Tony Harrison Returns to Boxing in Hometown After Long Layoff

DETROIT, Michigan — After a two-and-a-half year absence from the ring, Tony Harrison is set to make his comeback this weekend. The former WBC junior middleweight champion will fight Dominican contender Edward Ulloa Diaz on the undercard at the Little Caesars Arena on July 26.

This match marks Harrison’s debut at the middleweight limit of 160 pounds and his first fight in Detroit since 2014. “It’s like a wedding day for me,” Harrison told The Ring. “I’m super stoked. I always looked forward to getting back in the ring, but there’s no bigger calling than doing it in the city I was born in, the city I love so much.”

Harrison, whose professional record stands at 29 wins, 4 losses, and 1 draw with 21 knockouts, last fought on March 12, 2023, suffering a ninth-round stoppage against a former WBO champion in Australia. He had previously lost to Jermell Charlo in a rematch that took place one year after their first fight, where Harrison had claimed the WBC title.

After feeling the strain of competing at 154 pounds and dealing with personal loss, Harrison took time off from boxing. His father and trainer, Ali Salaam, died on April 20, 2020. As he stepped back from boxing, the desire to compete returned gradually. “I never stopped being 154 since I was 13 years old, so it just took a toll on me,” he explained.

Harrison expressed a new mental approach to the sport. “Athletically, I’m not the same, but now I’m playing a mental game. I’m going from being Roy Jones Jr. to Bernard Hopkins. It’s a disciplined, mental game,” he said. Now 34, Harrison has partnered with Dmitry Salita and Salita Promotions as he prepares for this long-awaited return.

Harrison anticipates a charged atmosphere for his fight with Diaz. “I expect fireworks, a loud and vicious crowd,” he said. “I expect the Little Caesars Arena to have that kind of noise like when the Detroit Lions face the Green Bay Packers. I’ll give them a show, and then Claressa will too — on that night, Detroit wins.”