Terri Harper: The Road to a World Title in a Fourth Weight Division

Terri Harper: The Road to a World Title in a Fourth Weight Division

The apparent fighting obituary of Terri Harper has been written many times. But Harper had other ideas. If that points defeat the Denaby fighter suffered in April against Caroline Dubois was another beginning of the end. Harper again saw it differently. On Saturday night in Birmingham, it was yet another new beginning. And one that could lead to Harper winning a world title in a fourth weight division. In truth, it looks more likely than not.

Harper was expected to beat Miranda Reyes, but not in the manner that she did. The three-division world champion impressively stopped the world-ranked American in two rounds. Reyes was dropped twice before the referee came to her rescue. Reyes hadn’t been stopped before and had gone the distance with the likes of Caroline Dubois and Stephanie Han. Harper made a little statement in her latest weight division.

The entry in the super-lightweight ranks couldn’t have come at a better time for Harper. Katie Taylor will have her farewell fight this weekend against Flora Pili. If, as the odds suggest, Taylor beats Pili and leaves the sport once again the undisputed 140-pound champion of the world, her retirement will mean the four world super-lightweight titles become vacant. With the MVP muscle behind her, Harper will surely be manoeuvred into fighting for one of those vacant belts. The odds are that Harper will win one of them, and create another little slice of history for herself.

At 29, Harper looked better than ever against Reyes. A stunning stoppage victory that nobody saw coming. Written off so many times in her career, her demise has been greatly exaggerated once again.