Regis Prograis Returns To Savannah Boxing Club To Host Book Signing
- CEO Ross Williams
- Sep 27
- 3 min read
Boxing isn’t called the loneliest sport because it’s an individual competition based on one man or woman’s skill and will against another. It’s because most boxers’ work is done alone, and their lifestyle isolates them from the people and activities they love the most aside from boxing.
Boxing Gym owners often serve as father figures, disciplinarians, confidants, and extended family who extend the dreams and hopes of their fighters. Coach Willie Savannah was the epitome of that. Despite all that I learned about the late legendary boxing gym owner who established a staple gymnasium with his wife in Houston, one of his protégés, Regis Prograis, would be the perfect person to tell you about him.
Regis walked into the Savannah boxing club in 2006 as an evacuee from Hurricane Katrina. He emerged through the boxing world as a two-time champion on a relentless quest to become a three-time champion. Before returning to the gym where it all began for him in Houston, to host a book signing, Regis reflects on the impact Coach Savannah had on his career and life.
What were your favorite memories with Coach Savannah?
Mainly him being out there visible in the gym every day. You could really tell he loved boxing, and not just that - he loved the kids more than anything.
When I first started training there as a teenager in high school, my sessions were held in the evening. Then, as I progressed and got older, I trained with the pros in the morning, and I could see the difference between him being with the pros and him being with the kids.
As far as memories, the main one was when he took me in after Hurricane Katrina. He didn’t have any inkling that I would become a world champion. He did that out of the kindness of his heart. Another favorite one was when he took me on a boat. That time showed me how far hard work can get you. I admired the lifestyle he created for himself and others close to him.
What were your favorite memories from his gym?
I feel like my favorite memories were just the gym as a whole. Everybody in there was working for a dream. When I was training in the evenings, it was mostly with the kids, but we had dedicated and passionate coaches who wanted to see people make it. Many people were working toward the same goals. When I reflect, I still I can’t believe I made it out. Some of my favorite memories were things as simple as walking into the gym every evening and seeing others grinding toward the same goals.
What do you remember about your first session at Savannah Boxing Gym?
I remember Mr. and Mrs. Savannah being so welcoming to me and realizing that I would have to earn my respect and acceptance in the gym.
What were your toughest memories at the gym?
Trying to adapt accounted for some of the toughest memories, but another incident comes to mind. I was still in high school, but I wanted to train with the pros one weekend. When I got in the ring with one of them, he beat the *hit out of me. It ended up being a good thing though because I made some adjustments after that. I knew using only athleticism wouldn’t get me that far.
Could you imagine the trajectory of your career if you had never started training at Savannah?
I wouldn’t be where I am now if it weren’t for Savannah Gym. That experience was priceless. It was an eye-opener to be an amateur and witness how high-level pros trained and lived outside the spotlight. Before training alongside boxers, I admired on TV, I’d lose sight of the fact that my idols were human just like me and that I had an opportunity to become successful like them. Being around Holyfield was monumental for me too. He beat my favorite fighter twice. It was surreal training next to him. Being in the presence of champions as an amateur at Savannah gym did something to me. It made me want to become a World Champion who inspires other people also.
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