In the words of legendary college football coach Lee Corso, not so fast, my friends. Those hoping to see former unified super lightweight champion Regis Prograis return to the ring will have to wait a little bit longer. The New Orleans, Louisiana native reportedly suffered a shoulder injury while training for his upcoming bout with Oscar Duarte. As a result, he will not make his way to the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, on Saturday, February 15, 2025. Instead, Miguel Madueno has reportedly emerged as the leading candidate to take the former champion’s place in the Golden State during the holiday weekend.
Miguel Madueno is a name that may be familiar to a few boxing fans. Boasting a record of 31-3 with 28 knockouts, the 26-year-old contender from Mexico has shared the ring with current title challenger Keyshawn Davis and former title challenger Steve Claggett. However, he has lost two of his last three, including the aforementioned bouts with Claggett and Davis.
As for Prograis, it’s unclear when or if he’ll return. After suffering the first loss of his career in 2019, he reeled off five consecutive wins before racking up two straight losses to Devin Haney and Jack Catterall. Following his most recent loss to Catterall, the former super lightweight champion hinted at retirement.
“[He’s] really good. I’ve fought the best, and [he was] the best out of all of them. I’ve had my time in the sun. Now it’s time for the young ones, [to] let the young guys take over,” Prograis said.
However, Prograis quieted chatter about his potential retirement when he agreed to a bout with Duarte. Ryan Garcia knocked out Duarte in 2023, but the Mexican fighter has picked up wins against Joseph Diaz and Botirzhon Akhmedov since then. Now, he looks to continue his journey to a title shot with a win against a replacement opponent on Saturday, February 15.
