By: Hans Themistode
After falling face down on the biggest stage, Tony Harrison has officially passed. The 154-pound high-ranked candidate slung over his shoulder in the yellow jersey after an upset win over Jermell Charlo to claim the WBC youth middleweight belt in 2018.
Since his career-defining victory, however, Harrison has seen more valleys than peaks. A year after their win over Charlo, Harrison was ruthlessly stopped in their immediate rematch. Since then, the Detroit-born player will spend about a year and a half on the sidelines before facing Bryant Perrella.
Despite being considered a significant favorite, Harrison was forced to settle for a split deciding draw. With his career at a crossroads, Harrison hit around Sergio Garcia, winning a widely agreed decision on April 9, earlier this year.
As Harrison continued to enjoy his period back in the winner’s circle, he revealed that his lackluster performance against Perrella was down to a lack of motivation. At this point in his steady career, Harrison admits he’s only interested in facing warriors who make sense of his legacy.
“I don’t want anything pointless to me,” Harrison said on the Porter Way Podcast. “Bringing me a fighter plane would mean something.”
Having just fought a few weeks ago, Harrison is now enjoying the fruits of his labor. Once he was done kicking his legs up and relaxing, Harrison was headed for a confrontation with one of the department’s superiors.
In his opinion, 154 is stacked with top-to-bottom talents. And, for what it’s worth, Harrison knows full well that he can find himself in many fan-pleasing battles for years to come. But, despite that opinion, Harrison was determined to end his rivalry with Charlo. If Harrison finds himself confronting the fiery Houston natives again, even more could be at stake.
On May 14, in Los Angeles, California, Charlo is scheduled to take on the role of Brain Castano. Now, the winner of their upcoming bout will become the division’s first undisputed champion since Winky Wright in 2001.
Regardless of whether it’s Charlo or his highly ranked rival, Tim Tszyu, Harrison believes he needs to face someone he sees as a legitimate threat.
“For me, the Charlo fight means something to me personally. That’s my personal preference but you have people like Tim Tszyu, that could have implications for the legacy. Just give me something that means something to me.”
