Terri Harper


Terri Harper is an English professional boxer who has held the IBO female super-featherweight title since 2019 and the WBC female super-featherweight title since February 2020. She is the second British female boxer in history to hold a major world title. As of April 2020, she is ranked as the world's second best active female super-featherweight, as well as the world's eighth best active female, pound for pound, by BoxRec.

Early life

Harper grew up in Yorkshire with her two brothers and sister. She got into boxing at the age of 12 after watching Jack Osbourne box on the TV show Adrenaline Junkie. After winning a silver medal as a junior at the 2012 European Championships, Harper stepped away from the sport to concentrate on her education.

Amateur career

As an amateur Harper only competed 17 times, which saw her win three national titles and a silver medal at the European Youth and Junior Championships in Poland.

Professional career

Harper made her professional debut on 25 November 2017 at the Doncaster Dome in Doncaster, scoring a four-round points decision victory over Monika Antonik.
After four more fights in 2018—PTS wins over Borislava Goranova in February and Bojana Libiszewska in April, and stoppage wins over Bec Connolly in October and Feriche Mashauri in December—she faced undefeated Commonwealth super-lightweight champion Nina Bradley on 8 March 2019 at the Barnsley Metrodome, Barnsley, with the vacant WBC International female lightweight title on the line. In a fight which saw Bradley down twice in the first two rounds, Harper won via technical knockout in the tenth and final round. At the time of the stoppage, all three judges had Harper winning on the scorecards.
Following a stoppage win against Claudia Lopez in May, Harper fought former world title challenger Nozipho Bell on 19 July for the vacant IBO female super-featherweight title at the Magna Centre, Rotherham, capturing her first world title with an eighth-round TKO. Harper dropped her South African opponent twice in the eighth round before referee Howard Foster waved off the fight.
On 24 September 2019, it was announced that Harper had signed a contract with Eddie Hearn's Matchroom Boxing, with her first fight under the Matchroom banner scheduled to take place on 2 November in defence of her IBO title against former two-time world title challenger Viviane Obenauf at the Manchester Arena. The fight was televised live on Sky Sports as part of the undercard of Katie Taylor's successful WBO world title challenge against Christina Linardatou. Harper successfully retained her IBO title via unanimous decision over ten rounds, with the judges' scorecards reading 99–91, 99–92 and 97–93. In the post-fight ringside interview, Eddie Hearn announced that terms had been agreed for Harper to challenge WBC super-featherweight champion Eva Wahlström in early 2020.
On 20 December it was announced that Harper would challenge Wahlström on 8 February 2020 at the FlyDSA Arena, with Harper's IBO and Wahlström's WBC super-featherweight titles on the line. The fight was aired live on Sky Sports in the UK and DAZN in the US as part of the undercard for Kell Brook vs. Mark DeLuca. Harper dropped Wahlström in round seven en-route to a UD victory, adding the WBC to her IBO title to become the second British female boxer in history to capture a major world title. Two judges scored the bout 99–90 with the third scoring it 98–91.

Professional boxing record

No.ResultRecordOpponentTypeRound, timeDateLocationNotes
11 Natasha Jonas– 7 Aug 2020Brentwood, England.png" />Defending WBC and IBO female super-featherweight titles
10Win10–0 Eva WahlströmUD108 Feb 2020Sheffield, England.png" />Retained IBO female super-featherweight title;
Won WBC female super-featherweight title
9Win9–0 Viviane Obenauf102 Nov 2019Manchester Arena, Manchester, England.png" />Retained IBO female super-featherweight title
8Win8–0 Nozipho BellTKO8, 1:2519 Jul 2019Won vacant IBO female super-featherweight title
7Win7–0 Claudia Andrea LopezTKO6, 1:5810 May 2019Nottingham Arena, Nottingham, England.png" />
6Win6–0 Nina BradleyTKO10, 0:138 Mar 2019Won vacant WBC International female lightweight title
5Win5–0 Feriche Mashauri2, 1:258 Dec 2018Sheffield Arena, Sheffield, England.png" />
4Win4–0 Bec Connolly3, 1:405 Oct 2018
3Win3–0 Bojana LibiszewskaPTS413 Apr 2018
2Win2–0 Borislava GorinovaPTS410 Feb 2018Dearne Valley Leisure Centre, Denaby Main, England.png" />
1Win1–0 Monika Antonik425 Nov 2017