SHEFFIELD, England — Terri Harper feels she would become recognized among the best female boxers if she were to win a world title in a third weight class.
This Saturday, in a major battle of Britain that will stream live throughout the globe on DAZN, the 27-year-old from Denaby Main returns to the stadium where she claimed her first world title back in 2020 to face Derby’s current WBO Welterweight World Champion Sandy Ryan(6-1-1, 2KOs) from England.
The WBA Super-Welterweight World Title holder, “Belter,” is hoping to bounce back in front of her home audience following a painful draw with contemporary great Cecilia Braekhus on the historic Leigh Wood vs. Josh Warrington bill in October of last year.
“I’ve got a chance to become a three-weight World Champion and what better place to do that than in front of my home crowd? They were there when I became World Champion against Eva Wahlstrom and hopefully they’ll be there when I become a three weight World Champion against Sandy Ryan,” said Harper in media reports.
“This is the fight that I’ve wanted for years. It’s a big domestic fight and I’m just keeping that in the back of my head. I’m an experienced championship fighter now and I can only use it to my advantage. Win this fight and it opens up many doors and really sets me up there with the elite,” she added.
“This is a must-win fight for us both. I feel like it’s come at the point in both of our careers where it’ll open up those doors and lead to meg fights. So, we’re both hungry and we really both want the win. For me now, I do want the big fights. I feel like they’re going to fetch out the best performances in me.”
After splitting from her longtime trainer Clifton Mitchell at the end of 2023 over her contentious draw with Jessica McCaskill, Ryan, 30, enters the ring for the first time with her new training group this Saturday. Harper (14-1-2, 6 KOs) believes that this is the ideal time to take on the former Team GB standout.
“If I were to choose a time to fight Sandy it would be now,” said Harper.
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