Harli Whitwell: A New Beginning

Harli Whitwell: A New Beginning

“Harli is a world champion in the making. I believe Harli will go all the way.” The words of Johnny Clark earlier this month when he announced the signing of the unbeaten super-featherweight prospect Harli Whitwell. Clark of Top Tier Promotions will co-manage Whitwell with her father, Stephen. A deal that has excitement on all sides.

“I just think Johnny has believed in me since I started out even more so than myself at times,” Whitwell says of her latest move. “So, it’s important to have people like that on my team. I’m the second boxer he’s signed, and he was really eager to be a part of the team and vice versa. He’s really gonna help elevate my career and not push me into anything I’m not ready for. Johnny will open lots of doors for me. Johnny has one of the best small hall shows in the country which has already helped me progress, get my name out there a bit more and getting me the right opportunities even though I’ve had to turn a few down due to injuries. But it’s good to know he is securing me plenty of big nights for my career.

“Johnny is definitely a great match for my career as that’s the route that we were already planning on taking. He’s going to help build me up on his shows and will also help me get bigger opportunities elsewhere. So, I can’t complain. It’s the perfect scenario for me.”

Whitwell is currently out of action due to a lingering knee injury. A torn ACL will now require surgery, with a ring return tentatively pencilled in before the year ends. “I’m due my operation next week, so I can’t really pinpoint exactly when I’ll be back in the ring, Whitwell told FightPost. “It all depends on my recovery, and if it all goes smoothly. But hopefully, this year, at some point.”

Karina Szmalenberg became victim number five last April. An impressive points victory that highlighted her ever-improving skills. But the extended absence since, has been a period of frustration and reflection.

“The only positives I can think of with having this much time off and how frustrating it has been. But it has made me realise how much I want to go all the way, and I want to really push myself when I get back to it. Other than that, a little bit of downtime doesn’t go a miss as I haven’t had much of that since I turned over. But the novelty wore off after a few weeks.

“I’m just looking to be back fit and healthy, and training with little restrictions so I can get back to where I was. I don’t want to get too ahead of myself when I have a tough few weeks ahead of me with my surgery coming up.”

Harli Whitwell is undoubtedly one of the most exciting prospects on her side of the sport. A series of niggling injuries have restricted the 24-year-old to just five fights since she turned professional in 2022. But the potential is obvious. Hopefully, the upcoming surgery will signal a new beginning for a fighter who could very easily reach the pinnacle of her sport.