WBC Special Preview – Zepeda vs. Prograis

WBC STATS VACANT WBC SUPERLIGHTWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE DIGNITY HEALTH SPORTS PARK CARSON, CALIFORNIA, USA 

NOVEMBER 26, 2022

 TV: USA FITE  

THIS WILL BE THE WBC’S 2, 155 CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE   FIGHT   IN   THE   FIFTY-NINE YEAR HISTORY OF THE WBC

 

 

MARVIN RODRIGUEZ & MARVNATION PROMOTIONS PRESENTS:

 

JOE ZEPEDA (US/MEXICO)

WBC no. 1            

DATE OF BIRTH: MAY 24, 1989

PLACE OF BIRTH:   LONG BEACH, CA

RESIDENCE:          LA PUENTE, CA

AGE:                         33

NICK NAME:         CHON

RECORD:                35-2-0, 27 KO’S

KO’S:                        69.3 %

GUARD:                  SOUTHPAW

TOTAL ROUNDS: 157

WORLD TITLE FIGHTS: 2 (0-2-0)

TRAINER:              RENE ZEPEDA

MANAGER:            FERNANDO BELTRAN

PROMOTER:          PROMOCIONES ZANFER

 

REGIS PROGRAIS (US)

WBC no. 2

DATE OF BIRTH: JANUARY 24, 1989

PLACE OF BIRTH:   NEW ORLEANS, LA

RESIDENCE:          HOUSTON, TX

AGE:                         33

NICK NAME:         ROUGAROU

RECORD:                27-1-0, 23 KO’S

KO’S:                        82.2 %

GUARD:                  SOUTHPAW

TOTAL ROUNDS: 125

WORLD TITLE FIGHTS: 5 (4-1-0)

TRAINER:              HYLON WILLIAMS SR.

MANAGER:            RICHARD SCHAEFER

PROMOTER:          PROBELLUM

WBC´S SUPERLIGHTWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPIONS

NAME                                                                     PERIODO CHAMPION

 

1. ROBERTO CRUZ (PHIL) 1963
2. EDDIE PERKINS (US) 1963 – 1965
3. CARLOS HERNANDEZ (VEN) 1965 – 1966
4. SANDRO LOPOPOLO (ITA) 1966 – 1967
5. PAUL FUJI (US) 1967 – 1968
6. PEDRO ADIGUE (PHIL) 1968 – 1970
7. BRUNO ARCARI (ITALY) 1970 – 1974
8. PEDRO FERNÁNDEZ (SPAIN) 1974 – 1975
9. SAENSAK MUANGSURIN (THAIL) 1975 – 1976
10. MIGUEL VELAZQUEZ (SPAIN) 1976
11. SAENSAK MUANGSURIN (THAIL) * 1976 – 1978
12. SANG-HYUN KIM (KOREA) 1978 – 1980
13. SAOUL MAMBY (US) 1980 – 1982
14. LEROY HALEY (US) 1982 – 1983
15. BRUCE CURRY (US) 1983 – 1984
16. BILL COSTELLO (US) 1984 – 1985
17. LONNIE SMITH (US) 1985 – 1986
18. RENE ARREDONDO (MEXICO) 1986
19. TSUYOSHI HAMADA (JAPAN) 1986 – 1987
20. RENE ARREDONDO (MÉXICO) * 1987
21. ROGER MAYWEATHER (US) 1987 – 1989
22. JULIO CESAR CHAVEZ (MEX) 1989 – 1994
23. FRANKIE RANDALL (US) 1994
24. JULIO CESAR CHAVEZ (MEX) * 1994 – 1996
25. OSCAR DE LA HOYA (US-MEX) 1996 – 1997
26. KONSTANTIN TSZYU (AUSTRALIA) 1998 – 2003
27. ARTURO GATTI (CANADA) 2004 – 2005
28. FLOYD MAYWEATHER (US) 2005
29. JUNIOR WITTER (GB) 2006 – 2008
30. TIMOTHY BRADLEY (US) 2008 – 2009
31. DEVON ALEXANDER (US) 2009 – 2011
32. TIMOTHY BRADLEY (US) * 2011
33. ERIK MORALES (MEXICO) 2011 – 2012
34. LUCAS MATTHYYSSE (ARGENTINA) Interim 2012 – 2013
35. DANNY GARCIA (US) 2012 – 2015
36. VIKTOR POSTOL (UKRAINE) 2015 – 2016
37. TERENCE CRAWFORD (US) 2016 – 2018
38. REGIS PROGRAIS (US) Interim 2018 – 2019
39. JOSE CARLOS RAMIREZ (US) 2018 – 2021
40. JOSH TAYLOR (GB) 2021 – 2022

* REGAINED

 

WBC´S SUPERLIGHTWEIGHT TOP TEN CHAMPIONS

 

1. JULIO CESAR CHAVEZ (MEX)

 

2. OSCAR DE LA HOYA (US/MEX)

 

3. KOSTYA TSZYU (RUS/AUST)

 

4. ROGER MAYWEATHER (US)

 

5. TIMOTHY BRADLEY (US)

 

6. BRUNO ARCARI (ITALY)

 

7. ARTURO GATTI (CANADA)

 

8. DANNY GARCIA (US)

 

9. DEVON ALEXANDER (US)

 

10. SAENSAK MUANGSURIN (THAI)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

GENERAL INFORMATION ON THE SUPERLIGHTWEIGHT DIVISION

 

THERE HAVE BEEN 35 WORLD CHAMPIONS RECOGNIZED BY THE WBC AND JUST 4 OF THEM HAVE REGAINED THEIR TITLE:

 

SAENSAK MUANGSURIN (THAILAND)

RENE ARREDONDO (MEXICO)

JULIO CESAR CHAVEZ (MEXICO)

TIMOTHY BRADLEY (US)

 

135 SUPERLIGHTWEIGHT WORLD TITLE BOUTS IN 17 COUNTRIES HAVE BEEN HELD IN THE HISTORY OF THE WBC

 

THIS WILL BE THE 80th. WORLD TITLE FIGHT IN THE UNITED STATES

 

 

WBC SUPERWLIGHTWEIGHT WORLD TITLE BOUTS BY COUNTRY

 

USA                                        79

ITALY                                   12

JAPAN                                   10

MEXICO                               6

THAILAND                          5

SPAIN                                    4

ENGLAND                            4

KOREA                                 3

VENEZUELA                       2

PHILIPPINES                      2

JAMAICA                             2

P. RICO                                 1

NIGERIA                              1

INDONESIA                         1

DENMARK                          1

CANADA                              1

AUSTRALIA                        1

TOTAL FIGHTS       135

 

 

 

WBC TITLE FIGHTS IN CALIFORNIA STATE IN

THE WBC HISTORY

 

 

243 WORLD TITLE FIGHTS HAVE BEEN HELD IN CALIFORNIA STATE IN THE WBC HISTORY

 

16 TITLE FIGHTS IN THE SUPERLIGHTWEIGHT DIVISION HAVE TAKEN PLACE IN CALIFORNIA STATE IN THE HISTORY OF THE WBC

AND

THIS WILL BE THE 244 WBC TITLE FIGHTS IN CALIFORNIA STATE IN THE HISTORY OF THE WBC

 

 

FIGHTS BY DIVISION IN CALIFORNIA STATE IN THE WBC HISTORY

 

 

 

BANTAM                                    30

SUPERBANTAM                        27

WELTER                                     24

LIGHT                                        22

SUPERFEATHER                      22

FEATHER                                  20

SUPERFLY                                 17

SUPERWELTER                         16

SUPERLIGHT                            16

1. FLY 12

MIDDLE                                     9

HEAVY                                       8

SUPERMIDDLE                         6

1. HEAVY 5

FLY                                             4

CRUISER                                    3

STRAW                                        2

                            TOTAL FIGHTS           243

Werewolf aims to dodge the silver bullet

By James Blears

What happens when you`re between a rock and a hard place? Jose “Chon” Zepeda and Regis “Rougarou” Prograis will find out on Saturday November 26^th when they contest the vacant World Boxing Council super-lightweight title at the Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California.

Both are proven hard hitters. Each tempered by the mettle of iron willpower, yet something will have to bend and someone will prove malleable in the furnace of battle. I`m predicting this has all the ingredients and simmering capacity to boil up into Fight of the Year.

Regis (27-1, 23KO), with an eighty five percent stoppage ratio, originally from New Orleans, but now based out of Houston, following Hurricane Katrina, has stayed in the weight division for three long years, waiting for this second chance. His career reads like Ernest Hemmingway`s novel To Have and to Have Not. In his own words, it all initially seemed so easy. Too easy!

After an impecunious start, during which he got paid just one dollar for his fourth fight, almost symbolically reminiscent of Randolph and Mortimer Duke, things quickly bucked up for Regis who`s a disciple of boxing. A swift path to success which was “Pilgrim`s Prograis!” He won the WBA version of the belt with a sixth round TKO of Kiryl Relikh in the semi -final of season two of the World Boxing Super Series. But then he encountered Scotland`s Josh Taylor in the final. Josh who was IBF champion was masterful, boxing beautifully.

Regis fought with a grim determination which characterizes him and applied severe pressure throughout, especially in the championship rounds. It was an absolute thriller, with the taller “Tartan Tornedo” winning a majority decision. One Judge saw it as a 114-114 draw. Since then, Regis has stopped all three of his opponents and stands ready to give it his all to become a WBC Champion.

In his prime, but he`s starkly cautions: “As they say, you can step in the ring, step out that same night and then, you become old overnight.” During their press conferences on the tour, he and Jose (35-2, 27 KO`s) who has a seventy seven percent KO ratio, have shown mutual respect, befitting their ranking. Jose is classified number one by the WBC and Regis number two. Jose says he`s fully prepared to go to the gates of hell to win this fight.

He`s already been there, in that epic precipice knock about, knock down fight with Ivan Baranchyk. They exchanged four knockdowns each in five rounds. Jose went down twice in the first round. But he finished it off with a blockbuster left hook which knocked Ivan unconscious for quite some time. Regis points out that he`s never been knocked down during his pro career and stresses that when he drops people they stay put on the canvass.

Regis is a more effervescent outgoing character who exudes self- confidence, while Jose is somewhat reserved with a shy smile and more placid geniality…outside the ring!  Both have shown appropriate courtesy and civility throughout their press tour. A quality fight like this is so much better minus the yap bile of trash talk. Just, no need. Both are southpaws, five feet eight inches tall and thirty three years old and LA based Julian Chua is their trainer. To avoid to being torn between them, he`s wisely stepping back for this fight, wishing each of them good luck.

This is Jose`s third tilt at the super-lightweight title. He fought “Turbo” Terry Flanagan for the vacant WBO title, but dislocated his left shoulder and had to retire on his stool after the second round, with the bone protruding in an alarming manner.

His second chance was against then WBC champion Jose Ramirez. What a fight it was! Chon boxed superbly for the first half, with Jose`s strength and power becoming a decisive tactical factor in the later rounds. Multiple accidental head clashes left both gashed and bleeding. Ramirez won a MD 115-113, 116-112 and the other Judge saw it as a 114-114 draw. In this ring war, Chon lowered his right lead as he tired and used his anticipation rather than defense, trying to avoid incoming. This could prove an extremely risky, unadvisable and dangerous tactic against Regis.

Since then, one no contest and five victories with two KO`s including the ordeal against Ivan Baranchyk and the most recent one round demolition of Josue Vargas.

Regis is a barrel chested, robust super-lightweight who`s big for the division, while Jose is slimmer, more svelte and noticeably leaner. This is going to an outright war of lefties.

Regis` nickname is Rougarou which in Creole means werewolf. In the legend of folk tales, only a silver bullet can stop a werewolf. Certain… he`s aware that Chon, which means stable, calm and self- disciplined, comes into this fight as the WBC Silver champion.

As the Poet Dylan Thomas wrote: “Rage, rage against the dying of the light. Do not go gentle into that good night.”