This Saturday night, big-time boxing returns to New Orleans in the form of the World Boxing Super Series, as local contender and undefeated home favourite Regis Prograis faces former WBO lightweight champion Terry ‘Turbo’ Flanagan at the Lakeview Arena.
The main event hosts a battle of lefties, as Flanagan – a deeply stubborn character making the transatlantic trip from Manchester – will be resolved to end his year on a high, following a disappointing split-decision setback to Maurice Hooker for the vacant WBO super-lightweight title in June. A no-nonsense, workmanlike southpaw, Flanagan has been tipped by many punters to spring a surprise and do just that.
However, he meets an equally tenacious adversary in ‘Rougarou’, whose nickname – originating from Creole folklore – refers to a legendary monster said to inhabit the bayous of southern Louisiana. Prograis fights in an appropriately ferocious manner, brutalising his unfortunate victims with uncanny speed and vicious barrages of blows.
Although long touted as one of America’s most prodigious boxing stars, he nonetheless sent shockwaves around the division with the virtually effortless manner he dispatched of former unified champion Julius Indongo, earlier this year.
Showcasing an almost imprudent disregard for his Namibian opponent’s punching power; Prograis nonchalantly marched forward and unleashed a steady, unrelenting assault; before Indongo succumbed to a series of powerful combinations in the second round.
In entering the World Boxing Super Series, he is now three fights away from making history and capturing the Muhammad Ali trophy – a feat easier said than done in a tournament laden with stiff competition; something which is indeed reflective of the division’s overall quality.
On the undercard, Russian Ivan Baranchyk faces similarly undefeated Swede Anthony Yigit in the third super-lightweight quarter final, after Kiryl Rellikh outpointed Edward Troyanovsky a fortnight ago in Yokohama.
Whoever emerges victorious will claim the IBF title vacated by Mikey Garcia – after the latter eventually determined to remain in the lightweight division – in addition to facing the winner of Josh Taylor against Ryan Martin in the semi-finals in what will undoubtedly transpire to be a daunting first defence.
Article by: Navi Singh
Follow Navi on Twitter at: @DarkMan________