FRISCO, Texas -- Former junior welterweight world titleholders Regis Prograis and Maurice Hooker, both seeking a quick trip back to the top after losing their belts in unification fights last year, will face each other in a nontitle showdown between two of the best in their division.
There are no belts up for grabs but still plenty at stake when they meet in a 12-round fight on April 17 (DAZN) at the MGM National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Maryland. The bout is contracted at 143 pounds, three over the junior welterweight limit.
After the past few weeks negotiating the bout, Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn, who co-promotes Hooker, made deals with Dino Duva of Roc Nation Sports, Hooker's co-promoter, and Prograis promoter Lou DiBella and announced the fight at a news conference Thursday in Frisco, where Hearn is promoting Saturday night's card headlined by the welterweight bout between Mikey Garcia and Jessie Vargas.
"This fight was so obvious to make but I thought no chance," Hearn said. "I said Regis ain't going to fight Mo coming off a defeat and Mo's got another easy fight in his contract and he'll probably just take that. And they both took it.
"Belts matter because they create legacy and fighters want belts, and when you market a fighter it's a lot easier to market him as a world champion. But you get to a stage in your career where they've won a world title, tried to unify, been on the biggest stage possible and they become less relevant. They want to be world champion again but they want the action, they want the buzz, the challenge, the profile."
Prograis (24-1, 20 KOs), 31, a New Orleans native fighting out of Houston, is coming off a majority decision loss to Josh Taylor in a contender for fight of the year in October in London, in the final of the eight-man World Boxing Super Series tournament. After losing his belt in the unification to Taylor, Prograis did not want a soft comeback fight.
"I want the hardest fights possible, the biggest fights possible," Prograis said. "(Hooker is) a former world champion, I'm a former world champion. This is a make-or-break type of fight. I felt like I was the best in the world at 140 and I still feel like that, and this is the kind of fight that can prove it. I don't want no tune-up fights. I don't want no easy fights. I win this fight I will be right back at the top, so that's what I want."
DiBella pushed to make the fight with Hooker as soon as it came up.
"Regis Prograis came out of the World Boxing Super Series one of the most popular and respected fighters in boxing," DiBella said. "This fight against Maurice Hooker is not only one of the most anticipated in boxing but also one of the very best that can be made this year. Regis is committed to becoming a two-time world champion, and a victory on April 17 will put him on a path to proving once again that he's one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the sport."
Hooker (27-1-3, 18 KOs), 30, of Dallas, lost his belt by sixth-round knockout in an action-packed fight with Jose Ramirez in July in Arlington, Texas. Hooker made a low-profile return on Dec. 20 and registered a first-round knockout of Uriel Perez in Phoenix on the Daniel Jacobs-Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. undercard. It was his first fight with trainer Brian McIntyre, who is best known for training welterweight world titlist and pound-for-pound star Terence Crawford. Now Hooker is stepping into a far more serious bout.
"(Prograis is) one of the best at 140, even though he don't have a title, but I am the best 140 and I want to show that to the world," Hooker said. "Jose Ramirez, he got me with a good shot. This fight right here, you'll see a different Maurice Hooker with my new team. I'm coming and I know he's coming. I will come out on top. We will meet each other in the middle of the ring and do what we need to do. People want to see two top guys fight each other."
Duva also pushed hard to make the deal with Hearn.
"'Mighty Mo' Hooker versus Regis Prograis is what big-time boxing is all about -- two former world champions at the top of their game, looking to make a statement and show the boxing world that they're back with a vengeance," Duva said. "'Mighty Mo' has given me a directive to get him the biggest and best fights and wants to remind everyone that he is one of the best and most exciting fighters in the world."
The winner will be positioned for an even bigger fight. Hearn said the winner could be a potential opponent for the Garcia-Vargas winner or perhaps eventually unbeaten former lightweight titlist Devin Haney, who plans to soon move up in weight. There is also the chance that the winner and loser could move up to the talent-rich 147-pound welterweight division.
"The winner of this fight is going to want the biggest fight that can possibly be made," Hearn said. "There's no title to defend. It's not like you win a title and you can have an easy defense. The winner of this fight is going to go, 'OK, what's next? Just give me the biggest fight.'
"This is the kind [of fight] where you start to realize belts aren't always so important. Everybody wants to be world champion, but actually it's really not that important to carry a belt. There's more hype for this fight than there is for (Jose) Ramirez against (Viktor) Postol and (Josh) Taylor against (Apinun Khongsong). They're mandatory defenses, but it just shows you because everyone says this is the (best) fight of the division."
The rest of the card has not been finalized but Hearn said two other world title fights are likely to be on the show, including Luke Campbell (20-3, 16 KOs), 32, of England, against former junior lightweight titlist Javier Fortuna (35-2-1, 24 KOs), 30, of the Dominican Republic, who are due to meet for a vacant lightweight world title. The all-southpaw fight is for the 135-pound belt stripped from Haney because he is sidelined with a shoulder injury and was reclassified as a titlist "in recess." He has the right to challenge the Campbell-Fortuna winner upon his return.
Hearn also said that long-reigning undisputed women's welterweight world champion Cecilia Braekhus (36-0, 9 KOs), 38, of Norway, will defend her belts, possibly against Jessica McCaskill (8-2, 3 KOs), 35, of Chicago, a junior welterweight world titlist who would move up in weight.
Hearn said blue-chip heavyweight prospect Filip Hrgovic (10-0, 8 KOs), 27, a 2016 Olympic bronze medalist from Croatia, will also box on the card.