Terri Harper successfully defended her WBA light-middleweight title in a closely contested bout against Ivana Habazin on the undercard of the Lara-Wood II event. Despite facing difficulties in finding her rhythm against the Croatian challenger, Harper emerged victorious with all three judges scoring the fight in her favor with scorecards of 97-03 (twice) and 98-92.
Croatian Super-Welterweight contender Ivana Habazin (21-5, 7 KO’s) was considered an underdog with low expectations of causing an upset. Her inclusion in the match came as a result of Cecilia Braekhus’ (37-2, 9 KO’s) withdrawal due to illness, prompting a last-minute replacement. To the surprise of many, Habazin proved her mettle, standing her ground against the defending champion and occasionally tagging her with solid shots.
Nevertheless, as the fight progressed, Terri Harper (14-1-1, 6 KO’s) found her rhythm and took control of the contest, capitalizing on her superior accuracy and footwork. She acknowledged the toughness of the bout, recognizing the value of such challenges in her growth as a fighter. With her latest victory, Terri Harper’s professional record now stands at 14 wins, one loss, and one draw.
Following her win, Terri Harper expressed her desire to engage in an all-British undisputed fight against Natasha Jonas (13-2-1, 8 KO’s) at 154 lbs, the current WBO, WBC, and IBF champion, reiterating the popular demand for such a matchup. Jonas, slated to defend her belts in Manchester on July 1 as part of the Liam Smith-Chris Eubank Jr undercard, remains a formidable opponent in Harper’s quest for undisputed glory.
Terri Harper explained her decision to move up in weight, stating that striving for undisputed status is a dream shared by every boxer. However, promoter Eddie Hearn hinted at a potential grudge held by Jonas against Harper due to their previous encounter in 2020 at Super-Featherweight. Despite that fight ending in a draw, Natasha Jonas was denied a rematch despite expressing her desire for one. Jonas has since joined a rival promoter, BOXXER, further complicating the path to a rematch.
