Mikey Garcia in Advanced Talks to Fight Regis Prograis

Mikey Garcia is thisclose to another clash…

The 33-year-old Mexican boxer and former four-division champion is in advanced talks to take on ex-titleholder Regis Prograis for a fall clash at 140 pounds, according to both fighters and promoter Eddie Hearn.

Mikey Garcia

If a deal is completed, the bout would take place in the U.S., and be streamed on DAZN.

Garcia is one of the most accomplished active fighters in boxing with titles claimed at 126 pounds, 130, 135 and 140. He attempted to win a title at 147 pounds but dropped a decision to Errol Spence Jr. in his lone pro defeat. His last fight also was contested at 147 pounds, a decision victory over Jessie Vargas in February 2020.

Formerly recognized by ESPN as one of the top 10 pound-for-pound boxers in the world, Garcia is a proven box-office draw in Southern California and Texas, where he has headlined numerous times.

“I definitely feel better at 140 (pounds), the only reason I was trying to be at 147 was for a title fight, but since we couldn’t secure a fight with Manny (Pacquiao), there was no reason to stay there,” Garcia (40-1, 30 KOs) told ESPN. “But I’ve pretty much made my decision to campaign at ’40 for the next matchup.

“I think it’s a great matchup for a few reasons being that he’s an aggressive fighter, he’s accomplished, former world champion and he’s also hungry to regain that position and have a big victory. I want to get back, I want to do big things, I want to be able to challenge for a world title again and be a world champion so I think those are the elements that make it a great matchup.”

Prograis, 32, dropped his 140-pound title to Josh Taylor (currently the undisputed champion and ESPN’s No. 7 fighter pound-for-pound) in a thrilling scrap in October 2019. Taylor narrowly earned the decision in London and went on to win two more titles from Jose Ramirez in May.

Prograis, meanwhile, stayed busy with stoppage victories over Juan Heraldez and Ivan Redkach while he hoped to gain another crack at Taylor.

“I think it’s the biggest fight at 140,” Prograis (26-1, 22 KOs) told ESPN. “He has a big name; I have a big name right now. All sides want it. Sometimes one side don’t want it and the other side tries to push it. But with me and Mikey, I want it, he wants it. I talked to his brother (trainer Robert Garcia) on FaceTime; he wants it.

“I think it’s going to be a huge, huge fight. I do want to fight the best; I’ve been telling you I want to be a champion again. If I can’t get Josh Taylor, I think Mikey is bigger than anybody right now.”

Prograis has missed the weight limit in both of his past two fights, weighing in at 141 pounds for a fight against Heraldez contracted at 140 and 143 for a bout with Redkach contracted at 142.

“Rougarou” said he’ll be hiring a nutritionist for his next training camp after trying to “do everything by myself. I know I need professional help.”

“I grew up in New Orleans, I was raised eating a lot of (expletive),” Prograis said. “Very, very bad food habits. It takes a long time to break a bad habit.”

Recently, Prograis has been training with legendary fighter Roy Jones Jr., in Pensacola, Florida, though Jones won’t be part of his team during training camp or on fight night. Bobby Benton trains Prograis in Houston.

Garcia, meanwhile, is trained by his brother, former champion Robert Garcia, in Oxnard, California, and is anxious to return to the ring.

“I’ve been off for a little over a year now, a year and a half,” Garcia said. “It’s a good fight to get that return and not many good fights, good matchups get done. I think this is one that can get done.”

Cardi B Releasing New “Mommy & Me” Reebok Collection

Cardi B is preparing for a mother-daughter moment like no other…

The 28-year-old half-Dominican American rap superstar spent her third Mother’s Day with daughter Kulture over the weekend, and she’s continuing the celebration with a brand new Reebok collection.

Cardi B x Reebok, Mommy & Me Collection

The “Mommy & Me” footwear capsule, inspired by the love the star has for her daughter, features two monochrome Club C Cardi silhouettes in Rose Gold and Aqua Dust.

According to a press release, rose gold is known as the metal of love and represents Cardi B’s affection for Kulture. Meanwhile, the Aqua Dust colorway is inspired by the aquamarine stone, which represents clarity, calm and relaxation, which is how the “Up” rapper feels about being a mom.

In a one-minute video teasing the collection, Cardi is seen FaceTiming Kulture. She also shared her advice for new parents. “Don’t be reading books on how to become a parent,” the rapper explained. “Trust me, once the baby’s here, it’s almost like you know. It just comes naturally.”

She also added some sweet words for her daughter. “You’re beautiful, you’re smart,” Cardi B said. “You’ve got successful parents. The whole world loves you. Ain’t no way you can’t make your dreams come true.”

The Reebok x Cardi B “Mommy & Me” collection is the final Club C Cardi drop and will be available to purchase in adult, junior and infant sizing on Reebok.com starting on May 13 at 10 a.m. ET.

Check out the rest of the Club C Cardi collection here.

Jessie Reyez to Host Virtual Performance on St. Patrick’s Day 

Jessie Reyez is going virtual…

The 29-year-old Colombian-Canadian Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter is joining forces with Jameson Irish Whiskey to host a fun, St. Patrick’s Day virtual performance on Wednesday, March 17.

Jessie Reyez

“Honestly, it just seemed natural because whiskey’s just been my drink of choice for a long time, since my bartending days and I also innately miss performing,” Reyez told Billboard of her upcoming gig. “So, given the opportunity to do it in a different way, even if its long-distance with a virtual audience, I’m still down for it.”

The immersive show will see the Toronto native perform a “solid mix” of songs from her 2020 debut album Before Love Came to Kill Us, her 2018 EP Being Human in Public and her 2017 EP Kiddo.

Joining Reyez to rep the Six are Junia-T and Savannah Ré, her longtime pals.

“I think Savannah’s dope, I think Juns is dope and I’m really happy to include them,” Reyez said. “I’m happy Jameson gave me the opportunity to actually bring up friends.”

To celebrate Toronto, the event will bring fans through the city’s streets and taken inside The Great Hall – a local venue that has been empty since its doors shut at the beginning of the pandemic. That’s where the trio will perform.

The virtual performance will also celebrate emerging talent over in Dublin, Ireland. Kojaque and Denise Chaila will both perform from there.

While this year’s St. Paddy’s celebrations look a lot different than in years past, Reyez shared some tips for having fun at home. “I feel like drinking alone during the pandemic isn’t the best way to do it,” she said with a laugh. “If you can link up with a homie and put them on FaceTime or put them on Zoom, and you guys can reminisce and have a bottle and put some music on, put some Bob Marley on and vibe, put a green t-shirt on and green beads and do what you can.”

“You can look at the cup half full, even in situations like this, and it’s an opportunity to go outside of your comfort zone,” she added.

And since the show is in partnership with Jameson, and the “Imported” singer is a whiskey fan, we at Billboard needed to know how she drinks her whiskey. “I love it neat or with an ice cube,” she shared. “I love how it gets it done, I love that it’s smooth, I love that it don’t give me no hangovers. It’s the one drink where I was like, this is great, I have a good time and a nice, mellow vibe. You don’t get a hangover. I’m lit, I’m good.”

Tickets to the show are free, but participants have the opportunity to donate to Al Otro Lado, an organization that provides holistic legal and humanitarian support to refugees, deportees and other immigrants in the United States and Tijuana.

The cause is close to Reyez’s heart, as she’s a child of immigrants herself.

“I was born in Canada, my family is from Colombia but my parents originally moved to Canada because it was easier to get papers and they were trying to offer me a bit of life,” she explained. “My dad originally had the plan of going to the States, but he decided to apply for the papers for Canada. We were waiting in Canada to get approved. We waited 16 years to get legally approved, and then we moved to the States.”

“The reason why that hits me is because there’s a lot of talk about immigration, illegal immigration — people have the stereotypical attributions toward Latinos and just this negative air about it,” she continued. “I think that it’s crazy because if you would stop for a second and think, ‘Listen, if you’re in a messed up situation or running away from persecution or you’re looking for refugee status, or you’re looking to give your kid a better life because your current situation is not that, are you going to have the patience to wait 16 years?’ A lot can happen in 16 years, and it’s so easy for people of privilege to say, ‘You could just do the right way.’ The ‘right way’ isn’t set out to help the regular man, so I think if people could empathize more and be easier – I could have easily been born into a different life, and I could have been born into that situation and know that I’d be appreciative if other Latinos were reaching out and helping me.”

Sign-up for the event, which will air globally on Wednesday, March 17 at 8:00 pm ET/PT/GMT/MYT and 9:00 pm CET, is available here.

To cheers Reyez with a glass of whiskey, order some Jameson with one-hour delivery via Drizly here.

Rosalia Teaming Up with Ozuna for New Single “Yo x Ti, Tu x Mi”

Rosalía is ready to urbanize her sound…

The 25-year-old Spanish flamenco-with-a-twist singer has joined voices with Ozuna on a highly anticipated collaboration. 

Rosalia

Rosalia and Puerto Rican urban star announced the news via Instagram on Tuesday, sharing a short clip of their upcoming song called “Yo x Ti, Tu x Mi.” 

In the video, Rosalía is wearing a headband full of roses and a snippet of the track can be heard. She’s then interrupted by a FaceTime call from Ozuna, where he asks her “are you ready?” “I’m ready. Everyone’s here. OMG!” she says at the end of the call. 

This is the first time the two high profile artists are collaborating together. 

https://www.instagram.com/p/B1HNp8kHnSZ/?utm_source=ig_embed

Recently, the “Malamente” shared a mesmerizing piano version of Ozuna’s “Amor Genuino.”Last year, the two artists were spotted taking a photo together during 2018 Latin Grammyweek.