Regis Prograis says the noise around Devin Haney misses the point. The former WBA and WBC 140 lbs champion, who was dropped and widely outpointed by Haney in December 2023, argues the unbeaten star deserves respect for what he does in the gym and under the lights, regardless of public perception.
“People don’t know Devin personally - he’s actually cool,” Prograis said. He suggested some fans bristle at Haney because he didn’t come from a typical fighter’s background, but added, “He’s still a fighter. He still takes those punches. He still trains hard… You don’t have to like somebody, but… you still gotta respect him because he does the same thing we doing.”
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Haney has dealt with backlash since the Ryan Garcia saga turned their April 2024 bout into an NC amid PED findings and subsequent legal wrangling. He returned with a measured points win over Jose Ramirez in May and is slated to face WBO welterweight titleholder Brian Norman Jr. in November in Saudi Arabia.
Prograis is fresh off a narrow thriller over JoJo Diaz and tips his cap to Haney’s next assignment: “That’s a tough fight for him. I take my hat off to him that he’s taking a fight like that.”
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