Regis Prograis has revealed the hardest puncher that he ever crossed paths with just days after announcing his retirement from the sport.
The 37-year-old from New Orleans had an impressive professional career which culminated in him winning a version of the world super-lightweight championship on two occasions.
Prograis produced a number of solid victories along the way, defeating the likes of Julius Indongo, Jose Zepeda and Terry Flanagan to name just a few. However, he did fall short to the likes of Devin Haney, Jack Catterall and Josh Taylor throughout his career, walking away from the sport with four defeats.
‘Rougarou’ made his 34th and final ring appearance against Britain’s Conor Benn on April 11, suffering a unanimous decision defeat to the 29-year-old at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, England.
Speaking to Fight Hub, Prograis made no mistake in admitting that ‘The Destroyer’ was the hardest puncher that he ever faced during his tenure.
“I’ll tell Conor this. Conor hits hard, I think I’m pretty sure Conor hit me the hardest I’ve ever been hit in my career so far.
“Conor does hit, Conor has a lot of power, but the thing is, the punches you don’t see, that’s the ones that hurt you. You can see everything Conor’s throwing.
“That’s the thing, he has a big right hand, don’t get me wrong, he does have a big right hand, but you can see it coming. He’s gonna load up with it, you can see it coming, but he does have a lot of power.”
Despite Prograis’ claims, Benn has actually received criticism for his performance against the American, with many suggesting that the Brit’s display was unconvincing and did not earn him the right to challenge for a world title, which is expected to come against WBC welterweight champion Ryan Garcia later this year.
