Terri Harper has never been one to stay in place, having fought in venues across England – Barnsley, Sheffield, Nottingham, Manchester and even Wembley Stadium – while bouncing between divisions as low as junior lightweight and as high as junior middleweight.
But on Friday, the itinerant Harper will be back home – both literally and figuratively – when she takes on Germany’s Natalie Zimmerman in the first defense of her lightweight title at EcoPower Stadium in her hometown of Doncaster, England.
At Wednesday’s fight-week press conference, the 28-year-old Harper, 15-2-2 (6 KOs), called headlining a card staged in her hometown Doncaster Rovers’ stadium a “dream come true” – even if she already had one eye on her next outing.
“It’s such an amazing opportunity and I’m really excited for it,” Harper said. “I can’t wait.”
But even with the undefeated though unproven Zimmerman, 13-0 (3 KOs), up next, Harper was already contemplating who might be on deck.
Harper has been called out by fellow lightweight belt holder Caroline Dubois, 11-0-1 (5 KOs), after negotiations for a potential matchup between the fighters stalled before they ever really gained momentum.
“I don’t know what it is with Caroline Dubois or what her problem is, but I honestly can’t wait to get paid to get in that girl’s face,” Harper said. “First I’ve got to get past Natalie Zimmerman here on Friday night. Then, if she wants it next, she can have it.”
In the meantime, Zimmerman has left no stone unturned in her preparations to blow up Harper’s plans and pull the upset in front of her rival’s fans.
“I’ve brought in girls from all over Europe to give me hard sparring and try to replicate Terri’s style,” Zimmerman said. “I have really put my all into this training camp. I am at my best and I will give my best. Becoming world champion on Friday night means everything to me.”
It won’t come easy against Harper, a former junior lightweight titlist who has battled the likes of Sandy Ryan (at welterweight) and Cecilia Braekhus (at junior middleweight), and who most recently handed Rhiannon Dixon her first professional defeat in a unanimous decision last September.
By comparison, Zimmerman had fought only in her native Germany before 2024 and has yet to fight in the U.K. or face an opponent of any distinction.
If Harper isn’t overlooking Zimmerman, she at least understands the assignment – and the expectation that she should handle her immediate business in the ring with few problems.
“I’ve got the fire in me, the self-belief, the love for boxing,” Harper said. “I'm hungry again, and if I don’t get a statement win here on Friday night, I’ll be disappointed.”