The other day there was unpleasant news that the fight for the title WBC in super lightweight between the current and former champions of the organization Americans Regis Prograis (28-1, 24 KOs) and Jose Ramirez (27-1, 17 KOs) will not take place. The reason is the applicant’s dissatisfaction with the proposed conditions (35% of the prize fund).
The fighters met live,
exchanged arguments.
Ramirez: I never made less than 1 million per fight USD since 2018. I fought the best of the best. I met in the battle for the title of absolute world champion with the winner superseries Josh Taylor. If in WBSS It wasn’t Taylor who won, it was Prograis, then I would have fought him.
I suggested that the prize pool be split 45/45, with the remaining 10% going to the winner. That’s all. It’s so simple!
I think Prograis is a great fighter. But his promoter doesn’t have a contract with any TV network. Another problem is that our promoters (Top Rank and Probellum) do not cooperate.
We are in the same conditions. Our job is to feed our families. We won’t fight for handouts. One more thing. While I was fighting Taylor, he was having a pointless mismatch with Ivan Redkach.
A blow below the armpit. How Redkach put everyone on their ears
Prograis: Did I refuse to fight on your terms? But why didn’t you accept the official offer from WBC? It’s their belt, their rules, their conditions. They announced the terms. If I were you, I would accept them. I tried to fight you back in 2018. And you jumped.
Ramirez: In 2018, I didn’t know anything about you. I suspect you are talking about me too. At that time, I didn’t understand anything about boxing politics at all. I accepted the fight for the vacant title with Amir Imam, for which I received only 125 thousand USD. Such issues are resolved at the auction. Why didn’t you insist on an auction?
Prograis: Dude, you know that I wanted to fight you. Your promoter even put on a show for me in New Orleans. But you know what? I already knew then that you would not go against me …
Ramirez: Regis, I haven’t even heard of you…
Prograis: In the ranking WBC you were number 1 and I was number 2. The Imam was 3rd, and Viktor Postol was No. 4. You were supposed to play a full-fledged title, and we were supposed to play a temporary one. And then we had to meet in full-time duel. I was your mandatory challenger, but the fight never happened.
Ramirez: If you were the mandatory bidder, you should have insisted on bidding. Why didn’t you do it?
Prograis: Even now I don’t really understand what you’re talking about. My job is to get in the ring and fight. I don’t understand politics. I just said I want to fight you. And your promoter knows it. Why else would they put on a show for me in my hometown?
Ramirez: I’m telling you, the problem is that your promoter doesn’t have a contract with the TV channel. They could just send me an offer. Why didn’t they do it?
Prograis: I don’t do business. Bro, I don’t know shit about this at all. Maybe you’re more into it. I do not argue. I am just a fighter.
Ramirez: When did you decide to participate in superseriesI was in the same position as you. He was ready to fight with those who were placed opposite. One more thing. Personally, I did not receive an invitation to play in the tournament.
Prograis: Come on. You could take part. Any dude with a belt could take part. At that time, two belts were in the tournament, and two were outside WBSS.
Ramirez: Yes, Maurice Hooker with a belt WBO. And we had television networks behind our backs. I have ESPNwhile Hooker has streaming DAZN. And you guys didn’t have anything…
Prograis: You could easily compete in the tournament …
Ramirez: I’m talking to you. Personally, no one offered me to take part in it.
Prograis: That’s the point. You have decided that you have a TV network behind your back, that you do not need a tournament. And they refused to participate.
Prograis – Cepeda. There will be no report or Greetings from Raccoon
Ramirez: At that time, I was still a green kid who was just learning how to do things in boxing. I promised the fans to meet the winner of the tournament. I did it? Done! What then to me can be claims?
Prograis: I think so. We can now say a lot of things to each other. And even promise the fans a fight. But it’s still not for us to decide. Since the decision will be made in the offices in the negotiations between our managers. We don’t decide shit. Even if you agreed to the proposed conditions. And all this dialogue of ours will never help in the organization of the battle either.
Ramirez: Do you know what personally pi ** ets infuriates me? It was as if I was thrown under a bus (with an offer to fight for 35%).
Prograis: It’s boxing, man. Here everyone is thrown under the bus. Even in this situation, your fans believe that it was me who turned on the back shift, and mine – that you did it. Here you need to be thick-skinned. I hope you’re thick-skinned, bro.
Everything is simple for me. I wanted to fight with you. But I see that nothing will work. Reasons?.. You know, I do what I’m told in WBC. Whoever they tell me to fight with, I will fight with. I just hoped it would be you. After all, that’s what I was promised.
As far as I understand, now the next in line is Teofimo Lopez.
Ramirez: We both could be your next opponent. The difference is that I won’t risk beyond 30%.
Prograis: Well, what do you want from me? I don’t solve business matters. I was told that you will be the opponent. What are my claims?
Ramirez: My agreement with the promoter is about to expire. And after that, we can listen to all the offers and accept the fight on the platform that will offer the coolest conditions. I don’t refuse to fight you. I’m not afraid of you and I’m not avoiding you.
Prograis: Fuck with him! If you need to marinate this case, then we will marinate. Mentally, I prepared to fight you. I was told so. And I’ve been wanting to fight you for a long time already. I hope someday this will happen.
Ramirez: I promise bro!
Prograis: OK. Then, when the time comes, then we will meet.
Ramirez: You understand. It makes no sense for me to accept the coolest fight in my career if my fee is so heavily cut.
Prograis: Jose, people are saying that you won’t fight me because you already gave the go-ahead to fight Richard Commey. So you already had a fight planned. Even before in WBC decided how to share the prize fund. Or is it not? Are you going to say that there is no fight with Commi?
Ramirez: I’m telling you that I have a little left under the contract with Top Rank. Commie is what they offered me. If your promoter made a specific offer, then there would be plenty to choose from. But Probellum there is no TV channel behind the back, so there is no offer.
You know that I have never avoided anyone. What makes you think that I’m afraid of you? I had a goal to become an absolute. I almost got it. Never afraid of anyone.
And now the situation is not in my favor, as our promoters do not get along. At me on contract left yet two combat. Hope, they will offer to me Lopez. And I do not hide the fact that I want to fight him.
AND what will later? Not I know. I AM want climb in welterweights. And if I get an offer from a promoter who has all the top fighters from this division (RVS?), I’ll accept it.
I have already sat in this weight. Spent his entire career there. It’s time to take the next step. But also in Top Rank I have good options. This in volume including and Arnold Barbosa. I AM would got into a fight with him summer. Or with Lopez. Tem more, what on horse will solid money. I’m telling you, I’m not afraid of anyone.
Meanwhile the boss Top Rank said that Teofimo Lopez can beat Prograis, he adjusts to that weight. At the beginning of the month, the ex-absolute in light weight struggled over the Spaniard Sandor Martin – here is a report about this event.