SAN FRANCISCO — Devin Haney delivered a virtuoso performance to become a two-division champion in his first fight at 140 pounds, scoring a shutout decision over Regis Prograis on Saturday evening at Chase Center.
All three judges scored the bout 120-107 for Haney, who captured Prograis’ WBC junior welterweight title. Haney also was the undisputed lightweight champion before vacating all four of his belts in late November.
Haney (31-0, 15 KOs) won every round Saturday night on the strength of precision punching, an excellent jab and ring generalship beyond his 25 years. He scored a knockdown in Round 3 with a sharp right hand and busted up Prograis’ face during the 12-round beating.
“I did everything that I said I was gonna do,” said Haney, who fights out of Las Vegas. “Went in there and I handicapped him. We knew that he was gonna come in with a big left hand. … We capitalized on his habit of leaning in. … I hit him with big shots. … I knew that I was hurting him.”
Haney entered the ring on the heels of a career-best victory, a razor-thin decision over future Hall of Famer Vasiliy Lomachenko in May to retain his undisputed championship at 135 pounds. For his encore Saturday night, Haney picked apart a top-notch fighter, one who chided him throughout the buildup.
Haney was already highly regarded for his otherworldly defense, but he raised his level in the city where he was born and lived until age 7. And unlike Stevenson, Haney dished out plenty of punishment.
He buckled Prograis’ legs several times in the bout and was in control from bell to bell. Not only did Haney cement his status as an elite boxer, but he also ensured contention for boxing’s top honor.
“I feel like at this point that I should be fighter of the year,” Haney said at the postfight news conference.
“Devin is remarkable,” said his father, trainer and manager, Bill Haney. “He’s truly special. … I think he showed that tonight [with] his ability to handicap a fighter.”
