Jack Catterall made a significant stride towards achieving his long-awaited dream of becoming a world champion by defeating Regis Prograis in a chaotic and disorderly 12-round super-lightweight bout. Catterall secured his triumph with lopsided and generous scores of 116-109, twice, and 117-10 over the former two-time world champion. The fight, which started as a chess match but evolved into a slugfest, featured three knockdowns, with the first scored by Prograis, along with wild swings and misses that saw both boxers slipping and falling to the canvas. Prograis also appeared to injure his ankle and leg towards the end of the match, and the American displayed both grace and philosophical acceptance as his career seemed to come to an end in Manchester.
The two fighters began the bout in their customary southpaw stance, both boxing with cautious vigilance in the first four rounds. Prograis was more aggressive but landed few punches, while Catterall had limited success with his jab in the second round. There were a few brief flurries from Catterall, and late in the third round, he landed a sharp left on Prograis. The older man showed signs of wear around his right eye, and Catterall caught him again with another left in the fourth round. However, the tactical bout between two counterpunching southpaws threatened to become tedious.
Then, near the end of the fifth round, Catterall went down from a straight right that connected with his shoulder rather than his head. It was a flash knockdown, as Catterall, who barely touched the canvas, didn’t seem hurt. But the standing count of eight invigorated Prograis, who came out with renewed purpose in the sixth round and landed a couple of decent shots. A clash of heads in the seventh round opened a cut on Catterall’s head, causing blood to stream down the side of his face. Both fighters stumbled into the ropes and ended up on the canvas in the next round, but the fight was about to change dramatically. In the last minute of round nine, Catterall delivered a crushing and perfectly executed textbook left, followed by another punch from the same hand, which sent Prograis down heavily. He was dropped again just before the bell but indicated his readiness to continue as the referee counted.
The tenth round was packed with action, in stark contrast to the pedestrian first half of the bout. A real scrap had erupted, but Catterall was not as vicious as many great fighters are when they sense their opponent is badly wounded and desperately fighting back. Catterall was clearly in control, and Prograis’s difficulties intensified as he flexed his leg in discomfort. They touched gloves respectfully before the start of the last round. But Prograis, needing a last-ditch knockout to salvage his career, slipped again to the floor when he missed with a scything swing. In the final minute, looking lame in his own corner, he waved Catterall towards him. The bout ended in a brief slugfest in the middle of the ring, with the scorecards soon revealing the gulf that now exists between their very different boxing futures.
Prograis is 35, but the American, who has competed at the elite level in this division for years, arrived in Manchester with clear determination and focus. After disappointing performances in his past two fights, the most recent of which saw him lose his WBC world title when he failed to win a round against Devin Haney, Prograis knew he was backed into a corner. To return to world title contention, he had to beat Catterall, a fighter who has experienced his own heartache. In 2022, in his only world title bout so far, Catterall was robbed by the judges when they somehow awarded victory to Josh Taylor. Catterall, who had dropped Taylor and out-boxed him, was devastated. He was given the decision in a much harder and more difficult rematch with Taylor earlier this year, but Catterall knew he needed to replace the controversy and dissent of the past with a clear-cut victory.
Prograis has had an excellent career, but this was a sobering and ultimately bleak night for him. On the long journey home, he will hopefully decide to leave the ring before it takes too much more from him. Such an intelligent boxer and good man deserves more than becoming just another opponent for hungry and ambitious young fighters. For Catterall, in contrast, this was a deserved victory that means he is much closer now to the world title he has dreamed of for so long.
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