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Looks like this smoke might actually mean there’s fire. Eddie Hearn tells Mike Coppinger that Regis Prograis and Mikey Garcia “are in advanced talks for a fall clash at 140 pounds,” which would take place on American soil and stream on DAZN.
Both men spoke to ESPN about the matchup, which has been brewing for a few weeks on social media.
“I definitely feel better at 140 (pounds), the only reason I was trying to be at 147 was for a title fight, but since we couldn’t secure a flight with Manny (Pacquiao), there was no reason to stay there,” Garcia (40-1, 30 KOs) told ESPN. “But I’ve pretty much made my decision to campaign at ‘40 for the next matchup.
“I think it’s a great matchup for a few reasons being that he’s an aggressive fighter, he’s accomplished, former world champion and he’s also hungry to regain that position and have a big victory. I want to get back, I want to do big things, I want to be able to challenge for a world title again and be a world champion so I think those are the elements that make it a great matchup.”
“I think it’s the biggest fight at 140,” Prograis (26-1, 22 KOs) told ESPN. “He has a big name, I have a big name right now. All sides want it. Sometimes one side don’t want it and the other side tries to push it. But with me and Mikey, I want it, he wants it. I talked to his brother (trainer Robert Garcia) on FaceTime; he wants it.
“I think it’s going to be a huge, huge fight. I do want to fight the best; I’ve been telling you I want to be a champion again. If I can’t get Josh Taylor, I think Mikey is bigger than anybody right now.”
“Rougarou” also acknowledged that while he’s missed weight twice in a row against Juan Heraldez and Ivan Redkach, “he’ll be hiring a nutritionist for his next training camp” to break the eating habits he developed growing up New Orleans. While it is a bit ironic to see him struggle with the scales after his weight kerfuffle with Maurice Hooker a while back, I can confidently say that I’d be at least 20 pounds heavier if I lived in New Orleans, so fair play to him.
While Prograis is being a bit hyperbolic in calling Garcia “bigger than anybody right now,” this is still a great fight between a brutal body puncher and an ace technician with sneaky power of his own. Having watched Prograis maul two mid-tier guys in a row and Garcia insist on fighting well above his ideal weight, it’s good to see the pair in a well-matched, world-level fight again.