Regis Prograis Conversation With Dan Rafael | Fight Freaks Unite Podcast

Well, it's my great pleasure to welcome back to our podcast or another appearance getting ready for another important fights, none other than the former two times Junior Wealth the Weight world champion, Regis Prograt. Regis, thank you so much for joining me. We're here to talk about you have a very significant fight coming up. It's against Jack patterall in at the New co Op Live in Manchester, England and the headline the Mattroom Boxing card on October twenty sixth.

I mean, I'm excited about it, you know, I'm definitely excited something I'm really it's something I can kind of look forward to. It's something I'm excited about. It's something that it's a fight that I've been wanting for a little while. And you know, it happened.

I think me and Jack we're supposed to fight maybe like.

Two or three years ago, and maybe like two years ago and it just kind of just never happened. And you know, now is you know, I guess now's a good time and I think this is the biggest fight you can make at one four. And besides, you know people with the belts, so I think it's you know, it's a great fight.

It's a good fight, and I'm just excited about it.

Well, you mentioned about how maybe there was a conversation about maybe two guys would have hooked up in a fight a couple of years ago. You were supposed to fight each other on August twenty fourth, just a few months ago. He had to postpone the fight because he suffered a rib injury. And it was only like less than a month or so, or just about a month

I mean I was pissed. I was really pissed. I mean the main thing was because because I went to Vegas.

I went out there, I was in Vegas train, I was running, I was doing everything else to do sparring. I mean, I had a real, real tight just just my my schedule was just super tight. It was just literally like boxing all day long. And and then you know, coming out of pocket. You know, nobody, you know, Matt Trim never gave me no type of camp money and nothing like that.

I came out of my own pocket.

I went out to Vegas and I was training, and then they told me the fight was postponed. So it really you know, it bothered me a lot, but it bothered me more.

It bothered me about.

You know that I was training, because you know, it's you know, when I was out.

There training, it was good. It was good sparring, it was good work, it was it was just a whole it was a good vibe all around.

But the thing that bothered me is just like, you know, I did all this and I paid all this out of pocket, and you know, it's like basically it's for nothing.

So that the thing, let me ask you that that then you mentioned about the financial hit, and I mean what people with fans, I don't think sometimes realize is that a fighters, they don't get paid till the fight

I was up there for about a month. I mean, it wasn't that bad. Maybe like ten or fifteen thousand. I came out of pocket, you know, it's I mean, it's it's it's not it's not that much, but at the same time, it's still something. It's still something that I have to come out of pocket with. Nobody gave me no type of money. It wasn't you know, it was all me coming out. You know, I had to I had to fly my trainers out there. It's like one of my trainers out there. I had to share

You still have to pay.

I had to pay my shelf, I had to pay up for all my food, all that type of stuff. So you know that was like the bad thing about it.

But partners also you pay, yes, so you know.

You have to do all that type of stuff. And but listen, it it happens. You know, I understand it happens, and it is what it is, and I wasn't. I'm glad that you know, they they postponed. It wasn't just canceled all the way and it was postponed.

So when you hear that he has a rib injury, and you know that they didn't. They didn't say it's an elbow or a hand, it's a rib injury. Do you make that a point in the back of your mind to say, you know what, I'm gonna make sure I target his ribcage when it comes time for the fight.

Oh of course, I mean I don't know if it's true or not, but yeah, of course. I mean, look, you have an injury, of course I'm gonna go target bit.

You know, no matter what, that's what I'm gonna target.

So, you know, and I don't know if it's really I don't know if it's stay that's what.

I heard, you know, but you know, we can hear all kinds of stuff.

So yeah, that's that'll that'll be, you know, one of the places I'll talget.

Now, you're essentially gonna be fighting in his hometown he lives about I looked up on Google Maps. It's about forty five fifty minutes between his hometown to Chorley and the arena where you're fighting in Manchester. Obviously it's a hometown fight for him. Did you have any qualms about

I'm not really tripping about it.

You know, It's like something I don't really think about, but I'm not really tripping about it.

At the same time, I want to be a you know, I want to be a world champion again.

And whatever it takes to get to that world championship status again, I'll just do it.

I just I know that Jack is not on my level.

I know I'm a way better fighter, So it really doesn't it doesn't matter whether.

Fighter's gonna take place.

I just I know that I'm way better, you know, Like I said I said earlier.

You know, it's a different interviews.

Like, man, you can check my resume, check what I did, you know, I mean, I had two bad performances. But listen, I just know that Jack is just he's not on my levels, know where close to being on my level.

So it doesn't matter.

Yeah, they have the you know, the hometown stuff going on. But for me, listen, I think that makes me hungry. And I know that people kind of write me up. But it's a good thing for me, you know, because I'm a shock everybody.

All Right. So he beat Josh Taylor by a very clear decision in his last fight, took place in May. A lot most people think he won the first fight, so he should have two wins against and that was the split decision that he suffered. The loss and the undisputed title fight back in twenty twenty two. Uh, you lost a really close, outstanding fight to Josh Taylor in a two thing, like I said in the twenty nineteen unification.

Guy and he didn't absolutely no. Styles makes fights. You know, styles made fights. You know, Dan, You've been in boxing for a long time. That doesn't That absolutely means absolutely nothing at all.

Styles make fights. That doesn't matter. He might just have Taylor's number, that's all, you know, that's all. But he's he's not gonna have my number.

So now it's just it's a styles make fights type of thing, and that's just how that's how I go.

So did you ever watch the fight? Well, I guess the last fight that he had in May, But you did you watch that fight? And did you think did you watch the first fight that was the one that caused so much controversy, And if so for me, I.

Think I thought that first fight, the first fight, I thought he won that fight. The second fight it was closer. You know, I'm not gonna say he won or lost. He obviously won a fight, but it was a it was a it was a I felt like it was a closer fight for the second fight. But it's just like you kind of you kind of old. He was like, you kind of have to give it to him, But I mean, it was it was.

A close fight.

I think Taylor first the action were I know Bob was pissed.

You know, he got the ring. He said that, you know, they Taylor.

Really want to fight, and it was it was a it was a way closer fight than a first fight. Now, but I do think that he deserved that win because he won the first one.

Now, I know, you got the fight obviously that you got to deal with Caterroll and in front of you and we're talking a little bit about his performance against Taylor. You had your fight against Taylor, and down the road, whatever happens in this fight, win, lose, or draw, do you have it in your back of your mind that someday you'd like to do it again with Josh Taylor. Was such a great fight the first time, It was

Man, it depends, you know, it depends on what happens, what goes on. Like for me, my my goal is to be a champion again.

That's it.

So if Josh Taylor happens to become a champion, of course I welcome that.

I'm definitely all.

If they tell me, after this, listen, you fight Joss Taill and then you have then you fight for the belt, then yeah, it's cool, we'll fight Joss Tailor again. But for me, it's it's not even a name, it's not no more names. It's just like I want I want to be a three time champion. That's something one of my I was dal behind that lead who was a three time champion, and that's something I want to do. I want to become a three time champion. And after

I go in.

So a lot of times when we have these fights that come up, a lot of discussion turns toward if one guy is a right handed fighter, one guy's at south paw. It's not usually the most comfortable or normal thing let's say for the righty to be facing the lefty. In this particular case, you and Jack a bol South boys both left handed fighters, and most of your fights are against right handed fighters. So I always wonder when I'm talking to the lefty, how is it to go

Not me?

If you look at most of the fight they've been most of my fight has been a lot of my fights been left handed fighters, you know, you studding, You know if you look at people just at the time of Hey, you look at like Onango ivor Red Cash, Jose's a paida town of McKenna, we both shim Josh here. You know I named five people just now and that's all left.

Handed fightles, you know.

So nahs, Yeah, I mean no, I don't feel untucked with at all.

All right, Well, you mentioned before by the way that you said, you know you had a couple of tough fights. Uh in the most recent past. Uh you had the split decision where you won the fight at home in New Orleans against den Alito's area. But even you know that was in defense of your title back in June of twenty twenty three. But even you admitted that was not a good performance. I mean you know that everybody the watch it knows that you did get the victory.

Uh.

And then the next fight, Uh, that was the loss to Devin Haney where you lost the belt in December. You know you got shut out, you got knocked down.

Uh.

How I mean those are those are a lot of guys. It's harder from those types of performances in a row. But how big of it is not only for you to go in there and do your thing against Catterroll, but to do it in at least somewhat impressive manager to show, Hey, listen, you know what. I went through my rough pass, but I'm still one of the top fighters at one hundred and forty pounds, right.

That's and that's exactly what I'm coming proof. You know, I want to I want to just like erase it, and I know I can. I know I am, you know, like I'm back in the gym and I'm just being me again. That's the thing, you know, I spoiled in the gym to day, and I mean my my train was like, man, that's the old regis. You're looking like the old regions. And that's how I want to come and I felt like, yeah, I had. I had a lot of stuff going on, you know, management issues and

Is back to boxing.

I actually change some things up in my team as far as like management wise, and they're taking care of that.

But at that time, you know, I don't know if we spoke back in the.

Day a few like a year ago or something like that, but I was, I was I was self managing myself. I was doing everything myself, and you know, at that time, I remember interviews with people and like you you manage yourself, and I thought that, yeah, I could do this and I didn't need a manager.

But I feel like, yeah, now I know that I do need to measure.

That is an important job because they take everything off they take everything off your plate.

So now all I do is focus on fighting.

I don't have to focus on nothing else and now just focus on boxing. So yeah, I think for me, it was like a mental thing. Physically, I can still do all the stuff. I still that's the thing. Boxing is more mental than physically and physically I still do all the stuff. I mean, it's a pointing time where you have to be honest with yourself and can.

You still do this? Can you still do it? And in a gym, I mean.

I'm looking I know, I'm looking real good. I mean I can't leak my spartan stuff like that, but I'm looking super good. I'm like, I'm real fast, I'm strong, I can still hear. Everything is still there. So it's all so I know it was all a mental thing. And my coaches they'll be honest with all my people around me, they'll be honest with there, Like god, damn, like you looking, man, You're looking so good, Like I've been looking like real real sweet in the gym right now.

So I know all that stuff was a mental tank about a mental thing.

So like now it's just like, you know, getting back to be that's the main thing.

Get back to being Regions program. That's what I need to do.

So when you lose the way you did against Devin Haney, I mean you'd have to wonder. I understand a guy loses. You got stuff going on outside during like you mentioned, maybe some of it's mental and you were busy trying to be a manager, random fighter and all that together. But when you don't win around it would cause one to maybe questions say, hey, you know, you know, I

It's one thing.

It's one thing to lose to fight Regis, you know, but to frankly not compete to kind of a different mix.

Would I know I wasn't me. I just wasn't meet at night.

What happens, I don't know, and I can't. I still can't tell people what happened. I just I feel like I definitely felt like I wasn't meet. I'm not I wasn't regional program. I didn't do it, and I didn't do the things even in campus stuff like that lead them to the fight. I let a lot of hype get to my head, and I just the main thing, you know, long story short, I just wasn't me. I can I can go on about what happened in camp and what happened out of camp, but you know we.

Don't have time for that.

Have you ever gone back and watched that fight. No, okay watching, Yeah.

Didn't watch it because I know that that.

Person that was fighting it wasn't me.

Even in a ring that night, I didn't feel like I just felt like I wasn't me at all.

So it's like, why would I watch something that's not me? You know, it doesn't It really doesn't make sense at all.

So I asked that Because I'll go back a little ways. I remember having an interview many years ago with the great heavyweight cham Vladimir Klitchko, who, in the worst night of his life, got absolutely uh embarrassed by Layman Brewster in a vacant heavyweight championship fight, and he was telling me he's watching all these films getting ready for fights. I asked him what he's watching. I thought, he's watching like, you know, Joe Lewis fights, or Muhammad Ali fights or

It now, Hey, I might go and watch it.

Wait the way you say it, So now I might take a page of that book.

I might, I might go through that. I might go watch it.

Yeah, he said, Listen, I don't ever want to forget how I tell the Night. So I'm gonna keep watching that, and you know it'll motivate me when I go into my next fight. So I don't perform like that again. And frankly, you never did perform again like that. All right, well, so I just want to wrap up with this. Then.

For me, I just know I'm gonna win.

It's not even like I don't put the pressure on myself to be like, oh it's a must win and this and that, and like I said, it's the same, you know, if I want to get to that pressure is the same thing with like with the Haney stuff, like oh I.

Have to do this, I have to do this.

And then like I compete it terribly because I let all that pressure get through my head. I box just because I love it.

You know, you have to.

You have to just enjoy the sport. You have to That's that's and that's what I'm doing. I'm getting back to just enjoying. I get back to I remember last camp, you know where Haiti I was going as Sparing and you know, I just I put so much pressure on myself to do this and do this and do this, and now like I'm just in a gym just having fun. And that's what I do for I do it. I

And that's kind of what I want to do.

And that's kind of what I've been doing, you know, Like I said, just training, sparring, all that, just having fun and being back to being me.

Well, I'm gonna look forward to watching you back to being you come October twenty six against Jack Catterall. Regis, thank you very much for your time. I appreciate it and I certainly wish you the best of luck in the fight.

Thank man, thank you. M