Via Knitting Ambrosio: Regis Prograis and undefeated Arnold Barboza Jr spoke to each other on social media on Thursday about the need to replace Liam Paro for the June 17 Eddie Hearn promotion card at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans.
WBC Prograis light heavyweight champion (28-1, 24 KOs) needs the undefeated Top-ranked Barboza Jr (28-0, 10 KOs) to be his opponent in just three weeks.
Although Barboza admits that three weeks isn’t a lot of time to prepare, he told Prograis to let his promoter Hearn “send the correct number,” and then they can fight.
It will probably take a large amount to get a talented boxer like Barboza to agree to join the fight since he has many options. Barboza is ranked #2 WBO and #4 WBC. Either way, he’ll win the title soon, and he won’t need to be in the match in three weeks.
Regis program: “So I don’t know if you’ve heard the news about what’s going on. Liam Paro pulls out. He was injured, supposedly yesterday. The replacement is said to be Arnold Barboza,” said WBC lightweight champion Regis Prograis social media about him hoping to replace injured Liam Paro with Arnold Barboza Jr for his June 17 title defense on DAZN in New Orleans.
“We’ll see if he fights. I know long ago, he called me out. He said he wanted to fight. So now it is his shot. I know some people have said whether it is the right opportunity or not.
“Listen, if you believe you can win and you’re fighting for the WBC [140-lb] belts, there is no so-called wrong chance.
“Then let’s see if he fights. I’m calling you out right now, Arnold Barboza. You got a title shot, and you called me out. So let’s see if you will join the fray or will you hide behind the business side of things. I will be here,” said Prograis.
Arnold Barboza Jr: “I watched Regis’ little video. Like I said, I have respect for the guy. But get out of here with that, ‘Don’t hide behind the business side’, when you should have been signed to the Top Rated. That fight will be pretty much guaranteed to me when you sign the contract.
“Once you put pen to paper, that fight is done, plus all 140 other people with the highest Rated. But you decided to go a different route because of the business side of things, didn’t you, because it was better for you.
“So don’t come to me, dog, with the business side of things. Come on, buddy. Don’t do that. Suddenly, you don’t have a dance partner. You want me to give you three weeks’ notice. It’s good now. I want the fight. We will get it.
“Let’s talk to Eddie Hearn. Tell him to send the correct number, and let’s do it.”
Regis program: “God, what’s wrong with boxing. What’s wrong with you? If you have a title, and you’re going to fight for the WBC belt, and you’re going to turn it down. What’s wrong with you?
“People say they want to smoke, want to fight, want this, want that. But when the scene came, they held the thing out in front of them. They are scared. They are not trying to fight.
“Let’s go, buddy. If I had a header photo, I’d take it. As for WBC, I’m taking it. Man, you all are scary.
