Regis Prograis defends his WBC super lightweight title against Danielito Zorrilla in the main event at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana on Saturday June 17. The contest pits local favorite up against contender of Toa Baja, Puerto Rico. The pair battles it out live stream on DAZN.
New Orleans native Prograis (28-1 24 KOs) fights in his hometown for the first time since October 2018, when he scored a unanimous decision against Terry Flanagan. In his previous bout last November in Carson, California, the 34-year-old southpaw stopped Jose Zepeda in the 11th round, claimed the vacant WBC belt and became a two-time world champion. Earlier in his career, “Rougarou” held the WBA light welterweight title that he earned via sixth-round TKO of Kiryl Relikh in April 2019.
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“The last time I fought in New Orleans it was nice, but this is the Smoothie King Center, it’s on a different level, I’m ecstatic,” said Prograis (via the press release sent out by Matchroom). “You can’t soak up the moment too much because I still have to go out there and fight, I still need to do that, but it’s really a dream come true because coming up, when I first started boxing, I wanted to fight there – it was a two-part dream, fight at the Smoothie King Center and then at the Superdome, so this is the first big step towards doing something huge in my city.”
Prograis, who recently signed with Matchroom, is also involved in the upcoming event as a promoter. This includes New Orleans’ Jeremy Hill (18-3 11 KOs) up against Baton Rouge’s Mark Davis (19-1 5 KOs) in an all-Louisiana eight-round bout at lightweight. Plus, Houston-based 2020 Olympian Ginny Fuchs (2-0 1 KO) faceoff Indeya Smith (6-7-2 1 KO) in an eight-rounder at super flyweight.
“We’re starting Rougarou Promotions with this card and with my partnership with Eddie [Hearn], I feel we’re taking more control and direction not just of my future in the ring, but with other fighters. I said for the undercard ‘I want this guy, I want Ginny’ – that’s what I want to do. It makes sense if we’re bringing big time boxing to New Orleans that we have some fighters from here on the card.”
“I don’t know if I want to be a promoter per se, and I feel that I have a long way left in my own career, but right now at home, I do want to have NOLA fighters on the card and to help them shine. I’m in the gym in New Orleans and Houston, I see the talent out there, so when I fight, I want people to see them.”
“It’s going to blow it up. We did the Lakefront in 2018, but this is big. Eddie said ‘listen, if we do good, we’re going to keep coming back’. So that’s why we need everyone to come out because it can be a regular thing. This used to be a boxing town, but it faded over the years, so if we do good, I think this will become a regular thing.”
‘There are wolves behind me all day long’
“As the champion, you must be even hungrier as those contenders are coming for you and that they want what you got. There are wolves behind me all day long, so my mindset has to be that there’s fighters all over the world that are coming for me and I need to outwork them, out train them, be hungrier than them – I have to be on my A-game every day.”
Among other bouts featured on Prograis vs Zorrilla undercard, unbeaten Justis Huni (7-0 4 KOs) and Andrew Tabiti (20-1 16 KOs) square off in a ten-rounder at heavyweight. As well, Shakhram Giyasov (13-0 9 KOs) faces fellow-unbeaten Harold Calderon (27-0 18 KOs) in the WBA welterweight title eliminator.
In addition, Ramla Ali (8-0 2 KOs) defends her IBF Intercontinental super featherweight title against Julissa Guzman (12-2-2 6 KOs). Kicking off the action, Criztec Bazaldua (1-0) meets Elroy Fruto (1-1) in a four-rounder at lightweight and Aaron Aponte (7-0-1 2 KOs) takes on Xavier Madrid (4-2 2 KOs) in an eight-rounder at super lightweight.
Prograis vs Zorrilla fight card
- Regis Prograis vs. Danielito Zorrilla, 12 rounds, super lightweight – Prograis’ WBC super lightweight title
- Jeremy Hill vs. Mark Davis, 8 rounds, lightweight
- Ginny Fuchs vs. Indeya Smith, 8 rounds, super flyweight
- Justis Huni vs. Andrew Tabiti, 10 rounds, heavyweight
- Shakhram Giyasov vs. Harold Calderon, 12 rounds, welterweight – WBA welterweight title eliminator
- Ramla Ali vs. Julissa Alejandra Guzman, 10 rounds, super featherweight – Ali’s IBF Intercontinental super featherweight title
- Criztec Bazaldua vs. Elroy Fruto, 4 rounds, lightweight
- Aaron Aponte vs. Xavier Madrid, 8 rounds, super lightweight
In Australia, Regis Prograis vs Danielito Zorrilla airs live on Sunday, June 18.
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