Now that he has an opponent, WBC super lightweight champion Regis Prograis will defend his strap for the first time as a massive favorite in the main event on Saturday, June 17 in New Orleans. Liam Paro was originally scheduled to enter the ring at Smoothie King Center, however an ankle injury sustained early last month forced him to withdraw. Several other fighters were considered before promoters finally landed on Danielito Zorrilla, who has just one loss in 18 career professional fights. That glossy record didn’t prevent oddsmakers from making the two-time champ a heavy favorite at -1600.
Prograis is coming off an 11th round KO of Jose Zepeda last November to claim the vacant belt. Should Prograis do what he’s heavily favored to a bigger payday awaits. His next fight could be against Josh Taylor, who handed Prograis his only setback in 2019 with a majority decision. With such lengthy odds there isn’t much value backing the favorite. Throwing a few coins on the challenger, though, will pay off handsomely if there’s an upset. Alternate markets are also available.
When:Saturday, June 17, 2023
Where:Smoothie King Center, New Orleans, LA
Why:WBC Super Lightweight Title Fight
Regis Prograis vs. Danielito Zorrilla Betting Odds
The 12-round bout for the WBC super lightweight belt between Regis Prograis ( 28-1, 24 knockouts ) and Danielito Zorrilla ( 17-1, 13 knockouts ) will be held at Smoothie King Arena in New Orleans, LA on Saturday, June 17, 2023. The fighters are expected to ringwalk at around 11 p.m. ET. All the action begins will be streamed on DAZN.
Regis Prograis vs. Danielito Zorrilla Preview
It’s not the matchup we anticipated when the fight was first announced. In his first title defense Prograis was originally slated to duel with undefeated Liam Paro, however an injury forced Paro off the ticket opening the door for Zorrilla. In a twist of irony it was Prograis who was the substitute fighter taking on Jose Zepeda last November. Taking advantage of the opportunity when Jose Ramirez withdrew, Prograis was impressive against arguably his toughest opponent to date. Landing 90 more punches and more than double the amount of power punches, Prograis won the belt with a KO in the first minute of the 11th round.
“Rougarou” is a powerful puncher with 24 of his 28 wins coming via KO. Since his first career loss in 2019 to Josh Taylor by majority decision where he lost his WBA title, Prograis has reeled off four consecutive wins all by stoppage. And while a new opponent could have an impact on some boxers, Prograis isn’t one of them. “Nothing changes for me. I am still working hard to go out there and prove that I am the best fighter in the world at 140 pounds,” he said recently.
His words say otherwise but there’s always the chance of a letdown. And being a native of New Orleans, Prograis has the added burden of competing in front of family and friends while also helping to promote the event and other local boxers. Any time spent away from training, especially for a title fight, has to be alarming.
Add in those factors and with Zorrilla being a massive underdog, could we see a major upset on Saturday? There’s always a chance which is why the events are played. But in reality Zorrilla will have to get real lucky or his opponent will have to screw up royally. Zorrilla has a glossy 17-1 record with 13 of those by knockout. He’s no pushover but the collection of opponents leaves a lot to be desired. Also a strong puncher, Zorrilla has shown he can take blows as well. And he certainly isn’t lacking confidence. “We’ve waited for this opportunity for a long time in my career and it has finally arrived. I am ready to be a world champion.”
Bet Regis Prograis vs. Danielito Zorrilla
This is Prograis’s fight to lose and all the activity surrounding the bout could be a distraction. However, the carrot on the end of the stick is big enough and Prograis will emerge victorious. Like I said there isn’t much value betting the champ on the moneyline, but backing Prograis to win by KO/TKO shortens the odds tremendously.
Boxing Odds Pick: Regis Prograis / KO
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