FORMER world champions Regis Prograis and Joseph Diaz Jr are looking to roll back the years in an intriguing winner-stays-on matchup.
Their super-lightweight clash, which was announced via social media just yesterday, will feature on a Golden Boy Promotions card headlined by Oscar Duarte vs Kenneth Sims Jr.
Both non-title fights – taking place at the Credit Union 1 Arena, Chicago, on August 2 – appear to be unofficial semi-finals, with the respective winners expected to lock horns soon after.
In any case, though, Prograis vs Diaz should deliver an absorbing co-main event spectacle which, despite only being announced on 10 days’ notice, has been mooted on social media for quite some time.
The pair have seemingly been hovering on the edge of retirement in recent years, while Prograis, 29-3 (24 KOs), practically confirmed his exit from the sport towards the end of 2024.
Back then, the 36-year-old had just found himself on the wrong end of a unanimous decision against Jack Catterall, inspiring him to assess the future of his career.
But despite suffering two losses – the first, a points defeat to Devin Haney in 2023 – on the bounce, the former two-time world champion now hopes to rediscover a shred of his old form.
As for Diaz, 34-7-1 (15 KOs), the absence of a meaningful win since 2021, back when he outpointed Javier Fortuna, has left his career with very little to write home about.
Yet the 32-year-old, like Prograis, nonetheless seems eager to extend his shelf life and, quite possibly, secure an assignment with the winner of Duarte vs Sims.
