrive against come-forward fighters, and Haney isn’t typically a come-forward fighter…
RP: I don’t think it’s going to be a problem. I really don’t see this being a hard fight. I really don’t, man. I been working with these guys out here in California, and I think that they’re actually better than Haney. I been sparring with bigger guys; faster guys; definitely have way more power than him. I been just doing what I need to do, so I really can’t see it being that hard a fight. Once I start landing it’s not going to be that hard of a fight. I don’t think he’s going to come to me, but he might [try to] stand his ground. I’m prepared for if he wants to stay there; if he wants to move; even if he turns southpaw, I’m ready for it. That’s just how confident I’m feeling. I never did a camp like this before, like so long and working so, so much. That’s why I’m feeling so confident. “Whatever – whatever you do.” I keep stepping my game up.
What did you think of Haney so recently vacating his remaining lightweight titles? RP: It’s mind games – maybe overconfidence – but it’s mind games. The Haneys try to play every mind trick they can. But it actually makes me stronger – [which is] what they don’t understand. Another thing, I got tested six times for this fight – six times. They came last week – people keep coming; keep testing me. That’s a sign of “You might be scared”. “You think I’m cheating so you’re scared of me.” That’s another mind game, but it’s playing into my mind, because it’s making me more and more confident. “You doing all this stuff,” they playing mind games, “you can’t play that with me”. I don’t care about it. All that stuff make me stronger. They’re not in charge [of the drug testing] but why so many times? Six times? Did Floyd [Mayweather] and [Manny] Pacquiao even get tested six times? This is crazy. Four of ‘em was blood and urine. I don’t think they’re in charge [of testing] but they definitely could have put in there “We gonna test this many times; test him; test him; test him”. Why six times? That’s crazy.
I’m pretty sure it’s going to be seven or eight times [by fight night]. It’s crazy. A week before the fight they doing that stuff. Bill [Haney, Devin’s father, trainer and manager] tries to play those mind games. It maybe worked on a previous opponent. Haney against Vasiliy Lomachenko (Getty Images)
Now I can definitely feel more confident