WBC super-featherweight champion Terri Harper has vowed to ‘break down’ rival Natasha Jonas when they meet at Matchroom’s Fight Camp in Brentwood, Essex, on August 7.
Denaby’s Harper (10-0, 5 KOs) rose to prominence with a hard-fought decision over respected champion Eva Wahlstrom in Sheffield in February and, at 23, her best days appear to lie ahead.
The 36-year-old Jonas (9-1, 7 KOs) was a highly decorated amateur, but Harper believes that experience will have little bearing when they meet in the behind-closed-doors clash on Friday night.
“For me, professional and amateur boxing are two completely different styles,” said Harper. “We’re not going to do anything daft. We’re not just going to be looking for a stoppage. I’m going to use my engine that, for some reason, Natasha thinks could be a bad thing. I’m going to work Natasha all night and break her down.
“Tasha gets caught quite a lot and I’m a big, strong super-featherweight. When I get in the ring, I’m easily a good 10 or 12 pounds heavier than what I was at the weigh-in the day before. I’ve got a bit of meat behind my punches and I strongly believe I could get a stoppage over Tasha.
“She keeps saying there’s nothing I do better than her but obviously I beat Viviane Obenauf [who stopped Jonas]. I’m not going to go off that fight, but I think I’ve got one up on Natasha. Every fight I’m having I’m always thinking about that next step and reaching the next level. I enjoy the risks but I feel I have great momentum and I can’t see anything stopping me at the minute.”
Harper vs Jonas will be broadcast live on Sky Sports in the UK and DAZN in the US on Friday (August 7).
Main image: Mark Robinson/Matchroom.