By: Sean Crose

“Expect the unexpected,” Tony Harrison said in an interview posted on FightHub Thursday.” Harrison, a former junior middleweight titlist, will be facing popular and undefeated Aussie Tim Tszyu next weekend in Tszyu’s native Australia. The bout was originally supposed to go down between Tszyu and undisputed junior middleweight champion Jermell Charlo. An injury put Charlo out of the fight, so Harrison stepped in to take his place. Credit both Harrison and Tszyu for agreeing to square off against each other in a less than optimal situation…for this fight may be a coin toss.

“I feel great,” Harrison said about his weight heading into fight week. “It’s no struggle for me. It’s no drying out.” Preparation aside, Harrison was asked about his claim that Tszyu is a basic fighter. “He does nothing that nobody doesn’t see with the naked eye,” Harrison said. “He’s just a basic fighter.” The 29-3-1 Harrison was then asked about Tszyu’s comment that he could both outfight and outbox the American. “I think we got a confident fighter speaking on himself,” Harrison said. “That’s the way Tim should be speaking as a championship level fighter.”

The interview, of course, came around to Tszyu’s acclaimed power. “I think people are giving him more credit than he deserves when it comes to the power aspect of it,” said Harrison. “To sit here and act like he’s Kyostya Tszyu, I think we’re giving him just a little too much.” Ultimately, however, Harrison realizes that the time for chatter is quickly coming to a close. “All the talk is over,” he said. “I’m here. I flew across the world and I’m here.” For a man about to face a highly regarded opponent thousands of miles away from home, in that opponent’s homeland, no less, Harrison appears in the interview to be quite at ease.

“I’m not leaving no t’s uncrossed and no i’s undotted,” he said. “I’m busting my ass here man, and I’ll be ready come fight night.” Harrison’s career has been nothing if not interesting. Boasting a record of 29-3-1, the Detroit native stunned the fight world by decisioning Jermell Charlo in their 2018 fight. Charlo came back, however, and defeated Harrison within the distance in their 2019 rematch. Since then, Harrison has only fought twice, drawing with Bryant Perrella in 2021 and decisioning Sergio Garcia last April.

A victory against the 21-0 Tszyu, however, would surely put Harrison back on the map as one of the strongest names in the division.

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