Regis Prograis thinks Teofimo Lopez might mentally break down against Josh Taylor

Regis Prograis wants Josh Taylor to beat Teofimo Lopez because Prograis hopes he and Taylor eventually will fight again before Taylor moves up to the welterweight division.

The WBC super lightweight champion considers Lopez’s style one that could trouble Taylor, yet Prograis thinks Taylor will simply be too big and too strong for Lopez in their 12-round fight for Taylor’s WBO junior welterweight title. Scotland’s Taylor (19-0, 13 KOs) and Brooklyn’s Lopez (18-1, 13 KOs) will square off in an intriguing main event ESPN will air June 10 from The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York.

“I think Josh Taylor will win,” Prograis told BoxingScene.com. “Physically, he’s just bigger. I think he is stronger. I think Teo does have the style to beat him because he is explosive. He knows how to move and stuff, and Josh Taylor is more stationary. He likes to brawl and bang. But at the same time, I feel like the mental pressure might break Teo down.”

Prograis (28-1, 24 KOs) feels the unbeaten Taylor should’ve lost his last fight against Jack Catterall, but the New Orleans native hasn’t been particularly impressed with Lopez since the former unified lightweight champion entered the 140-pound division, either.

“I think a lotta people that’s picking Teo, when they see them kinda stand next to each other, when they do a face-off, you’ll see how much bigger Josh Taylor is physically. And I think that’s gonna play a part in it, too, even with Teo’s mindset.”