Regis Prograis has weighed in on the punching power of Conor Benn following their ten-round clash in London this past weekend.
Benn, dropping down after two middleweight fights last year to a catchweight of 150lbs, beat Prograis over the distance, hurting him on at least one occasion but failing to register his first stoppage win since facing Chris van Heerden in 2022.
Though Prograis, 37, put up a valiant effort and used his experience to make moments tricky, and Benn suffered cuts around both eyes, it was ultimately a wide unanimous decision with three scores of 98-92 for the Brit.
Speaking to Fight Hub TV, Prograis praised the power of Benn, going as far as to say he is the hardest puncher he has shared the ring with, but explained why that strength alone is not as effective as it could be.
“Conor hits hard. I’m pretty sure Conor hit me the hardest I’ve been hit in my career so far. Conor has a lot of power. But, the thing is, the punches you don’t see are the ones that hurt you. You can see everything Conor’s throwing. He has a big right hand, don’t get me wrong, but you can see it coming. He’s gonna load up with it.”
The former two-time super lightweight world champion then compared Benn’s attributes to the likes of Shakur Stevenson and Devin Haney, two men Benn has publicly targeted.
“I’ve been in the ring with Devin and Shakur – both of them don’t have too much power, but they’re sharpshooters. They don’t get hit and stuff like that, and they will hit you with punches you don’t see coming.”
Prograis – who announced his retirement post-fight – also lost a unanimous decision to Haney, but was knocked down in the process. His rounds with Stevenson came in the gym
Benn remains focused on power puncher Ryan Garcia, who holds the WBC welterweight title for which he is mandatory challenger.
