- What: Regis Prograis vs Danielito Zorrilla - WBC Super Lightweight Title Fight
- When: Saturday, June 17th
- Where: New Orleans, Louisiana
Saturday evening brings a very intriguing bout at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans as American Regis Prograis steps into the ring with Puerto Rico's Danielito Zorrilla. The WBC super lightweight title is on the line here, with Prograis currently the champ and Zorrilla the challenger. The winner here could potentially face Teofimo Lopez next, who just secured an impressive victory over Josh Taylor last week in the Big Apple. This fight is actually a homecoming for Prograis, who hails from the Big Easy. Needless to say, the crowd will surely be on his side. Keep reading for our Regis Prograis vs Danielito Zorrilla picks.
Before we get into the odds and predictions for this fight, check out the best boxing betting sites and where you can find our sportsbook reviews.
Prograis vs Zorrilla Odds
The odds are heavily favoring Prograis here. He's sitting at -2000 at BetOnline for an implied win probability of 95.24%. In other words, the sportsbooks expect him to definitely win. Zorrilla comes back at +1000 and has a mere 9% chance of coming out victorious Saturday. Quite the contrast in odds.
Prograis Has Chance at Glory
Prograis might be 34 now, but he's one hell of a boxer. "Rougarou" is 28-1 in his career with a mind-boggling 24 knockouts. Yes, you read that correctly. His only career defeat came against Taylor and that was over in the UK in 2019. Since then, however, Prograis has been dominant, knocking out all four opponents. Three of those fights ended by the sixth round, too.
Last time out, Prograis took home the WBC light welterweight title after putting Jose Zepeda on the canvas in the 11th round. That bout took place in November of last year in Southern California. As you can see by his record, Prograis is a lethal puncher who can end a fight in a matter of seconds. In fact, he has a knockout percentage of 82.8.
Time is running out for Prograis to become a world champion. A win is absolutely crucial for him here in order to challenge Lopez next. But, he cannot take Zorrilla for granted, who is talented in his own right. Nevertheless, home soil should play a factor here. It's his first bout in New Orleans since 2018 when he beat Terry Flanagan.
Can Zorrilla Hold His Own?
Liam Paro was actually supposed to be Prograis' opponent Saturday but after suffering an Achilles injury in May, Zorrilla was named his replacement. The Puerto Rican isn't the most well-known in the boxing world yet but he does own a record of 17-1 with 13 KOs after turning pro in 2015. He has won the WBO, NABO and WBO inter-continental super lightweight titles, though.
There is no question Zorrilla knows what's at stake this weekend. Beating a fighter of Prograis' stature would instantly put him on the map. Zorrilla also has a three-inch reach advantage over his opponent, for what it's worth.
Zorrilla's first career loss came last summer when Arnold Barboza Jr beat him via unanimous decision. The 29-year-old bounced back though, making quick work of Aristides Quintero in February, knocking him out in the first round.
While Zorrilla did lose to Barboza Jr he absolutely made him work for it, landing numerous big shots. He's the type of boxer who is truly relentless and will push his opponents from start to finish. His record reflects just that.
The Puerto Rico native undoubtedly has a tall task ahead, however. He's much more inexperienced than Prograis and will be stepping into a hostile environment where essentially everyone is supporting the home fighter. Nevertheless, this is a massive opportunity ahead. It will be very interesting to see if he can make the most of it.
Regis Prograis vs Danielito Zorrilla picks
I do think this is a good opponent for Prograis. Zorrilla brings a different skill set to the table than Paro and will certainly push him. That being said, I simply don't see the Puerto Rican winning this bout. It's one of his most difficult opponents yet and I just think he may be overmatched. With the moneyline offering basically no value, a more specific bet is best here. What I'm looking at is Prograis to win either by knockout or decision. The latter offers more value, but they're both worth a shot.
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