Regis Prograis vs. Maurice Hooker - April 17, 2020 (Cancelled)

[Rgoodwin]

Daniyar Yeleussinov vs Julius Indongo on this card

[margaret thatcher]

This is a nice card

[PUGLET]

Hooker reminds me a lot of the typical kinda 80’s fighter.... boxes, bangs, slick, gangly and awkward all at the same time. He feels like a bit of a throwback.... I like him.

[brilo33]

Regie ko for me hooker gets caught with to many big shots.

[Counter-puncher]

Hooker reminds me a lot of the typical kinda 80’s fighter.... boxes, bangs, slick, gangly and awkward all at the same time. He feels like a bit of a throwback.... I like him.

Yeah I have only seen the (awful) Flanagan fight and Ramirez, I struggle to work out whether he’s skill full or not- he does some things that show some skill but can often look awkward like you say, though I think his long arms are a part of that. He reminds me of a Derell Coley with a bit more of a punch or even Roger Mayweather with less of one. He’s certainly got some top-level tools but seems he will always be lacking something against the better fighters, especially I think the tougher fighters will put him into deep water. Whilst he shows some good periods when he’s at range they are too sporadic, I think it’s that his boxing IQ and technique are just a bit too flawed to keep the fight at that range for sustained periods. I think he’ll make for some interesting fights whilst he’s still on his feet anyway.

[Paci]

I see no love at all for Hooker at this point. It is like for the moment of this post no votes for him... damn.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Hrgovic vs. Jerry Forrest has been added to this card.

[KiwiRider]

I see no love at all for Hooker at this point. It is like for the moment of this post no votes for him... damn.

It's because Reggie is a bit of a beast and Hooker got folded by Ramirez. Prograis is hungry to get back to a title fight, Hooker is in his way. I do see Hooker having his moments, but I feel durability will be his downfall. Reggie is slick, hard hitting and has the engine to back it up- plus I think he gets better each fight.
Hooker is a good quality guy, unfortunately not quite enough to beat Ramirez/Taylor and Prograis in my opinion at least.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Heavyweight Filip Hrgovic and welterweight Daniyar Yeleussinov, both 2016 Olympic medalists and among boxing's top prospects, were added on Monday to Matchroom Boxing's April 17 card at the MGM National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Maryland.

Kazakhstan's Yeleussinov (9-0, 5 KOs), 28, won a gold medal in Rio. He will face by far his most notable opponent in former unified junior welterweight world titlist Julius Indongo (23-2, 12 KOs), 37, of Namibia.

"This is the most important fight of my career," Yeleussinov said. "I had a great end to the year, and I feel I am building real momentum in the pro game now, but this is a big leap in quality of opponent. Julius is a former unified world champion and has huge experience at the very top level, so I will need to put on a career-best performance to keep my run going."

"This is a big night in the careers of Filip Hrgovic and Daniyar Yeleussinov," Matchroom Boxing promoter Hearn said. "Filip is a big problem for the heavyweight division. [He] is gaining valuable experience with every camp and fight, and all eyes will be on the 27-year-old in Maryland as he looks to make another statement in boxing's glamour division.

"Daniyar is really growing in the paid ranks and has been impressive in his recent outings, but Julius Indongo is a big step up for the 'Kazakh Thunder.' The former unified world champion will look to carry his power up to 147l pounds, so Daniyar will be under pressure to both impress again and stave off the attack of the dangerous Indongo."

[Paci]

I see no love at all for Hooker at this point. It is like for the moment of this post no votes for him... damn.

It's because Reggie is a bit of a beast and Hooker got folded by Ramirez. Prograis is hungry to get back to a title fight, Hooker is in his way. I do see Hooker having his moments, but I feel durability will be his downfall. Reggie is slick, hard hitting and has the engine to back it up- plus I think he gets better each fight.
Hooker is a good quality guy, unfortunately not quite enough to beat Ramirez/Taylor and Prograis in my opinion at least.

Still Hooker has no fans thou... and one of those cool names to top it off.

[Ruthless-RKO]

A battle between two former junior welterweight champions has fallen victim as the latest cancellation on the boxing calendar due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Regis Prograis (24-1 20 KOs) and Maurice Hooker (27-1-3 18 KOs) were set to meet at the MGM National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Maryland on April 17 on DAZN, but a source with direct knowledge of the fight’s promotion told Boxing Scene that the event has been cancelled.

On Sunday, Maryland Governor Larry Hogan indefinitely shut down the state’s casinos, which includes MGM National Harbor in Oxon Hill. Hours later, MGM International announced the temporary closure of its Las Vegas casinos and resorts.

The source said they’d be surprised if the fight and event can be revived in a different locale on four-week notice considering the current state of global affairs regarding mass gatherings, sporting events and coronavirus.

Matchroom Boxing wants to salvage the Prograis-Hooker show at a new locale, The Athletic reported Sunday, but BS.com’s source said it could ultimately be a futile attempt because the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended Sunday that organizers cancel or postpone events with 50 people or more for the next eight weeks.

Matchroom head Eddie Hearn expressed intent Friday to move forward with his slate of European-based events, and he could move around fight cards if he were inclined—and allowed to move forward with by the host country.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Matchroom has canceled their April 17 show headlined by the Regis Prograis vs. Maurice Hooker fight at the MGM National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Maryland. This is a response to the COVID 19 pandemic. The promotional company is looking at alternative options, including switching the date and possibly moving the fight if need be.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Prograis Still Training For Hooker Fight; Hopes It's Rescheduled Soon

Regis Prograis sparred eight rounds Monday afternoon in Santa Monica, California.

That was after the former WBA 140-pound champion learned that his fight with Maurice Hooker won’t take place April 17 in Oxon Hill, Maryland. Prograis (24-1, 20 KOs) was supposed to face Dallas’ Hooker (27-1-3, 18 KOs) that night in a 12-round, 143-pound main event at MGM National Harbor, but their fight was postponed indefinitely Monday, along with numerous boxing cards, due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Prograis wants to stay sharp, though, and remains hopeful that their fight will be rescheduled soon.

“I’m still training just like it’s gonna happen,” Prograis told BS.com. “I really don’t think it’s gonna happen on that particular date, but I’m still training just like it’s gonna happen. Of course, mentally, it can be distracting. But for me, it is what it is and I’m just gonna keep training, keep doing what I’m doing.”

The 31-year-old Prograis understands the extremely serious nature of this pandemic, yet the New Orleans native also realizes he must be prepared to fight in May or June in the event his fight is rescheduled for within that time frame.

“I just wanna stay ready,” Prograis explained. “That’s my job, to stay ready. Anything can happen. Even though I don’t think it’s gonna happen on April 17th, I think it still will happen at a later date, maybe May or June or something like that. But as far as April 17th, I don’t see that happening at all. Nevertheless, I’m still in camp, I’m still training, I’m still sparring, still doing all my regular workouts.”

Prograis typically trains at Churchill Boxing Club in Santa Monica, but he will move his camp at some point this week to his adopted hometown of Houston. The strong southpaw’s trainer, Bobby Benton, flew back to Houston after their training session Monday to be with his family.

Prograis relocated to Houston once Hurricane Katrina ravaged New Orleans 14 years ago. He also trained in Houston for much of his career and has a lot of family members who still live there.

“Hopefully, they’ll let us know something soon,” Prograis said. “Right now, we’re just taking it day by day. Like I said, I’m still training like I’m supposed to be. But if they tell us a later date, late May or early June, we’ll take a break, calm it down and then pick it back up when it’s supposed to be.”

[Ruthless-RKO]

Maurice Hooker pulls plug on Regis Prograis fight, will campaign at welterweight

With the fighters unable to agree on a catchweight, Hooker has decided to make an official move up the scale.

A much-discussed fight between Maurice Hooker and Regis Prograis is dead in the water. Hooker and Prograis had originally agreed to a 143-pound catchweight fight that was supposed to take place on April 17, but that was before coronavirus shut down the sport and forced a postponement.

Earlier tonight we shared news that the two fighters hit an impasse about the weight they would now fight at, and ESPN has since reported that Hooker has decided that he’s just going to make the move to welterweight instead, abandoning negotiations with Prograis. According to Hooker’s trainer Brian McIntyre, he just doesn’t want Hooker squeezing back down to 143 pounds.

“So when the fight came up [against] Prograis, I figured we could make it. Then when the pandemic came, we kind of dodged a bullet, right there. So I’m not going to let him go back down, knowing he’s struggling, and the reality is he wasn’t going to make the weight the last time.”

Those words are obviously going to have people wondering what Hooker’s been up to since he last fought, as he had 144-pound tune-up fight last December and said after the fight he planned to go back to 140 to reclaim his world title. But if there’s any doubt, numbers don’t lie. McIntyre admits Hooker is currently walking around at 168 pounds.

And with Prograis unwilling to fight above 143 — as he obviously intends to continue campaigning at junior welterweight — there’s simply no fight to be made here. Bummer.

[Cent0089]

Who is Prograis promoter ?

[Ruthless-RKO]

I’m sure he started with TR, but could be wrong.

He definitely is not with them anymore more if he was.

[Cent0089]

I’m sure he started with TR, but could be wrong.

He definitely is not with them anymore more if he was.

He should only chasing big names IMO. That loss to Taylor was pretty close and fight was entertaining. He does not need bounceback fight against third class fighter. Maybe Mario Barrios or Baranchyk - Zepeda winner would be nice.

Edit: I think Prograis is pretty underrated in this forum

[jujigatame]

I think Prograis is with DiBella which means he's probably freer than most to fight on TR, PBC, or DAZN cards. Maybe he can fight Ramirez? Or is TR gonna do Taylor vs. Ramirez?

Zepeda/Baranchyk winner is a good alternative idea.

[margaret thatcher]

I’m sure he started with TR, but could be wrong.

He definitely is not with them anymore more if he was.

He should only chasing big names IMO. That loss to Taylor was pretty close and fight was entertaining. He does not need bounceback fight against third class fighter. Maybe Mario Barrios or Baranchyk - Zepeda winner would be nice.

Edit: I think Prograis is pretty underrated in this forum

I think Prograis is well ranked here, how high do you think he should be ranked?

29 out of 29 people pick him over Hooker

[Ruthless-RKO]

Hooker: I'd Fight Regis Prograis at 145, I Know I Can Beat Him!

Maurice Hooker still wants to fight fellow former junior welterweight world titlist Regis Prograis, but said he simply cannot do it at the 143-pound weight limit they had agreed to before their fight was postponed.

Hooker and Prograis were scheduled to meet in a much-anticipated twelve round non-title bout in the main event of a DAZN card on April 17 at the MGM National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Maryland, before the coronavirus pandemic caused the fight to be postponed indefinitely.

While Dino Duva and Eddie Hearn, Hooker’s co-promoters, and Prograis promoter Lou DiBella have been talking to DAZN about rescheduling the bout perhaps as soon as August, Hooker has made it clear that 143 pounds is a non-starter for him at this point.

“I don’t want to kill myself to make weight,” Hooker told BS.com on Thursday night. “The fight I had in December on the (Julio Cesar) Chavez Jr. card I struggled and couldn’t make 143. I don’t want to struggle no more making weight. I want to make weight comfortably and fight the next day. I don’t want to kill myself no more.”

Hooker, who struggled to make the 140-pound limit for title defenses, lost his belt by sixth-round stoppage to Jose Ramirez last July in a unification fight in Arlington, Texas, just outside Hooker’s hometown of Dallas. When Hooker returned to action in December, he was scheduled to fight journeyman Uriel Perez at 143 pounds. However, Hooker missed weight. He was 144¼. The fight went on anyway and he stopped Perez in the first round.

Hooker thought he would be able to make it for the fight with Prograis in April but said he now realizes he cannot do it.

“I would love to fight him but I can’t make 143,” Hooker said. “I ain’t gonna lie to myself this time. I got to move up.”

So what weight would Hooker be willing to fight Prograis at?

“I’d do 145,” Hooker said. “I don’t want to struggle no more. I’m not afraid of him. I would love to fight him. I can beat him. I know I can beat him.”

The Prograis camp has said they still want to do the fight against Hooker but only at the originally agreed upon weight of 143 pounds. Duva said he is hopeful they can somehow come to an agreement for the fight to still go on but at a heavier weight.

“To be clear, contrary to what’s been planted and written in the media, Maurice Hooker has not pulled out of the Regis Prograis fight, and does not desire to. He always has and still does want this great fight,” Duva said.

“However, and it’s nobody’s fault, the long delays and uncertainty that developed from the Covid-19 situation have unfortunately caused crucial items like fight weight, date, etc. to (be worked out). Now that Matchroom and DAZN have given us a clear time frame for the fight, the main issue we have to try and work out is the weight issue. We've been discussing it with Team Prograis, Matchroom and DAZN in good faith to resolve this.”

Hooker, 30, who has fought his entire nine-year professional career as a junior welterweight, said that during the coronavirus lockdown he got as heavy as 168 pounds and that even though he has resumed training, the weight is not coming off like it usually does.

“I’ve been fighting at 140 my whole pro career. It’s taking a toll on my body,” Hooker said. “I’m getting older. I’ll be 31 this year. It’s time for a change for me. I don’t want to put my body through that, not eat, losing weight, be tired the night of the fight and just got to push through.

“Regis has talked about moving up and now he has a chance to move up and he don’t want to move up. He got a chance now to fight at 147 so why not do it?”

Hooker (27-1-3, 18 KOs) has been in Omaha, Nebraska, training with Brian McIntyre for the past few weeks and made the decision that he needed additional pounds to fight Prograis because he was already having trouble shedding weight.

“It’s not coming off fast like I want it to come off. I just don’t want to struggle for the last couple of pounds,” Hooker said. “I would have killed myself to make it (in April). Then this virus kicked in. I’ve been with my family, but I came back and been training three or four weeks but the weight’s not coming off like I want it to come off. I didn’t want to get to fight week and be too big, a couple of pounds overweight, and not eat and starve myself, run all day, then get to the fight and have nothing left for the fight. I want to be in the ring 100 percent ready and not worried about the weight.”

Hooker said that if Prograis (24-1, 20 KOs), 31, of New Orleans, who has been idle since dropping a majority decision to Josh Taylor in a title unification fight in the final of the World Boxing Super Series, sticks to his word and won’t come up a few pounds he will look for another fight.

“I hope we get something put together soon. I want to fight the best out there,” Hooker said. “I want to get my feet wet at 147 first, Regis or whoever, and then go after a champion.”

Duva said while their side wants the fight, he supports Hooker’s decision about the weight.

“My absolute priority as Maurice's promoter is his safety and well being,” Duva said. “‘Mighty Mo’ is one of the most exciting fighters in the world, and it also serves the fans, our partners and broadcaster for him to be right physically and mentally going into a fight. With great respect to Regis Prograis and our partners, Team Hooker sincerely hopes to work things out and have the Prograis fight happen.”

Asked if he would give up money in his deal in exchange for Prograis to give him additional weight, Hooker said no way.

“No, I got a family to feed,” he said. “I got eight kids.”

[Ruthless-RKO]

8 KIDS???

How many is Broner on? 12?

[Paci]

Broner has liked 10 and... counting? Feel sorry for the kids, Hooker seems more grounded then AB...

Btw
https://bckonline.com/2020/04/12/adrien ... d-support/

[Cent0089]

He should only chasing big names IMO. That loss to Taylor was pretty close and fight was entertaining. He does not need bounceback fight against third class fighter. Maybe Mario Barrios or Baranchyk - Zepeda winner would be nice.

Edit: I think Prograis is pretty underrated in this forum

I think Prograis is well ranked here, how high do you think he should be ranked?

29 out of 29 people pick him over Hooker

Yeah, maybe i wrote that wrong. Not underrated but not very popular. Few users talk about him :)