Tony Harrison is starting his middleweight run at home with a jovial attitude and a new opportunity: sharing a card with Claressa Shields.
Harrison, 29-4-1 (21 KOs), is coming off a two-year layoff. On Saturday, the 32-year-old will put his inactivity to bed by taking on Edward Ulloa Diaz in a 10-round bout at the Little Caesars Arena in Detroit.
Harrison smiled at the press conference. This is his first fight at home in 11 years. He’s also never fought on the same card as Shields in either amateur or pro ranks, which Harrison shed light on.
“When I am doing something I love to do around someone I love, it is like a double-whammy,” Harrison told BoxingScene. “I love everything about Claressa. I always have, and I always will. Being around her makes my energy thrive.”
As for fighting at a new weight class, Harrison was candid, saying he couldn’t recall the last time he made weight the week of the fight.
“I can’t tell you how it feels, because I haven’t felt it yet,” Harrison said. “From a fighter’s standpoint, it feels good not to have to lose those extra six pounds.”
Diaz, 15-6 (12 KOs), is a 34-year-old from El Congo, Dominican Republic. He knocked out Juan Martinez in April. Before that, Diaz was stopped by Jonathan Gonzalez-Ortiz, who would go on to face Edgar Berlanga earlier this year.
Harrison, who defeated Jermell Charlo in 2018 to win the WBC junior middleweight title, has only fought four times since that fight. His last fight in 2023 was a knockout loss to Tim Tszyu. Harrison is eager to perform in the ring, comparing his bout to major life events.
“It is a homecoming. It is a graduation. It is a wedding day for me,” Harrison said. “Right now, I feel amazing. The energy is here. The love is here, and I feel great.”
