Prograis v Taylor – Five things we learned
- The fight was a modern classic – despite no knockdowns and neither fighter in serious trouble, the sheer intensity of exchanges, technical excellence and fight’s ‘ebb and flow’ made this one of the finest in a British ring for many a year.
- Josh Taylor is the real deal – if we didn’t know already, him entering the ring with the IBF super lightweight title, we do now. He showed emphatically his boxing ability, desire to dish it out, and more, his ‘cojones’ and resilience to come through difficult moments in a fight, and prevail. He is arguably in poll position to become Scotland’s finest fighter of all time.
- Regis Prograis is a class act – the New Orlean arrived in London three weeks before fight night, fulfilled all media commitments, charmed all who he came into contact with (Taylor aside !) and on fight night delivered a brilliant performance that just fell short. What followed the decision further raised his stock by the humility shown.
- The WBSS and Matchroom continue to deliver – The second edition of the World Boxing Super Series continues to deliver an engrossing elimination tournament and great fights. Most notably one recognised champion. The Brits have done well, snaring two Muhammad Ali Trophies, and launching stars Callum Smith and Josh Taylor. Add in Alexsandr Usyk and you’ve got what Kalle Sauerland called “The caviar of boxing”. Matchroom Boxing’s co-promotion of this on Saturday night was nothing short of exceptional.
- The 117-112 scorecard was a shocker – Where that came from was beyond most observers. This was such a close fight and could arguably have gone either way. That the Prograis camp did not contest this is a reflection on their professionalism and class.
Derek Chisora continues to deliver
The Finchley man got the business done in a 4th round stoppage of David Price and continues to further enhance the domestic heavyweight picture, whilst knocking on the door of World titles. The cancelled fight with New Zealand’s Joseph Parker is a natural next challenge. Win that, and a world title shot awaits.
Lee Selby is back
The Barry stylist is back at lightweight and comfortable. His decision win over Ricky Burns showcased his repertoire of skills and that having captured a world title at featherweight he is comfortable fighting two divisions up. Look for him to feature on upcoming Matchroom cards and be manoeuvred into a mandatory world title position.
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The Undisputed 