- Regis Prograis is the heavy betting favorite at -1200.
- Danielito Zorrilla is the overwhelming betting underdog at +700.
- This will be Prograis' first title defense.
The first WBC World Super Lightweight title defense of Regis Prograis (28-1) goes down this weekend inside the Smoothie King Center, as he faces challenger Danielito Zorilla (17-1) for his first homecoming fight in New Orleans since 2018. A heavy -1200 betting favorite in the boxing odds will add pressure on Prograis to produce a spectacular victory in front of his home turf.
Let's say it again… IT'S FIGHT WEEK!
Regis Prograis makes his @MatchroomBoxing debut defending his WBC title against Danielito Zorrilla.
June 17th live on https://t.co/FoiaUucafv#PrograisZorrilla pic.twitter.com/ZW8nqLAnYj
— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) June 12, 2023
On the other hand, Zorilla takes on the overwhelming underdog role at +700, as he tries to defy the odds and score a gigantic upset victory against Prograis. Apart from competing in enemy territory for this title bout, the Puerto Rican challenger is projected to have a slight chance of winning because he is a three-week opponent replacement after Progais’ original opponent, Liam Paro, begged off due to an injury.
Regis Prograis Recent Fight Results
Regis Prograis is the reigning WBC World Super Lightweight champion, who defeated Jose Zepeda to earn the vacant belt in November 2022 via an 11th-round knockout. Prior to winning the WBC title, he also held the WBA World Super Lightweight title by dethroning Kiryl Relikh in April 2019 through a sixth-round TKO finish.
However, he lost the WBA belt to Josh Taylor in their WBA-IBF Super Lightweight unification bout in October 2019 through a majority decision. Aside from winning the two major boxing titles, “Rougarou” also captured minor boxing titles such as the NABF Junior Super Lightweight title, NABF Super Lightweight title, Interim WBC Super Lightweight title, and WBC Diamond Super Lightweight title.
Calm before the storm 🌪️🥊
HOMECOMING June 17th ⚜️
Smoothie King Center #prograiszorrilla #neworleans pic.twitter.com/kzjY7M5elU— Rougarou (@RPrograis) June 13, 2023
Danielito Zorrilla Recent Fight Results
Danielito Zorrilla is a top boxing prospect from Toa Baja, Puerto Rico, with an impressive record of 17 wins, including 13 TKO/KOs and one loss in his professional career. After 14 straight victories since his 2016 debut, Zorilla earned his first shot for a title in March 2021 against Ruslan Madiyev for the vacant WBO NABO Super Lightweight title.
Their title match ended in an unfortunate technical decision after eight rounds, and “El Zorro” got the victory via the judges’ scorecards. Six months later, he instantly defended his title successfully after knocking out Pablo Cesar Cano in the second round in September 2021. The 29-year-old was pitted against Arnold Barboza Jr. in July 2022 for the vacant WBO NABO Super Lightweight title, but he came up short and received a unanimous decision defeat.
🗣️ "While this is a huge opportunity for Zorrilla, it's one that could not be any tougher"
— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) June 13, 2023
Regis Prograis vs. Danielito Zorrilla: Tale of the Tape
| Regis Prograis | Danielito Zorrilla | |
|---|---|---|
| Age | 34 | 29 |
| Height | 5'8" | 5'9" |
| Reach | 67 inches | 70 inches |
| Record | 28-1 | 17-1 |
| Stance | Southpaw | Orthodox |
| TKO/KO Percentage | 85% | 76% |
Regis Prograis vs. Danielito Zorrilla: Fight Analysis
On paper, the challenger Danielito Zorrilla holds a slight edge in height and reach, as he stands an inch taller (5-foot-8) and has three inches longer in reach (70 inches) over the defending champion Regis Prograis, who stands at 5-foot-7 and has 67 inches of reach. Both already have one loss on their record, but the defending champion is higher by 9% in TKO/KO rate.
The American is older by five years than the Puerto Rican, and that seems to be a double-edged sword because it may work to his advantage in terms of experience, but it can also be a disadvantage for him in terms of youth and athleticism. Prograis’ level of competition, though, is much better and stacked compared to Zorrilla, as he already faced some of the best fighters.
Prograis and Zorrilla carry incredible power in their hands that is evident in the high finishing rate in their record. The defending champion sports a southpaw stance which means that his lethal punch comes from his left hand, while Zorrilla uses the orthodox stance to set up his power punch from his right hand.
Prograis must continue his forward-moving pressure for his first title defense by throwing stiff jabs. This way, he can force Zorilla to backpedal on the ropes and gives him a higher chance to land his signature left straight punch and left hook, which was key in stopping 24 of his first 28 opponents previously.
Thanks to his fantastic footwork, he also has the speed and quickness advantage against the challenger. Speaking of footwork, he uses it not only to avoid punches from his opponents, but also as a starting point of attack. He starts in a very relaxed and tall stance, then suddenly blitzes forward with multiple jabs with a left straight behind it.
Meanwhile, Zorrilla is a more one-dimensional boxer who always looks for a big punch to finish off his opponents. He found success from this style due to his powerful right-hand punch, which stopped multiple fighters in the past. However, he finds little success whenever he fights much quicker boxers, like in his fight with Arnold Barboza Jr., where he sustained a decision loss.
A viable fight plan for the 29-year-old challenger is to play as a counter-puncher against the champion. Zorilla can exploit Prograis’ attack by timing a perfect right-hand counter punch. This way, he can earn the respect of Prograis, making him second guess his attack and score points on the judges’ scorecards.
Additionally, Zorilla should not only focus on head-hunting, but also look for a clean and solid punch on Prograis’ body to give himself more opportunities to win this title fight. A well-placed body punch on the liver or solar plexus can immediately shut down any boxer, and if Zorilla can pull it off, he can finally win his first world boxing title.
Regis Prograis vs. Danielito Zorrilla: Date and Start Time
June 17, 2023, 7:30 p.m. PT
June 17, 2023, 9:30 p.m. CT
June 17, 2023, 10:30 p.m. ET
Regis Prograis vs. Danielito Zorrilla: Fight Prediction
Official Prediction: TKO/KO victory for Regis Prograis.
See the entire Regis Prograis vs. Danielito Zorrilla odds and wagers here.
