Regis Prograis’ Battle Against Hurricane Katrina That Claimed 1836 Lives: All You Need to Know About How the Boxing Superstar and His Family Survived the Catastrophic Disaster

34-year-old Regis Prograis faces probably the biggest test of his decade-old career tomorrow. Technically, it might be another title defense for the New Orleans-born southpaw. However, his opponent is definitely not another run-of-the-mill challenger. Devin Haney is not only nine years junior, but as a former undisputed champion, he presents a full package that could derail Prograis’ championship run.

In the oddsmakers sheet, Devin Haney might appear as the heavy favorite to win the Chase Center fight. However, Regis Prograis remains upbeat. Right from the beginning, he has been clear in what he plans to do against ‘The Dream.’ For a champion who started his professional journey in 2012, resilience in the face of heavy odds is not something new. After all, he has been through one of the most calamitous situations in recent history. One that sought not just his own but also the grit and resolve of his loved ones.

Regis Prograis: An ordeal through heartache

Though born in New Orleans, ‘Rougarou’ lives in Houston, Texas. The shift was not on account of a gradual, deliberate decision. Shockingly, it occurred amid terrible circumstances. It was on August 25, 2005, that Hurricane Katrina, originating from the Caribbean Sea, made landfall in Florida. Its intensity grew as it started moving westward, towards the Gulf of Mexico, eventually becoming a Category 5 Atlantic hurricane. Then, wheeling around northward, the hurricane made its next landfall in Plaquemines Parish, part of the New Orleans-Metairie metropolitan area.

On August 28, the New Orleans Mayor issued an ordinance for the city’s first-ever ‘mandatory evacuation.’ Regis Prograis was 16 years old when Hurricane Katrina arrived. The life that he knew thus far wouldn’t be the same anymore. Katrina devastated his family’s house and all of their belongings. Reportedly, eight feet of water inundated his family residence. Approximately thirteen feet of water covered his grandmother’s place.

Floodwaters washed away the house on Kuebel Drive in the Lower Ninth Ward. It left a level plot of land that has never been developed. With the hope of finding refuge in Houston, the Prograis family left nearly everything behind. They joined hundreds of others who had made the journey. However, though it was thankfully brief, the boxer went through the traumatic experience of a brief separation from his mother. He had left earlier with his grandparents.

So recalling the incident during an interview, he said, “For a long time, I don’t even know how long maybe like maybe like a month, I didn’t know if my mom was dead or alive, my daddy, I didn’t know where he was at, nobody knew where no one was at, like my friends and stuff like that, here we didn’t know like we was gone, like whoever you left with, that’s who you was with…”

It took over a month before the family finally got together. The calamity left such an indelible impact on him that he decided to ink the date, August 29, 2005, on his chest. His psyche is permanently marked by the recollections of his arrival in the ‘Space City.’ Rebuilding his life in the new place, Prograis gained a fresh perspective on life. Speaking to SunSport, he said, “Hurricane Katrina was probably the best thing that ever happened to me because it took away all my materialistic instincts at an early age. I learned in a split second that you can accumulate all this physical wealth—homes, houses, jewelry, and clothes—and God can just wipe it away from you and clean your whole slate.”

Bad luck strikes again

Before finding a house to stay in Houston, Prograis reportedly stayed at 17 different accommodations. It included garages and motels, and sometimes they had to request floor space in people’s living rooms. He attended no less than five different high schools. He resumed boxing at the famous Savannah Gym, where Evander Holyfield used to train.

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Misery unfortunately struck Regis Prograis once again in Houston when Category 4 Hurricane Harvey caused havoc in Texas and Louisiana. Though he had to spend four days at his aunt’s house, unlike last time, his residence was safe. In terms of damage, the 2005 Hurricane Katrina reportedly extracted a heavy price. It was said to be between $97.4 and $145.5 billion. More significantly, over 1,836 people lost their lives.

Do you think 34-year-old Prograis would be able to turn the tables on much younger and stronger Devin Haney? Please share your views with us in the comments below.

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