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The interim WBC super lightweight title will be on the line Friday night at the Deadwood Mountain Grand in South Dakota, as Regis Prograis (20-0, 17 KO’s) battles Julius Indongo (22-1, 11 KO’s)
In the United States, the main card is scheduled to start at 10 p.m. ET/PT and will be broadcast on Showtime (features Ivan Baranchyk vs Anthony Yigit and Prograis vs Indongo). If you don’t have cable or can’t get to a TV, you can watch Showtime live on your computer, phone or another streaming device by signing up for a free trial of one of the following cable-free, live-TV streaming services:
Amazon Prime: If you have Amazon Prime or want to start a free 30-day trial of Amazon Prime, you can watch a live stream of Showtime through Amazon Channels, which comes with a free 7-day trial. Once you’re signed up for both Amazon Prime and the Showtime channel, you can watch Showtime live on your computer via the Amazon website, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the Amazon Video app
Sling TV: Showtime is a $10 per month add-on that can be added to either of Sling TV’s base packages. You can sign up for a free 7-day trial, and you can then watch Showtime on your computer via the Sling TV website, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the Sling TV app
Preview
Following wins over Eduard Troyanovsky and Ricky Burns to capture the IBF, IBO and WBA super lightweight titles, Indongo’s bid at becoming the undisputed champion at 140 pounds came up short last August when Terence Crawford exposed “Blue Machine” with a third-round knockout.
Alas, with Crawford vacating his titles and making the move to welterweight, Indongo gets an opportunity to once again become a world title holder. But while Prograis certainly isn’t on the level of Crawford, who is considered as one of the elite pound-for-pound boxers in the world, the 29-year-old rising American is certainly dangerous.
An exciting, offensive fighter who seeks to dole out punishment, Prograis has won 17 of his 20 professional fights via knockout, most recently stopping the previously undefeated Joel Diaz Jr. in his biggest win to date.
“Right now we’re kind of leaving the [Floyd] Mayweather era,” Prograis said. “He was like real slick, defensive. But there’s only one Mayweather. Now everyone’s trying to do that. Now I’m trying to bring back just the savagery — just a go out there and try to kill my opponent. It sounds bad, but it is what it is. … At the end of the day, it’s entertainment, you’ve gotta entertain the fans.
“I want to bring it back to like the savages. Tyson, Duran, (Marvin) Hagler, Tommy Hearns, that’s basically my style.”
That style has worked so far, but Indongo will clearly be Prograis’ most difficult opponent to date. Still, “Rougarou” is the oddsmakers’ favorite, and a win on Friday night could help springboard him to star status.
Ultimately, this one stacks up as a really entertaining fight and must-watch battle.