08 August 2020

Terri Harper and Natasha Jonas fight to thrilling draw in historic clash at Fight Camp

Terri Harper retained her WBC Super-Featherweight Title after a thrilling draw with Natasha Jonas on Friday night in Essex.

The 23-year-old champion was the favourite heading into the contest but her more experienced opponent stunned her several times and nearly stopped Harper in the eighth round.

Harper and Jonas threw leather right up to the final bell (Twitter: @MatchroomBoxing)

It was a fight which could have gone either way moving into the last two rounds as Jonas finished strongly in ninth to leave Harper with work to do in the final two minutes.

And in a nip and tuck final round it was Harper who seemed to have caught the judges eyes as it was given a split decision draw.

After the fight, Harper told Sky Sports: "I caught her, she caught me and we hurt each other. I am only 23 and I only had 16 amateur fights.

"I want to thank Tasha for that fight, it was a great learning fight for me and I will go right back in for the gym, for the next one.

"She hurt me in the eighth, wobbled my legs and I had to get back and suck it up for the last two rounds."

And Jonas added: "I felt I had done enough, level up until eight and I won nine clearly and 10. It was history in the making and she is going to be in the game for a long time so I am proud but gutted I am not going home with the belts.

"Hopefully we have made the public proud of women's boxing and convinced anyone who wasn’t sure about it before. I would do the rematch 1million per cent.

"At least the world title bouts stay on this side of the Atlantic."

And promoter Eddie Hearn agreed with Jonas that the rematch is a fight which has to happen.

"We have to see that fight again," he said. "I know we are talking about unifications and mandatories but you have to do that again.

"Jonas deserves another shot at the world title."

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