SAYS REGIS PROGRAIS

REGIS PROGRAIS was inspired to take on the best after he vowed to prove himself to Floyd Mayweather Jnr.

The American WBA lightwelterweight champion faces IBF title holder Josh Taylor (below) on Saturday in the final of the World Boxing Super Series at the O2 in London.

Both men have ambitions of being the undisputed king of the division as they put their unbeaten records on the line.

It is a fight between two of the division’s finest and the kind of bout the American insists he has wanted to be involved in since Mayweather questioned his record when they met in a New Orleans nightclub in 2017.

Louisiana’s Prograis introduced himself to Mayweather (right) and told him he was a 19-0 fighter coming through the ranks, but the man who beat 24 world champions in his glittering career was not impressed.

Prograis, 30, said: “I hung with Floyd Mayweather in New Orleans for an NBA All-star weekend, at the time I was 19-0 with 16 KOS and he was just like, ‘Who did you fight?’.

“It was true, I hadn’t beaten any world champion. It’s all about your competition. I wasn’t hurt by it. It’s Floyd, he’s like that. He is one of the greatest fighters that ever did it. “I was like, ‘Alright, watch this then’. “It inspired me, it was motivation, it was inspiration to fight top competition. That’s why I entered the World Boxing Super Series. I couldn’t wait to fight Josh Taylor. I feel he is the best in the world at 140lb behind me, so that’s why I want to fight him. “You may not have a lot of champions fighting top competition, but that’s what I want to be. That’s how you become a superstar.

“Floyd was America’s last superstar, he beat the most world champions in history. That’s how you do it.

“You have to keep beating top-quality opponents.”

And that is also why he dismissed claims from Taylor that he tried to get out of the fight after a legal battle with WBSS organisers. Prograis’ lawyers began legal proceedings in the summer over delays in payments for the New Orleans native’s wins in the quarterfinal and last four of the competition. But the dispute was settled before the date was set for this weekend’s decider for the Muhammad Ali trophy. Prograis added: “If I was looking for a way out, then why I am here now?”