WBC Champ Regis Prograis Stands Sturdy within the Ring by Finding out the Greats

As a embellished newbie boxer who educated beneath Evander Holyfield, Regis Prograis appeared destined to carry skilled gold sooner slightly than later, and he turned these predictions into actuality by incomes the WBA tremendous light-weight championship in 2019.

However having misplaced the title in his first protection after a heartbreaking defeat on factors towards Josh Taylor, the person from New Orleans, LA, vowed to reclaim his spot on the high. In November, 2022, Prograis made good on that promise by knocking out Jose Zepeda to assert the vacant WBC super-lightweight title. This Saturday (June 17), Prograis will defend his title in his hometown for the primary time.

M&F sat down with the southpaw, 34, to seek out out what he’s picked up from a number of the greats, and why he offers every little thing that he’s acquired relating to coaching for a combat.

Anybody who has tuned into Prograis’ entertaining coaching vlogs on YouTube will know that the champ likes to start out every day with a run. “Fasted cardio, bro, all the time,” says the fighter of his routine. “I by no means practice on a full abdomen. I all the time quick.” Prograis says that some boxers wish to eat an enormous breakfast earlier than they practice, however that’s not for him. In actual fact, it’s typically round 2 p.m. earlier than this athlete lastly sits down for his first meal. “I’ve been doing that for years. It simply works for me,” he shares.

As a super-lightweight, Prograis says that he feels comfy within the weight class, however having employed a nutritionist simply over a yr in the past, he’s by no means felt higher about making the load earlier than a bout than he does now. To hit his macros, the champ dietary supplements with protein shakes (with water, not milk) and provides a contact of honey for sweetness. “Boxing is old skool, and you realize a number of trainers, they don’t learn about vitamin,” says Prograis. “And, when you get on a better stage, you simply perceive, vitamin is simply every little thing.” The fighter says that previously he’d resorted to sitting in sauna’s earlier than weigh-ins or just not consuming, however now he follows the recommendation of his nutritionist and solely eats what has been permitted.

Regis Prograis Trains to Develop into an Immoveable Object

Whereas Prograis should keep beneath 140 kilos to suit inside his weight class, this boxer is turning into an immovable object relating to dominating from the centre of the ring. To realize this, the fighter devotes a lot of his time to coaching legs. “I do a number of stuff,” says than man also referred to as “Rougarou” (Louisiana French for “werewolf” in homage to his grandfather of Native American descent). “So, I run lengthy distance, I run sprints and I run the steps too. After which, on high of that we do swimming and a number of leg workout routines too.” On the subject of hitting the pool, Prograis mixes issues up with diversified periods. Someday he’ll do dash work, and different days the boxer will swim lengthy distance. He additionally works on his lung capability by swimming beneath water.

Regis Prograis Learns from the Legends Who Got here Earlier than Him

Should you see the WBC tremendous light-weight champ out on one among his runs, you could discover that he likes to put on military boots. He’s been doing that nearly because the very starting of his profession. “Within the army, you realize, they practice, they run miles and miles in fight boots. I kinda do the identical factor,” he shares, explaining the motivation behind this technique of coaching. “All the nice fighters of the previous, they used to do it, in order that’s actually the one purpose I do it … like, from Ray Robinson, Harry Armstrong, Joe Louis and George Foreman, Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier, I imply the record goes on and on, you realize, all people working in boots and I don’t know after we began coming away from it … however that’s one thing I nonetheless do.”

The champ has additionally realized that restoration is a key side of stepping into prime situation between fights, noting that at first of his professional profession, he was all the time sore. half-hour earlier than our interview, Prograis says that he was in his chilly plunge tub, and feels that it revives him to the purpose the place he’s feeling nice. “After all, it’s a must to get satisfactory sleep,” notes the champ. “You get massages, you realize, all these varieties of issues.” Prograis is all the time hungry for data and says that he picked up the tip of taking common naps from “The Fighters Thoughts” by Sam Sheridan. “Restoration is tremendous essential as a result of, I imply, when you really feel dangerous, you received’t be capable of practice,” he explains.

From sparring to swimming, working to lifting weights, Prograis trains no less than 3 times per day. Within the fitness center, the fighter works on explosive energy, noting that he does a number of squats. “We do a number of ball slams,” he provides, sharing that he additionally does a number of stepping and punching whereas carrying a resistance band too. It’s a relentless pursuit with the purpose of proving that he’s the most effective on the planet, and on June 17, he’ll get to earn closure on that 2019 title loss by defending the WBC gold at an enviornment he’s pushed previous 1000’s of instances; The Smoothie King Middle. There, he (28-1-0) will face Danielito Zorrilla (17-1-0) earlier than a hometown crowd and tells M&F that after that earlier loss, he devoted himself to coaching more durable, and smarter, to reclaim his place. “I’m headlining, and I’m from there,” says Prograis, proudly. “Man, that is huge.” Proper now, after all, the champ says that he’s too focussed on the combat to let all of it sink in, however he actually has victory in his sights. “After the combat, it’ll hit me what I achieved.”

Regis “Rougarou” Prograis defends the WBC tremendous light-weight title towards Danielito Zorrilla reside on DAZN, June 17.