Two-division world champion Tim Bradley has offered his thoughts ahead of this weekend’s WBC super-lightweight title clash between reigning champion Regis Prograis and former undisputed lightweight king Devin Haney.
Haney has opted to move up to the 140 scene in a bid to become a two-weight champion at just 25-years-old following his undisputed lightweight title victory over Vasily Lomachenko earlier this year.
‘The Dream’ is jumping in against one of the stars of the division, with Prograis winning 29 of his 30 fights and his only defeat coming to Josh Taylor back in 2019.
In an interview with Fight Hype, Bradley broke down the contest, insisting that Prograis will need to vastly improve from his last outing against Danielito Zorrilla and adopt a aggressive front-footed approach if he is to cause trouble for Haney.
“Prograis, although he is a champion, still seemingly has a lot to learn and I think that’s what Devin Haney sees. I was actually watching Prograis last night and I was watching his fight against [Danielito] Zorrilla and I was noticing certain things that he wasn’t doing.
“I’ll allude to it later, I don’t want to allude to it now because he is getting ready for a fight and I don’t want to step on anybody’s toes and expose a kid like that just yet, but I will once my breakdown comes out.
“If he comes in there and changes some of those things or if he learns from his mistakes, then he has a damn good chance of beating Haney. But I can just tell you this, he can’t be nice and he has got to be a lot meaner than what he showed in the Zorrilla fight because he wasn’t physical enough.
“Haney is not going to allow you to fight, he is going to fight at his pace. Haney is longer than he is, Haney can move, I see a lot of videos of Haney moving side to side and trying to build his agility up and build his strength up in that fashion.
“So, it is going to be a boxing match that he is going to put on, he is going to put on a hell of a boxing display and Prograis has got to be ready for that.”
Bradley went on to discuss where he thinks the fight can be won and lost, revealing what he believes Prograis needs to do to come out on top against Haney.
“There are going to be times where Prograis is going to have to sell out and he is going to have to fight and he is going to have to get gritty, he’s going to have to get nasty. He is going to have to be the ‘Rougarou’, in order to beat Haney.
“He is going to have to hurt Haney, that’s the only way that I see him winning, he is going to have to hurt him and he is going to have to knock him out. He is going to have to put him on the canvas, he is going to have to buzz him, he is going to have to pressure him all night, that’s what he is going to have to do, because Haney is going to outbox him.
“He’s too tactical, too clever, too smart, has fought at a higher level, he has been here before he is not spooked. He just got in the ring and had a close one with Lomachenko.”
Finally, the former fighter gave Prograis a puncher’s chance.
“Personally I feel like both guys have a lot to prove, they are both coming off of suspect victories. I’m expecting a really good fight and I would say 50/50 down the middle, because Prograis has got a punchers chance, he has got to hurt Haney. It’s his [Haney’s] first time at 140lbs, he is definitely going to feel the difference as far as punching power is concerned.”
Prograis-Haney will take place on Saturday night live on DAZN, topping a bill that features Ebanie Bridges defending her IBF crown against Miyo Yoshida. Meanwhile, amateur sensation, Andy Cruz, returns against Jovanni Straffon and Liam Paro faces Montana Love.