Prograis says Lopez will “absolutely not” fight him

Regis Prograis (28-1, 24 KOs) is not going to concentrate on a fight that most likely won't occur anytime soon.

The former unified lightweight champion and current junior welterweight contender Teofimo Lopez (18-1, 13 KOs) was initially scheduled to face the WBC 140-pound champion from New Orleans, but Lopez recently ruled that out.

“Absolutely not,” Prograis responded when asked by iD Boxing if Lopez would fight him. “I don’t think he’s gonna take the fight with me. It’s not real, bro. Listen that’s what people do, in boxing these days. They say “Oh I’mm a fight” - When they know the fight is not going to happen, they’re going to say, “Oh, I’mma fight him, I’mma fight him next.”

Lopez is the highest-rated candidate to challenge Prograis for the title, according to the WBC rankings. The change occurred after Jose Ramirez turned down the chance to compete against Prograis, arguing an unjust purse split of 65-35 that favored Prograis.

Image Credit: DAZN