Prograis Calls It A Career After Bittersweet Final Bout Against Benn

Regis Prograis is hanging up his gloves. The two-time super-lightweight world champion announced his retirement Sunday at the age of 37, bringing the curtain down on a distinguished career that spanned more than a decade and produced a 30-4 professional record with 24 victories coming by way of knockout.

Prograis suffered a unanimous decision defeat to Conor Benn at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in a bout staged before approximately 70,000 spectators — a规模和氛围 that made for an unforgettable farewell, according to the American.

Going in, I knew I was going to retire. This is my last fight, Prograis told Ring Magazine. I knew this months ago. I was terrified going into this.

The decision to walk away had been brewing for some time, though Prograis kept his intentions private until after the final bell. He admitted that reports circulating before the fight regarding his physical condition were accurate, confessing he had contemplated withdrawing from the bout as recently as 24 hours before stepping into the ring.

The rumours about me being hurt were true, Prograis said. I wanted to pull out of this fight so bad a month ago but kept pushing. I was terrified and thinking about pulling out even yesterday.

Despite the difficulties heading into the contest, Prograis refused to characterise the outcome as anything other than a fitting conclusion to his time in the sport.

It was a great fight to be my last against someone like Conor Benn, someone that was strong, in an arena like this with 70,000 in a stadium. I could not ask for a better going away party, perfect end to my story.

Across his career, Prograis held championship gold at both 140 pounds. He captured the WBA super-lightweight title in 2019 and added the WBC crown to his collection from 2022 through 2023. His victories included several against high-profile opponents, establishing him as one of the premier fighters in his division during his peak years.

The bout with Benn represented a meeting of two respected names in British boxing, with the crowd at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium treating it as a major occasion. For Prograis, the spectacle and the opponent combined to produce exactly the kind of final chapter he had hoped for.

His record of 30 wins with 24 knockouts speaks for itself, and the manner in which he chose to depart — in front of a massive crowd against a top-level opponent — underlined the competitive fire that drove him throughout his career. Prograis exits the sport on his own terms, leaving behind a legacy as a skilled and durable champion.