Exclusive: Terri Harper Targets Undisputed Crown After Emotional Doncaster Homecoming

Terri Harper will set her sights on becoming the undisputed queen of the lightweight division after facing Natalie Zimmermann in Doncaster later this week.

Fighting in her home city for the first time since 2018, Harper defends the WBO belt she wrestled from Rhiannon Dixon’s grasp at the Eco Power Stadium on Friday.

Despite also winning world titles in the super welterweight and super featherweight divisions, the 28-year-old admits to still feeling under-fulfilled given her longevity, durability and ring craft. 

The bout against Zimmermann, an unbeaten former kickboxer from Germany, sees Harper tick off one of the remaining boxes on her professional ‘to do’ list. 

But with Stephanie Han, Beatriz Ferreira and fellow Briton Caroline Dubois holding the WBA, IBF and WBC titles respectively, Harper’s greatest ambition is to dominate the 135lb division.

“For me, that’s the last thing I need to tick off,” she said, speaking exclusively to SportsBoom.com. 

“I want to be undisputed. I don’t want to just unify. I want them all."

“We are pushing for the very top and why not? I’ve achieved a lot in my career so far and there’s much more to come."

“I’ve been at elite level for a much longer time than most. I probably don’t always appreciate it myself. So this is going to be an occasion to soak it all up and then push on again.”

PREMIER PEDIGREE

Despite not enjoying the same profile as Dubois, whose brother Daniel is a world heavyweight champion, Harper’s pedigree is beyond reproach. After winning the IBO and WBC straps at 130lbs, she then added the WBA and IBO super-welterweight crowns to her honour-strewn resume. 

Previous opponents include the likes of Sandy Ryan, Alycia Baumgardner and Natasha Jonas while September’s emphatic victory over Dixon, who like Zimmermann was unbeaten at the time, underlined her prowess.

“For me, bringing the belts together is the final thing,” Harper continued. 

“There’s some great talent in this division but I’ve got all that experience I’ve collected over the years. So maybe it’s worked to my advantage that things haven’t always come my way early."

“I don’t want to be rebuilding again. For me, it’s about getting the job done and knowing that’s going to open many big doors for me.”

Although Zimmerman could prove an awkward proposition, Harper’s status as the overwhelming favourite to prevail is more than warranted. Despite hailing from Denaby Main, a former mining village on the outskirts of Doncaster, she has not fought in front of her own fans since 2018.

Signed to Matchroom, Eddie Hearn and Frank Smith granted Harper permission to appear on a show being staged by Izzy Asif’s GBM stable after discovering it was her dream to compete at the Eco Power - home of Doncaster Rovers Football Club.

“When I heard GBM were coming here, Matchroom and my management team spoke after seeing how much it would mean to me,” Harper explained. 

“I’m so grateful to them and everyone else who worked hard to get this across the line."

“For me, this isn’t just professional or personal. It’s legacy defining too. It’s going to be special for me and people are going to see there are so many great fighters coming out of Doncaster."

"Everyone involved is going to have great night.”