By Mario Ortega Jr. (Ringside)

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA  — The former unified lightweight champion Devin Haney impressed in his 140-pound debut, issuing Regis Prograis the most one-sided defeat of his career en route to claiming the WBC light welterweight title before his hometown crowd.

Haney (31-0, 15 KOs) of Las Vegas, Nevada was just too much of everything for Prograis (29-2, 24 KOs) of Houston, Texas by way of New Orleans, Louisiana over the twelve rounds.

After a feeling out opening stanza, the fight was all Haney. In the second round, Haney, 140, began to find the angles he needed to land, which he did with one right uppercut in particular.

Early in the third, Haney scored a knockdown with a lead right over the top of Prograis’ guard.

Prograis, 139, came out for the fourth on steady legs, but the challenger continued to give him a boxing lesson as the fight wore on. Haney landed a crisp one-two combination to punctuate the fourth round.

Haney continued to blister Prograis with combinations in the fifth round, while also putting some money in the bank via a body attack.

The one-two worked again for Haney as he rocked Prograis back on his heels with less than a minute to go in the sixth.

The pace slowed in the seventh, with Prograis was unwilling to let his hands go. The referee and the ringside doctor took a long look in the Prograis’ corner prior to the eighth.

Haney led the action in the eighth and ninth, but with less and less to counter, the Bay Area native was content to box and move. With a minute to go in the ninth, Prograis over extended himself with a left and Haney made him pay with a clubbing right that excited the crowd.

Haney seemed satisfied sending the bout to the cards as he exhibited some flashy defense in the championship rounds, but never pressed for the stoppage as he outboxed Prograis from bell-to-bell.

In the end, all three judges scored the shutout for Haney, 120-107. The question now is where does Haney go next. 140-pounds is one of the deepest divisions in boxing, but the Haneys have already floated designs on the welterweight division. Promoter Eddie Hearn floated the name of Ryan Garcia after the bout, but that seems like an unlikely prospect.

In the final appetizer before the main event, WBO #11 ranked light welterweight Liam Paro scored two knockdowns early in the sixth en route to stopping Montana Love midway through the round.

Paro (24-0, 15 KOs) of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia and Love (18-1-1, 9 KOs) of Cleveland, Ohio fought on even terms early in the fight. There was not much to distinguish the two as the boo birds derided the lack of early action. 

Things heated up a bit more late in the fifth, but it was the sixth where the fight took a quick turn. Paro, 140, landed clean with a left uppercut that sent Love, 140, to the seat of his pants for the first knockdown. 

When action resumed, Paro moved in aggressively, eventually landing a straight left that sent Love down for a second time. Love made it to his feet, but when Paro forced him into a neutral corner with a flurry, Love covered up for too long for referee Thomas Taylor’s liking. The referee stopped the fight at 1:49 of round six.

With the win, Paro, who had a scheduled title bout against Regis Prograis slip between his fingers due to injury earlier this year, claimed the vacant regional WBO Intercontinental 140-pound title.

Cruz Takes out Straffon in 3

Fast-rising lightweight prospect Andy Cruz (2-0, 1 KO) of Miami, Florida by way of Matanzas, Matanzas, Cuba completely steamrolled normally durable Jovanni Straffon (26-6-1, 19 KOs) of Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico en route to a third-round stoppage. 

Cruz, 134.4, let loose with both hands from the opening bell. It was all Straffon, 134, could do to weather the onslaught. The second round was especially one-sided, as Cruz straffed Straffon with everything in his arsenal.

Early in the third round, Cruz pressed Straffon into a neutral corner, landing clean with both hands. Having seen enough of the mismatch, referee Edward Collantes leaped in to stop the bout at :53 of the third round. 

With the win, Cruz successfully defended his IBF International lightweight title and claimed the vacant WBA Continental Latin America lightweight title. 

Yoshida Upsets Bridges to Claim Bantamweight Title

Coming in on short notice, Miyo Yoshida (17-4) of New York, New York by way of Kagoshima, Kagoshima, Japan upset media darling Ebanie Bridges (9-2, 4 KOs) of New South Wales, Australia to claim the IBF bantamweight championship by ten-round unanimous decision. 

Yoshida, 117.6, was in the face of the champion Bridges, 117.8, from the get-go and never took a backward step. Yoshida, despite having campaigned mainly in the 115-pound super flyweight division throughout her career, looked like the bigger fighter and landed the harder shots.

Bridges, fighting for the first time in a year with a surgically-repaired right hand,  never was able to force Yoshida into any sort of retreat and ate the more eye-catching shots as they exchanged throughout a fight fought completely on the inside. 

Yoshida, who entered the ring as the IBF #10 ranked bantamweight and had fought just one month ago in a losing effort to Shurretta Metcalf, closed out the fight strong and raised her hands in celebration as the final bell rang. In the end, all three judges scored the fight wide for Yoshida by scores of 97-93 and 99-91 twice

Middleweight prospect Amari Jones (11-0, 10 KOs) of Las Vegas by way of Oakland, California was impressive in his Bay Area homecoming as he stopped tough veteran Quilisto Madera (14-5, 9 KOs) of Stockton, California in the fifth-round. 

Jones, 159.2 controlled Madera, 160, in the opening round with his jab. As the fight progressed into round three, Jones’ right hand came more into play and became the dominant punch of the fight. 

The end of round four got Jones’ home crowd excited as a right hand snapped Madera’s head back against the turnbuckle and set off an exchange along the ropes. 

Jones picked right up where he left off early in the fifth. With Jones landing clean, two-handed combinations as Madera backed against the ropes, referee Thomas Taylor leaped in to stop the fight. Official time of the stoppage was 1:44 of the fifth round. 

Beatriz Ferreira (4-0, 2 KOs) of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil saw her own blood for the first time as a professional en route to an eight-round stoppage of a game Destiny Jones (5-2, 2 KOs) of Austin, Texas.

Ferreira, 130, found a willing opponent in Jones, 129.8, who had her moments throughout the bout. Ferreira is just a fearless punching machine and Jones had to work hard to keep pace. Twice Ferreira knocked Jones’ mouthpiece out, once with a right late in the second and again in the fourth.

After Jones drew blood with an accidental elbow late in round four, Ferreira seemed more determined to go for the stoppage as the fight progressed. Ferreira eventually landed with a sweeping left hook with seconds to go in round seven that dropped Jones, who was leaning that way.

At the beginning of round eight, Jones did not react well when asked to touch gloves and referee Edward Collantes asked the doctor for a look. On the advice of the doctor, Collantes stopped the bout. Official time of stoppage was :05 of round eight.

In the opening bout, Shamar Canal (7-0, 4 KOs) of Albany, New York continued his rise with a dominant six-round unanimous decision over veteran Jose Antonio Meza (8-9, 2 KOs) of Gomez Palacio, Durango, Mexico. 

Canal, 132, had too many dimensions for the durable Meza. After comfortably outboxing Meza, 131.8, over the early rounds, Canal pressed on the gas in the last two and finally broke through with a straight right that dropped the Mexican native late in the sixth. All three judges were in agreement on the shutout, 60-53.

6 x 3 mins Super-Featherweight contest
 
SHAMAR CANAL (132lbs)          vs.        JOSE ANTONIO MESA (131.8lbs)
Albany, New York                                  Durango, Mexico
 
Followed by
 
8 x 2 mins Super-Featherweight contest
 
BEATRIZ FERREIRA (130lbs)       vs.        DESTINY JONES (129.8lbs)
Sao Paulo, Brazil                                   Austin, Texas
 
Followed by
 
8 x 3 mins Middleweight contest
 
AMARI JONES (159.2lbs)           vs.       QUILISTO MADERA (160lbs)
Oakland, California                               Stockton, California
 
LIVE ON DAZN PPV (USA) AND DAZN (R.O.W) FROM 5PM
 
10 x 2 mins IBF World Bantamweight title
 
EBANIE BRIDGES (117.8lbs)       vs.        MIYO YOSHIDA (117.6lbs)
New South Wales, Australia                   Kagoshima, Japan
 
Followed by
 
10 x 3 mins IBF International and vacant WBA Continental Latin-American Lightweight titles
 
ANDY CRUZ (134.4lbs)                 vs.        JOVANNI STRAFFON (134lbs)
Matanzas, Cuba                                    Mexico City, Mexico
 
Followed by
 
10 x 3 mins WBO Intercontinental Super-Lightweight title
 
LIAM PARO (140lbs)                  vs.        MONTANA LOVE (140lbs)
Brisbane, Australia                                Cleveland, Ohio
 
Followed by
 
12 x 3 mins WBC World Super-Lightweight title
 
REGIS PROGRAIS (139lbs)         vs.       DEVIN HANEY (140lbs)
Houston, Texas                                      San Francisco, California

By Mario Ortega Jr. –

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – Devin Haney, until recently the unified lightweight champion, aims to make a splash in his junior welterweight debut as he takes on one of the most avoided 140-pound title holders in Regis Prograis Saturday night at the Chase Center on pay-per-view. The twelve-round fight, which headlines a seven-bout card emanating from the home of the NBA’s Golden State Warriors, also marks a homecoming for the San Francisco-bred Haney, who has never before fought in the Bay Area. Fighters weighed-in on Friday at the venue and continued a week of contentious back-and-forth. 

In the lead-up to the fight, bad blood has spilled over as Devin’s father-coach Bill Haney and Prograis’ strength coach Evins Tobler have debated everything from who grew up on the harder streets to which of their main event fighters has real punching power.

In their final face-off on Friday, Haney and Prograis took the lead in the heated back-and-forth between the camps. No one came to blows, but the animosity seemed legitimate as the two shouted each other down in an expletive-laden exchange. 

Haney (30-0, 15 KOs) of Las Vegas, Nevada closed out his lightweight campaign and solidified his standing among the pound-for-pound elite in his last bout as he scored a hotly-contested unanimous decision over former three-division ruler Vasyl Lomachenko in May. Just over a week ago, Haney relinquished all four of his 135-pound belts to signify his focus on an already crowded junior welterweight division. Haney weighed-in at 140-pounds on Friday.

Prograis (29-1, 24 KOs) of Houston, Texas by way of New Orleans, Louisiana was last in the ring in June as he had a tougher-than-expected time moving past once-beaten late replacement Danielito Zorrilla in the first defense of his WBC title reign. In an admittedly poor performance, Prograis, who was making his hometown return, struggled to close the distance and cut-off the ring against Zorrilla en route to a split decision. Prograis came in at 139-pounds Friday.

In the chief supporting bout, WBO #11 ranked light welterweight Liam Paro takes on Montana Love in a ten-round bout. Paro (23-0, 14 KOs) of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia was the opponent that had to withdraw from the June title bout against Prograis in New Orleans when he injured his Achilles tendon a month before the scheduled clash. Six months later, Paro auditions for another title opportunity, while Love seeks a different type of redemption. Love (18-1-1, 9 KOs) of Cleveland, Ohio was an emerging contender at 140-pounds before he was dropped and frustrated to the point of forcing a blatant disqualification in his bout against unheralded Steve Spark last November. 

In a bout for the regional WBO Intercontinental lightweight title, Paro and Love both weighed-in at 140-pounds. 

Highly touted lightweight prospect Andy Cruz (1-0) of Miami, Florida by way of Matanzas, Matanzas, Cuba will meet Jovanni Straffon (26-5-1, 19 KOs) of Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico in a ten-round bout. Cruz will be defending the regional IBF International lightweight title he impressively claimed in his pro debut over respected veteran Juan Carlos Burgos in July. Straffon figures to be a sturdy test for Cruz’ second pro opponent, considering the Mexican native went the twelve-round distance with Maxi Hughes and ended the career of former title challenger James Tennyson by first-round knockout in 2021. 

In a bout also for the vacant WBA Continental Latin America title, Straffon came in at 134 even. Cruz, a 2020 Cuban Olympian gold medalist, scaled 134.4-pounds. 

Ebanie Bridges (9-1, 4 KOs) of New South Wales, Australia seeks to make the second defense of her IBF bantamweight title against late replacement Miyo Yoshida (16-4) of New York, New York by way of Kagoshima, Kagoshima, Japan in a ten-round bout. Bridges had been slated to meet IBF #11 ranked Avril Mathie until an injury late last month forced her fellow Aussie to withdraw. 

Bridges was last in the ring one year ago as scored an eighth-round stoppage of Shannon O’Connell in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. In the time since, Bridges nursed a surgically-repaired right hand and began training under Dave Coldwell.  Yoshida, the IBF #10 ranked bantamweight, fought just a month ago, coming up short to Shurretta Metcalf in her 118-pound debut. Bridges, who, as always, was not camera shy while hitting the scales, came in at 117.8-pounds.

Yoshida, a former WBO super flyweight champion, weighed-in at 117.6. 

Beatriz Ferreira (3-0, 1 KO) of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil will take on Destiny Jones (5-1, 2 KOs) of Austin, Texas in an eight-round super featherweight bout. Ferreira, a 2020 Brazilian Olympian and former international amateur standout, weighed-in at 130-pounds. Jones, stepping up to the eight-round distance for the first time, scaled 129.8-pounds.  

Shamar Canal (6-0, 4 KOs) of Albany, New York will take on veteran Jose Antonio Meza (8-8, 2 KOs) of Gomez Palacio, Durango, Mexico in a six-round featherweight fight. Canal, promoted by Devin Haney Promotions, was last in the ring in October, scoring a second-round knockout in Colima, Mexico. Meza last saw action in September, fighting to a double disqualification against Leonardo Padilla. Canal weighed-in at 132-pounds, while Meza made 131.8-pounds. 

Middleweight prospect Amari Jones (10-0, 9 KOs) of Las Vegas by way of Oakland, California will make a step-up against veteran Quilisto Madera (14-4, 9 KOs) of Stockton, California in an eight-round bout. Jones, promoted by Devin Haney Promotions, last fought in October, scoring a first-round stoppage in Colima, Mexico. Madera, a nine-year pro, is hoping to rebound from an eight-round decision loss to Kevin Newman II in August. Jones, who like Haney is making his Bay Area debut as a professional, weighed-in at 159.2-pounds.

Madera, who refused to attend the pre-fight press conference on Thursday, citing bad blood, scaled 160-pounds.

Quick Weigh-in Results:

WBC Light Welterweight Championship, 12 Rounds

Prograis 139

Haney 140 

WBO Intercontinental Light Welterweight Championship, 10 Rounds

Paro 140

Love 140 

IBF International Lightweight Championship

WBA Continental Latin America Lightweight Championship, 10 Rounds

Cruz 134.4

Straffon 134

IBF Bantamweight Championship, 10 Rounds

Bridges 117.8

Yoshida 117.6

Super featherweights, 8 Rounds

Ferreira 130

Jones 129.8

Super featherweights, 6 Rounds

Canal 132

Meza 131.8

Middleweights, 8 Rounds

Jones 159.2

Madera 160

Tickets for the event, promoted by Matchroom Boxing, Devin Haney Promotions and Rougarou Promotions, are available online at Ticketmaster.com 

Photos by Ed Mulholland/Matchroom Boxing 

Mario Ortega Jr. can be reached at ortegajr.mario@gmail.com 

Devin Haney and Regis Prograis came face-to-face for the first time in fight week – signaling the countdown is on to their blockbuster battle for the WBC World Super-Lightweight title at Chase Center in San Francisco on Saturday night, live on DAZN PPV in North America and on DAZN worldwide
 
Tickets have being flying as elite boxing ends a lengthy absence from the Bay Area, and there was no better spot than the famous Golden Gate Bridge to better signify the massive night ahead for both men.
 
Unbeaten Haney is looking to bridge the five-pound gap between the Lightweight division he left behind holding all the belts, and the 140lb division he seeks to rip the WBC belt from ruler Prograis and become a two-weight King in his first pro fight on home turf. 
 
Defending champion Prograis has no intention of surrendering the green and gold though, and the New Orleans man is in no mood to let Haney reach the other side where the unification battles that ‘Rougarou’ craves are waiting.
 
Haney and Prograis will face-off two more times ahead of Saturday’s action, and fans can watch both the press conference and the weigh-in live on Matchroom’s YouTube channel – but can get even closer to the action on Friday lunchtime, with free entry to the weigh-in at Chase Center on Friday, with information on how to get tickets to be released tomorrow morning (Wednesday).
 

Liam Paro told Matchroom’s Flash Knockdown podcast that he will show he belongs at the top level when he meets Montana Love at Chase Center in San Francisco on Saturday December 9, live on DAZN PPV in North America and on DAZN worldwide, where Regis Prograis defends his WBC World Super-Lightweight title against Devin Haney.
 
Paro (23-0 14 KOs) returns to the ring after over a year on the sidelines since his spectacular first round KO of Brock Jarvis in Brisbane in October 2022, and is itching to get back into action after injury ruled him out of two fights in the first half of the year, the last and most notable of those being a World title shot against Prograis in New Orleans in June.
 
Paro is back to full fitness and has been on fire in training camp in Las Vegas, where he found himself caught up in a Twitter storm around his sparring with pound-for-pound star Shakur Stevenson. The 27 year old adhered to the fighters code and did not go into specifics of the work, but said he took away real belief that those are the names he belongs with – and will prove it on December 9 against Love.
 
“It’s sparring at the end of the day,” said Paro. “We got good rounds in, but mark my words, I belong at the top level, I can mix it with them confidently. I appreciate the work with Shakur, it’s great work and a good camp to work with, but I belong there for sure. 
 
“I want the winner of Haney-Prograis. I think Devin beats him, I think the way to give him trouble is fast feet like Vasiliy Lomachenko, but in his last fight Regis’ looked stuck in the mud. He’s going to be fit and ready though as this is a massive fight, as big as it gets, but I think Devin edges this one out. Haney vs. Paro rolls off the tongue, but I am not looking past Montana, I know I need to get the job done there first.
 
“I know that when I get the job done, I’ll be headlining big shows like this one against big names, it just motivates me so much. It’s what you dream of as a young kid and now it’s starting to become a reality. It’s unbelievable. I’m here, but I want more. The harder the task, the more I perform, I always rise to the occasion. I love it. That’s what makes a champion, performing under pressure, I really thrive on that.”
 
Joining Paro on the latest episode of Flash Knockdown are O’Shaquie Foster, who reviews his epic fight with Rocky Hernandez and eyes a unification with Joe Cordina next, Josh Warrington, who reflects on his clash with Leigh Wood, and there’s another Mike Costello gem from the memory bank.
 

DEVIN HANEY: “I’m going to beat the s*** out of him. I’m thankful to be in this position and it’s a dream come true. This is a huge fight for boxing and it’s a big opportunity for me because I have always dreamed of becoming a two-weight division World champion. I’m happy that I can hold on to my titles but also happy that I can challenge Regis, who is the best at 140. But I will show that I’m on a different level and that I am the best. I’m excited for it, and I think the fight is going to fireworks. I’m far above him.”If you look at the receipts, I called you [Regis Prograis] out before the [Danielito Zorilla] fight. This was the fight I always wanted at 140 if I couldn’t get one of the massive fights at 135 and so Regis Prograis was the guy who was next in line. Whether he was to look good or not, it didn’t matter to me. It’s the first fight at Chase Center and the fight big fight here in the Bay Area for some time. I’m just happy to be that guy because I always said I was going to come back here and bring big time boxing back here.” REGIS PROGRAIS: “We can go back-and-forth but I don’t try to get underneath anyone’s skin. That’s not what I do. Maybe he doesn’t get the respect he deserves. He could have had it the easy way and I heard that they bought their losses away. I heard that from a bunch of people. But that s*** don’t matter for me. For me, I’m going to fight him, and I don’t care what you got. It’s about me and you now. I look at who he is now because that’s who I’m fighting. I don’t care about all his past s***. I care about fighting him now and that’s what I’m looking forward to. I believe I have the power to take anyone out.”I don’t want to say too much but I think he’s going to be surprised at my skill. I’ve been working my ass off. I’ve been in LA training and sparring and in Texas doing the same s*** for a long time. It’s not going to be no ’skill versus power’ it’s going to be ’skill versus skill and then I still have power too. I want to show people in this fight my skill. Thank you Zorilla if he’s watching this. If I would have blasted Zorilla out in two rounds, then I don’t think he [Haney] would have fought me. I really don’t. I had an off night. But it happened and we’re here now, so let’s go on December 9. I’m going to keep my belt. I’m not giving it up and I’m going to keep it, for sure. I feel like I’m going to stop him.” EDDIE HEARN: “I’m looking forward to this. It is one of the fights of the year coming to the Bay Area. We’ve sold nearly 9000 tickets at the Chase Center in the first week, which is just incredible. There hasn’t been big time boxing here for over a decade here in San Francisco and with Devin Haney coming home, the World champion Regis Prograis will be looking to spoil the party.”People may talk about a clash of styles and Haney’s skill and precision. But he likes to stand and fight as well – Regis Prograis is technically gifted as well as being a huge puncher. This is one of the top fights in boxing and both guys believe they are the favorite going into this fight. Devin Haney always promised me he would be back [with Matchroom] and he is a man of his word. We have him signed for one of the biggest fights in boxing and, moving forward, we have matching rights and options on him – but I don’t think we’ll need it. This is the start of a new relationship with him but it’s like he never left.”We also have Regis Prograis, who we represent, and our job was to deliver the biggest fights for him. We did that. We’ve brought Devin back to DAZN. He wants to win this fight and go on to fight Ryan Garcia and Teofimo Lopez. We can make all those fights happen on DAZN. But for Regis, he wants the same thing. So, this is really about the best facing the best. The undisputed World lightweight champion against the reigning WBC champion at 140 – it’s just a tremendous match-up and we’re looking forward to seven great weeks of build-up. I think both fighters love the big occasions and the big nights. These are big-time fighters, and they are the guys who perform at their very best when they perform under pressure, when everything matters.”This is a mega-fight. You know on December 9 you are going to get the best out of Devin and the best out of Regis Prograis. Regis feels like he has never quite got the respect for his performances and for his resume that he perhaps deserves – and this is a fight that catapults Regis Prograis into the big time and into the band of Gervonta Davis, Devin himself, Teofimo Lopez, Ryan Garcia and all those mega names in boxing. He’s the champion and he’s determined to do so.”There are some great fights on the undercard too. We have Liam Paro, one of our big Australian charges, up against Montana Love, which is a fantastic 140 match-up. Both fighters will have their eyes set on fighting the winner of Haney-Prograis and it is a real 50-50 fight. We’ve got Andy Cruz against Hector Tanajara in what is only Andy Cruz’s second professional fight for the Olympic champion facing a very tough and aggressive Tanajara. And the women’s IBF bantamweight World champion Ebanie Bridges putting her title on the line against Avril Mathie – and plenty more to look forward to on December 9.”

Liam Paro and Montana Love will clash for the WBO Global Jr. Welterweight title, Cuban star Andy Cruz returns against Hector Tanajara and Ebanie Bridges defends her IBF World Bantamweight title against fellow Australian Avril Mathie on the undercard of the blockbuster WBC 140lb title clash between Devin Haney and Regis Prograis at Chase Center in San Francisco on December 9, live on DAZN PPV in North America and on DAZN worldwide. TICKETS ARE ON SALE AT CHASECENTER.COM Paro (23-0 14 KOs) will be itching to get in the ring and put on a big performance after agonizingly missing out on a World title shot against headline star Prograis in June. Injury ruled the Australian out of the contest, but now the unbeaten 27 year old gets to stake his claim for World title action in 2024 against Love, and steps back into the ring for the first time in over a year having blasted away Brock Jarvis inside a round as the top of the bill act in Matchroom’s first ever Australian show in October 2022 in his Queensland hometown. “Love is just another guy trying to get in the way of where I want to be and I’m not going to settle for that,” said Paro. “Next year, I want that World title! But for now, December 9 is only thing on my mind.” For Love (18-1-1 9 KOs) it is back-to-back Australian foes as the Cleveland ace gets back into action following a controversial homecoming clash with Stevie Spark in November, where Love was DQ’d. The 28 year old will be eager to get back to winning ways in San Francisco and get back into the World title mix, making this 140lb clash must-win for both men. “When you pray for rain you, gotta deal with the mud,” said Love. “December 9, Love hurts.” Cruz (1-0) made his hotly anticipated pro debut in July in Detroit, comfortably outpointing Juan Carlos Burgos to pick up the IBF strap that he defends in December. The former Cuban amateur sensation, who struck Olympic gold at the 2020 games, can add the WBA Continental Latin-Americas title to his collection in his second pro outing, but faces a stiff test against San Antonio’s Tanajara (21-1-1 6 KOs).  “The wait is over!” said Cruz. “I’m more than ready to get back into the ring and make it rock. I came here to fight the best, so I ask them, who would be the brave ones to take on my challenge and join the action? Let’s talk about challenges!” “I’m excited to be fighting on DAZN on a great card,” said Tanajara. “I would like to thank Matchroom for the opportunity. We will be more than ready come Dec 9, to give the fans a great show and bring home the win to San Antonio.”There is more World title action on the card as Bridges (9-1 4 KOs) makes a long-awaited return to the ring against Mathie (8-1-1 3 KOs). Fight night will be one day shy of a year since Bridges successfully defended her title for the first time in her adopted UK home of Leeds, where she stopped another Australian, Shannon O’Connell, in the eighth. The 37 year old became IBF champion in in March 2022 in the same arena against Maria Cecelia Roman, and has expressed her desire to unify the titles – but will need to take another Aussie scalp in Mathie, who will be looking to bounce back from tasting defeat to Ramla Ali in New York in February. “If Avril thinks because it’s December and it’s the beginning of the holiday season, she’ll be going home with an early Christmas present she is sadly mistaken,” said Bridges. “After the fight and my hand is raised in victory it’s going to look like she’s celebrating Halloween. I intend to put on a show for the fans live in San Francisco, on DAZN and all over the world.” “I am beyond excited to be challenging for the IBF bantamweight title on December 9, and on such a big card in front of what looks like will be a sold-out arena in San Francisco,” said Mathie. “I am confident people will be seeing the best version of me to date. Everything leading up to this fight has prepared me both mentally and physically to leave San Francisco with that championship belt.  “I am expecting the best version of Ebanie that night as well, which I know is going to make this fight an absolute banger and be a huge win for women’s boxing overall. I want to thank Eddie Hearn, Matchroom, DAZN and my manager Peter Kahn for making this fight a reality. I would also like to thank Ebanie for giving me the opportunity to challenge for the World title.” Brazilian star Beatriz Ferreira (3-0 1 KO) fights for the second time in 2023 after a shut-out win against Karla Zamora in Sheffield, England in July and meets Texan Destiny Jones (5-1 2 KOs) over eight rounds, while Oakland native Amari Jones (9-0 8 KOs) moves into double figures in the paid ranks and does so over eight rounds at Middleweight against Californian Quilisto Madera (14-4 9 KOs).

Devin Haney and Regis Prograis will clash in a Super-Lightweight blockbuster at Chase Center in San Francisco, California on Saturday December 9, live on DAZN PPV in North America and on DAZN worldwide.

PRESALE TICKETS GO ON SALE THURSDAY, OCTOBER 5 AT NOON PT – FANS INTERESTED IN SIGNING UP FOR PRESALE CAN DO SO HERE.

TICKETS GO ON SALE TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC ON FRIDAY, OCTOBER 6 AT NOON PT AT CHASECENTER.COM.

Haney (30-0 15 KOs) returns to his Bay Area roots in his quest to become a two-weight World champion, moving up from 135lbs having become undisputed after beating George Kambosos Jr in Australia in June 2022, and then successfully defended his crown twice, once in a rematch Down Under in October and then against modern-day legend Vasiliy Lomachenko in Las Vegas in May, and now the San Francisco-born 24 year old can make more history in his first fight on his home turf.

Prograis (29-1 24 KOs) puts his WBC title on the line for the second time after successfully seeing off the Danielito Zorrilla on his New Orleans home patch in his first defense in April. ‘Rougarou’ became a two-time holder of the green and gold belt in November when he knocked out Jose Zepeda in the 11^th round in Carson, California – and the 34 year old returns to The Golden State to face the former undisputed Lightweight king.

“It’s been a long time coming,” said Haney. “It’s been a dream of mine to fight in my hometown. I’m excited for the opportunity to become two-division World champion in The City [The Bay] where it all started. The energy in the building is going to be electric. I haven’t fought at home since I was an amateur, so I’m looking for my city to show up and show out. 

“As a kid, I always envisioned fighting at The Oracle in Oakland. Now with Chase Center, I have two dream locations with a bridge between them. So, my first order of business is to blow the roof off Chase Center on December 9 with an amazing event. I picked a focused and hungry champion to invite to my hometown. Regis is going to be trying to knock me out and that’s exactly what I need him to be TRYING to do. This is what you do when you are the youngest promoter in boxing. I’m the real face of boxing. December 9. Legacy and Money.

“On paper this is a tough fight because it’s my first fight at a heavier weight division. I’m comfortable with the plan have. God willing, I’m going to be stronger and faster than ever. I’m going to dominate him, and the Welterweight division will be put on notice.

“It’s never personal, this is a business at the end of the day. We’re two gentlemen at the end of the day, but when we get in the ring, we don’t have respect for each other. I’m going to go in in there and do my job.”

“Finally, we’re ready to go on Saturday, December 9 and I can’t wait to put on a show,” said Prograis. “I’ve already started training camp and I’ll be more than ready to do what I do best.
 
“Devin has done well at 135lbs but I’m the best in the world at 140lbs and I will prove that once again!
 
“Since my last fight they mentioned Devin’s name and that’s the only person I’ve had on my mind. I will not only beat him, but I will beat him up. I will hurt this kid. It’s nothing he can do that’s going to stop me from dominating. It’s going to be a massacre. Again, I will hurt him.”
 
“It’s been quite a journey from East Oakland,” said Bill Haney, Devin’s father and trainer. “Everything us represents “The Bay.” Strong and independent. It’s surreal to finally get a chance to go home where The Dream started.

“We’re taking this fight seriously. Regis is a tough guy from New Orleans. He’s a two-time champion with KO power, so he speaks with confidence. I’m anticipating a sharp strong Devin Haney at 140 lbs. This is why this is an exciting matchup. 

“This fight shows the level of competition Devin is going after, and there’s no built-in excuse for either fighter. They both need to fight each other to get where they’re going. It’s a winner-take-all.”

“Regis will show that he is the best 140lb boxer in the world,” said Bobby Benton, Regis’ trainer. “He will get to show all of his skills and also his IQ against Haney.”“I am thrilled that we can finally get our teeth into talking about one of the best fights of 2023,” said promoter Eddie Hearn. “The build-up to this one is going to be like the fight itself – intense, fiery, and explosive. There is no love lost between them and bragging rights alone are a huge prize on offer, but with Regis wanting to prove he’s the man to beat at 140lbs and Devin aiming to become a two-weight World champion as a homecoming hero, the stakes simply couldn’t be higher on what promises to be an electric night of action in San Francisco.” 

The mouth-watering clash is another huge addition to DAZN’s stunning schedule to close 2023. London is the scene for World title action this weekend as Australian Cruiserweight king Jai Opetaia defends his IBF and Ring Magazine titles against Jordan Thompson, and the following weekend (October 7) an all-British blockbuster sees Nottingham’s Leigh Wood defend his WBA World Featherweight title against Leeds’ Josh Warrington in Sheffield.

Leading Super-Lightweight star Jack Catterall has hometown advantage on October 21, but former World ruler Jorge Linares has fond memories of Manchester and will be looking to rekindle them in what promises to be a war. A week later, the action switches to Cancun in Mexico as O’Shaquie Foster defends his WBC World Super-Featherweight title against big punching Mexican Rocky Hernandez.

The Super-Featherweight division remains the focus when Matchroom return to Monte Carlo on November 4, where Joe Cordina will defend his IBF World title against Texan Edward Vazquez. The next American show on Hearn’s packed slate sees future Super-Middleweight ruler Diego Pacheco continues his rise in a hometown show in Los Angeles against Marcelo Coceres.

After an incredible night in Dublin in May, Chantelle Cameron and Katie Taylor meet again in the Irish capital for the Undisputed Super-Lightweight crown, and the week after Haney and Prograis clash, there’s another fight that has boxing fans purring, as Jesse Rodriguez and Sunny Edwards head to Glendale, Arizona in a Flyweight unification battle.

“What a great night of boxing this will be”, said Jared Kass, SVP North America, “A proper fighter’s fight, which will see two of the divisions finest facing off in December in San Francisco. Watch Devin Haney vs Regis Prograis live and exclusive on DAZN PPV on December 9.”

Haney vs. Prograis is the first boxing event to be held at the world-class Chase Center in San Francisco. Opening its doors in 2019, Chase Center is an award-winning 18,064-seat sports and entertainment arena in San Francisco’s Mission Bay neighborhood that is home to the seven-time NBA champion Golden State Warriors and San Francisco’s top events and performances.