A look at Jack Catterall vs Regis Prograis this Saturday night
Jack ‘El Gato’ Catterall (29-1, 13KO) meets Regis ‘Rougarou’ Prograis (29-2, 24KO) in a blockbuster 12-round super-lightweight clash, this Saturday, October 26, live on DAZN.
The fight, which was postponed from August due to a Catterall injury, will take place in Manchester at the Co-op Live arena. This will signify the very first time a boxing show has been held there, so the pair will be making history before they even step into the ring.
Trained by Jamie Moore and Nigel Travis, 31-year-old Catterall is a skilful counter-puncher. The southpaw likes to use his jab to control the distance and set traps. His footwork is sharp, he can move in and out of range swiftly and efficiently, preventing his opponent from establishing any sort of rhythm or form of attack.
The man from Chorley has, in the past, faced criticism for his ‘boring’ style, however, this is simply because he rarely looks vulnerable, and he wins convincingly.
He starts fights looking to establish his jab to set up his left cross. Once he has done this, leading with his right he circles opponents, exposing their centre lines, allowing him to throw combinations.
The talented technicians’ skills were on full display when he avenged his controversial defeat to Josh Taylor in May this year. His impressive jab proved effective throughout the fight, frustrating Taylor and preventing him from finding any flow.
His next opponent, 35-year-old Regis Prograis, is returning after being comfortably beaten by Devin Haney, their fight last year scored at 107-120.
The man from New Orleans, Louisiana, will be hungry to prove that he is still a force within the 140lbs division after two under par performances.
The hard-hitting southpaw has a rhythmic, flowing style and often leans forward creating an illusion that he is within range of his opponents, enticing them into attacking. This along with frequent twitches of his arms, will keep Catterall guessing.
Moreover, he his known for his upper torso movement, which allows him to evade shots coming the other way. This constant movement means that he can quickly go from defence to attack.
He has always struggled with poor footwork, which was exposed in his last fight with Haney. He also throws plenty of body shots from range, which can leave him susceptible to shots over the top.
This fight is all about how the fighters’ respective styles clash.
Catterall will be fully aware of the knockout power that Prograis threatens and as a result will look to utilise all his skills by keeping his man at range. Furthermore, he will be looking to take advantage of any weaknesses in Prograis’ footwork. In simple terms, he will be looking to replicate the job that Haney did.
Whereas Prograis, the former two-time-world champion, will be looking to engage Catterall into a fight and make it ugly. Despite his last performance he will be confident that he can knock his opponent out.
This all-southpaw battle should be highly contested, and the winner will be in line for a world title shot next.
My prediction
I believe this fight will be much closer than many are anticipating. I do not believe this will be a conclusive Catterall victory – as many are seemingly suggesting.
Prograis certainly should not be written off. No matter how old you are, if you pose an 83 per cent knockout ratio you are still a threat to any fighter. Moreover, this is a must win fight for him if he wants to get back to where he was.
I expect Catterall to start well, establishing his jab and looking to follow it up with combinations.
However, I do also expect Prograis to have his own success, particularly because of his unorthodox style.
I do think Catterall will win but not by a wide margin, maybe by three rounds at most.
Betting Odds
1/4: Catterall
20/1: Draw
15/4: Prograis