ONTARIO, California – Upsetting Jermell Charlo last December earned Tony Harrison the WBC super welterweight title and a career-high, seven-figure purse for their rematch.
It did not, according to Harrison, change his second-class status entering their second fight. Harrison repeatedly referred to himself as “the B side” in this promotion following a press conference Thursday at Toyota Center, the site of their 12-round rematch Saturday night.
“I’m the B side right now,” Harrison told a group of reporters. “I’m still the B-side guy at heart. I’m still the B-side guy. We got Lions Only Promotions [Charlo’s company]. We in L.A.; that’s we’re he from. All the promotion really showing him. You know, we still the B-side guy.”
Harrison (28-2, 21 KOs) believes beating Charlo (32-1, 16 KOs) a second time will make him an A-side boxer in his first fight of 2020.
“I’ve just gotta win, just keep winning,” Harrison said. “Winning makes me the A-side guy. I’m the B-side guy right now. Winning makes me the A-side guy.”
The 29-year-old Harrison hoped Al Haymon, who advises Harrison and Charlo, would bring their rematch to Detroit, Harrison’s hometown.
Harrison considers this more of a hometown fight for Charlo because the Houston native also owns a home in the Los Angeles area. Ontario is about 40 miles northeast of downtown Los Angeles.
The site of their rematch isn’t the only advantage Harrison thinks Charlo has as they prepare to fight a second time.
“Because it’s still Lions [Only] Promotions, right?,” Harrison said. “Every time you turn on your God-damn PBC [on FOX], they playing him. You know what I’m saying? So, at this point I’m still the [B side]. He got more promotion than me, and I’m the champ. I’m still the B-side guy. However we wanna look at it, look, call a spade a spade. I’m still the B-side guy. It’s Lions Only Promotion. He still got parts in what everyone got parts in, all the tickets. I’m still the B-side guy. I’m fighting him in L.A. This where he stay at. I don’t stay out here. I’m the B-side guy. But guess what? I’m here.”
Harrison hasn’t fought since he beat Charlo by unanimous decision in their 12-round championship clash last December 22 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
Their rematch was scheduled for June 23 in Las Vegas, but Harrison sustained an ankle injury that caused a postponement that lasted nearly six months. Charlo knocked out Mexico’s Jorge Cota (29-4, 26 KOs), Harrison’s replacement, in the third round June 23 at Mandalay Bay Events Center.
FOX will televise the Harrison-Charlo rematch as the main event of a three-bout broadcast Saturday night (8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT).
Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.