By Robert Segal: Regis Prograis feels the fight between Errol Spence Jr. and Terence Crawford has been marinated enough because he worries it could be over-marinated.
Many boxing fans are already losing patience with the slow progress in negotiations between IBF, WBA and WBC welterweight champion Spence (28-0, 22 KOs) and WBO champion Crawford (38- 0, 29 KOs).
As Prograis points out, we barely dodged a bullet when Spence was in a car accident in 2019. Had that accident been any worse for Spence, it would have scuppered any chance of a fight with Crawford.
If the fight isn’t going to happen, fans at least want to see Spence & Crawford back in the ring defending their titles. Crawford hasn’t fought since last year, so it’s important that he gets back in the ring soon.
Prograis has twice mixed with Spence at the Texas state championships as an amateur, losing both times. He was impressed with Spence’s power and his ability to go to the body.
Spence & Crawford will move up to 154 if they fail to set up a fight with each other as they are both interested in being undisputed at junior middleweight.
“I’m cool with him, but I’m cool with Crawford too,” Regis Prograis told KO Artist Sports about meeting Errol Spence Jr. and Terence Crawford.
“It’s just a fight I want to see, honestly. I am like everyone. When it comes down to it, I’m a fan like everyone else. I really want to see this fight,” Prograis continued of the Spence-Crawford clash.
“You can no longer marinate this fight. I feel like they have to be next because sometimes you marinate it too much and then anything can happen; someone could lose. It almost broke down when Errol had the car accident.
“Listen, he’s healthy; it is 100%; let’s get this fight. Is the time; It’s definitely time to get this fight. I can not wait to see him. Thing is, lefties hate lefties. Everybody hates lefties, don’t get me wrong.
“Nobody likes lefties. Even lefties don’t like lefties. That’s why it’s going to be so interesting. Crawford, you can switch and stuff. For me, this is like a historic fight.
“This is not just a fight that is going to be good right now. This is a historic fight for me, and I am a boxing historian. I know the history of fights from Joe Gans, Joe Louis and Henry Armstrong.
“For me, this is a historic fight that has to happen. I just want to see. They are both so good. Errol, the wise style of him. I fought him twice in amateurs, and I know how good he is, and he’s really strong and stuff.
“With his style, I’m really excited to see what he’s going to do against Crawford. Crawford is good; he is a special kind of fighter, just like Errol. He is a special type of fighter in a different way. I just want to see this fight.
“He hit me,” Prograis said when asked how he found out Spence was strong. “The first fight we fought was at the Texas State Golden Gloves championship in the final.
“This was Errol at the time. Errol was like a three-time national champion, and this was his first. I started boxing when he was 17 years old, so it was the first time I did it. My coach told me: ‘Man, if they let you, do this.’
“I was like, ‘What? It is nobody. Re crazy? I don’t care who this guy is. This could be Mike Tyson. I don’t think they’re going to let me down.
“The fight was very close. The fight was fought in Dallas, which is where she lives. I’m not going to say I won the fight, but when I got out of the ring, he said to me, ‘You won that fight.’
“It was a close fight, but I felt like I lost the fight. How I found out it’s strong. He taught me a lot about going to the body. He went to the body. Errol knocked out everyone except me.
“We had four fights each. He knocked out three people before he got to me. That’s why my coach said, ‘S***, if they drop you, look in the corner.’ I told him, ‘Brother, they won’t let me down.’ I don’t care what he did to the last guy because he was lighting them up left and right. He was knocking out everyone.
“Then we fight and face each other. We just did it and we fought. Then after that, people had a lot of respect for me. That was the first time I fought on that scale in that way.
“It happened to be the state championship, and I’m fighting the national champion. It’s the Texas state championship, but this is the national champion for the whole country.
“Yes, it was a good fight. The second time, she adapted to me. That was clear. He definitely won me over. It was definitely clear that moment for sure. Spence is the type to hit you, hit you.
“He’s the kind of fighter that wears you down, but Crawford, skill-wise, his skills are very high. Another thing, Spence is a natural 147. Is Crawford a natural 147? Is Crawford strong enough? I don’t know.
“There are a lot of questions, but I just want to see the fight. Wherever I am, I’m paying and leaving. If I’m not in camp, I pay and go to the fight,” Prograis said.
