Tag: Detroit

Motown Destroyer, Super Bad Dominates In Vegas

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Tony “Super Bad” Harrison (20-0 17 KO) stopped Antwone Smith (23-6-1 12 KO) in the second round on ESPN Friday Night Fights from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Wearing Spartan green, the Motor City slugger displayed a quick piston like left jab while mixing in left hooks and sneaky rights from the opening bell.

Late in the first round, Harrison landed a stiff jab that he followed with a crushing right hand dropping Smith. Smith was hurt badly but able to beat the count and wobbled to his corner at the bell.

At the start of the second, Referee Robert Byrd watched closely as Harrison quickly attacked Smith. Seeing that Smith was going to take severe damage, Byrd jumped in and stopped the fight about nineteen seconds in.

After the fight was stopped, Harrison got a little cardio session in, taking a victory lap around the ring.

In his post fight interview with ESPN’s Bernardo Osuna,  Harrison shared his thoughts on a few topics,

On being TV ready- “I feel like we still have work to do, that was just a small step to where we’re trying to get, to replace and reform Detroit how it used to be”

On why he was able to walk through Smith who many figured would be his toughest opponent to date- “I don’t know how to swim, if I go to the beach, I just want to put my feet in, that’s like my one and two rounds”

“Why would I want to go to the deep end where the sharks and stuff are at, when I can just put my feet in get paid quick and give the fans what they want to see and that’s knockouts?”

On what he needs to work on going forward- “I just have to work on, just keep me being me, you know, me and my team keep getting stronger, you know we’re looking for stronger opposition and we’re just going to continue to grind hard, humbling saying that, we came from the mud we’re trying to make it out, I want to be in Floyd Mayweather’s shoes one day and I’m going to keep working until that day comes”

On what it would mean to become a world champion for Detroit and for Emanuel Steward- “It means everything, I fight for Detroit, it means everything, Emanuel gave me the opportunity to platform myself to be with Al Haymon, my mom and my dad took real good care of me my family, my cousin, my brothers, you know we’ve been grinding since we were kids for this moment”

“It means everything for me to be able to reform Detroit and give the other kids in Detroit the opportunities that we didn’t have to make their ride a little bit easier”

That is now nine straight stoppages for Harrison, he is ready for the next step in his career. As the level of Harrison’s competition increases, we will no doubt see even more of what this rising star has to offer, he’s only just begun.

Detroit Strong, Tony Harrison-Junior Middles Rising Star

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Emanuel Steward’s memory and profound effect on the sweet science is still being felt through those he taught, not only through training, but in life. Memories of the Kronk Gym legend resurface many times as you look around the sport but more so when you see current champions Wladimir Klitschko, Andy Lee, and Adonis Stevenson in the ring utilizing the skills instlled in them by the Hall Of Fame trainer.

However, it’s not only the current crop of champions who bring back these memories; there is a junior middleweight prospect that can be added to the list as well. Detroit’s Tony “Super Bad” Harrison (19-0 16 KO) is one of the last protégés of the late great “Godfather of Detroit Boxing” and a rising star in the game.

If you’ve not yet had an opportunity to see Harrison in action you’re in luck, he headlines this week’s ESPN2”s Friday Night Fights from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas against Miami’s Antwone Smith (23- 5 12 KO).

Harrison, a 6’1 orthodox fighter, comes from strong pugilistic bloodlines. His father, Ali Salaam, is a former fighter turned trainer, and his Grandfather “Hammering” Henry Hank, was a hard punching middleweight in the 50’s & 60’s who faced the best fighters of his era including five International Boxing Hall of Famers: Joey Giardello, Dick Tiger, Bob Foster, Harold Johnson and George Benton.

Harrison went 75-12 as an amateur while winning Michigan Golden Gloves titles and reaching the National semi-finals. Shortly after, Harrison briefly considered pursuing the Olympics but it was at this time that his bond with Steward began to form and redirected his journey. Steward became his trainer and Harrison opened up his career with a first round knockout on the undercard of Klitschko vs. David Haye in Hamburg, Germany.    

After starting out his career with eight straight stoppages, Harrison then won his next three fights by unanimous decision, since then, Harrison has not let any of his fights go to the cards. Harrison enters Friday’s bout as he did to start his career on the strength of eight straight stoppages.  Nine of his sixteen knockouts have been in the first round.

Harrison had three strong performances in 2014. He opened the year in February against Grady Brewer and stopped him in two rounds. Brewer is a very tough out who had taken Matt Korobov the distance in his previous fight. While Brewer had been stopped several times before in his career, Harrison matched Kelly Pavlik as the only fighters to dispatch Brewer that quickly.

In his next fight in May, Harrison stopped rugged veteran and fellow Michigander Bronco McKart in the first round. McKart had stopped his two prior opponents before facing Harrison but had never been stopped as fast as the hard punching Motor City slugger did it. To close out the year, Harrison blew out Tyrone Brunson (22-3-1), in one round in December.

Harrison has a destroy or be destroyed mentality. He’s a throwback fighter of sorts who wants to end his opponent quickly, but don’t let the power fool you into thinking he’s one dimensional, the kid can box when he has to.

 “It is a dream come true that I get to really display my abilities to the world,” said Harrison. “I want to let the world fall in love with a fighter that they haven’t had a chance to see and I think this is the chance I need. You have to be able to entertain and I think I bring that. Antwone has fought some great contenders and he is tough to stop but my game plan doesn’t change. I’m going to go out there, do my thing, put on a show and knock him out.”

Smith, a pro since 2006 hasn’t fought since August of 2013 when he was knocked out by Jermall Charlo in the second round.

“I’ve been out for a while and I feel like this is a great opportunity. It’s like I never left. I’m motivated and ready to go,” said Smith. “I’m coming to fight, I’m ready to go 10 rounds. He hasn’t been that deep. I know I can go the distance so all the questions are on him.”

All up and coming fighters have to continue to answer questions as they move along their journey, questions that to this point Harrison has answered with exclamation points. When you grow up the youngest of eight siblings battling the hardships of Detroit and sometimes not knowing if you’ll have a roof over your head or clothes on your back, your internal fortitude is shaped at an early age preparing you for the challenges that lie ahead.

As Harrison continues to pass each phase of a young fighter’s initiation, the stage in which he showcases his talent will get bigger. Take Al Haymon’s new series, the Premier Boxing Champions on NBC, the inaugural show debuts on Saturday the day after Harrison’s bout. Harrison is in Haymon’s stable and continued success would no doubt see Harrison competing in a PBC event in the future.  

There is a “Super Bad” slugger ready to earn his way to the honor of being called champion and by doing so ignite the flame of Steward’s memory once again.