Regis Prograis’ retirement came as a shock to most, but rumors of his injuries before the fight should have made it more obvious. Those rumors even suggested he might pull out. Turns out those were true. Prograis hung up his gloves after a loss to Conor Benn on the undercard of Tyson Fury vs. Arslanbek Makhmudov, broadcast live on Netflix.
After the decision defeat, in which he took significant punishment, Prograis took to social media from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium locker room on Saturday to announce his decision. Now, Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix has shared further statements from Prograis on X, seemingly confirming earlier rumors about the injuries he carried into the bout.
“The rumors about me being hurt [were] true,” Mannix quoted Prograis. “I was terrified. I didn’t know if I was going to hold up.”
The former two-time super lightweight champion also revealed he was dealing with four injuries: his right hand, eye, rib, and jaw. He had even considered pulling out of the fight as late as Friday. In hindsight, these revelations add context to his emotional retirement announcement and explain why stepping away had become necessary.
Prograis: “The rumors about me being hurt (were) true. I was terrified. I didn’t know if I was going to hold up.” Said he had four injuries: Right hand, eye, rib and jaw. Said as recently as Friday he considered pulling out of the fight. https://t.co/UP7T6St7Ek
— Chris Mannix (@SIChrisMannix) April 12, 2026
“I’m officially done with boxing,” Prograis said, addressing team members and others in a video. “It’s time to just figure out the next phase of my life. Do something else, you know? I mean, I’ve been boxing for 20 years now. So I feel like I’m done with it. I do want to do something else.
“I saw my face. I don’t want to look like this [anymore]. I don’t want to feel like this [anymore],” Prograis said. “I’m glad I’m getting out of this at the right time. You know, I don’t want [any] issues. I definitely don’t want [any] long-term issues and stuff like that.
“I was going through so much stuff, bro. I wanted to pull out so bad. I told my mom, I told y’all. Everybody said, ‘If you pull out, bro, you’re going to regret this for the rest of your life.’ And I’m not gonna lie, I’m so glad that I went through this, bro. I went through this stage in my career. I had a great career. You can’t ask for better than that.
“I fought in front of 70,000 people [and] on Netflix. It’s no better ending for this. I was terrified of fighting, you know? Because, of course, everybody knew I was injured. I had all kinds of stuff going on in camp. Mentally wasn’t there, and I did not want to fight. I was terrified of fighting.
“I’m glad my son came, and I told him, ‘When you’re scared of something, go through it.’”
That said, Regis Prograis wraps up a solid professional career that spanned 14 years.
Regis Prograis: Forced to relocate, won titles, wrote a book, and retired
In the glitz and glamour of modern boxing, some names fail to get the spotlight they deserve. Regis Prograis, perhaps, is one of them. In 2005, the 37-year-old was forced to relocate from New Orleans, Louisiana, to Houston, Texas, after Hurricane Katrina swept through his hometown. Seven years later, he turned pro.
It took him a few years, but he made the transition from a prospect to a contender in 2018. He had already picked up wins over Joel Diaz Jnr, former titleholder Julius Indongo, and Juan Jose Velasco. With a growing resume, Prograis found himself in the World Boxing Super Series junior welterweight tournament.
He went on to secure wins over Terry Flanagan and Kiryl Relikh to pick up the WBA world title. Although nothing lasts forever, he met Josh Taylor in the tournament finale in October 2019 and lost the fight in a competitive fight with a majority decision. He wasn’t done, however, as he proceeded to secure a five-fight win streak and earned the WBC 140-pound title.
He defended it against Danielito Zorrilla in June 2023, and then met Devin Haney in December. This fight was the turning point in Prograis’ career. It was his second loss, and his last title fight ever. He tried to bounce back in October 2024, but lost to Jack Catterall. He did manage to get back to his winning ways in August last year by beating Joseph Diaz Jr.
However, with his latest loss, it appears Regis Prograis’ story inside the ring has come to an end. He has even published a book about his career and is ready to start writing the next chapter of his life.
