Terri Harper couldn’t have been any clearer in making Hannah Rankin the focal point of her three-division jump.

“I want to be world champion again. If I’m honest, I feel like Hannah’s a beatable opponent,” Harper bluntly stated during Matchroom Boxing’s ‘Face Off Live: Hannah Rankin vs. Terri Harper’ special preceding their upcoming title fight. “I feel like it’s a great opportunity to become a two-division world champion.”

Harper will challenge for Rankin’s WBA/IBO junior middleweight titles this Saturday on DAZN from Nottingham Arena in Nottingham, England. The fight comes just six months after Harper (12-1-1, 6KOs) moved up to lightweight from the 130-pound junior lightweight division.

The 25-year-old from Denaby Main, Yorkshire decided to make the change in the wake of her fourth-round knockout defeat to Alycia Baumgardner to end her WBC/IBO junior lightweight title reign last November. Harper’s return to lightweight was successful, outpointing Yamila Belen Abellaneda over ten rounds on March 12 also at the very venue that hosts Saturday’s title bid against Scotland’s Rankin (12-5, 4KOs).

At the time, the plan was to use 2022 as a rebuilding year, with hopes of fighting at least three times at the new weight and then eyeing big opportunities as they were presented. Those plans changed once the chance arose to face Rankin, who attempts her second defense as a unified titlist.

There wasn’t any concern on the part of Harper or her team—led by manager and trainer Stefy Bull—in leaping three weight divisions. A similar move was successfully made by Natasha Jonas, who fought Harper to a draw in their August 2020 junior lightweight title fight but has since unified the WBO and IBF titles in back-to-back fights this year at junior middleweight.  

Harper is confident of successfully following suit, and insistent that she took the proper steps to acclimate to the higher weight rather than just eat her way to junior middleweight.

“I walk around at ten, twelve, eleven stone,” noted the 5’8 ½” Harper. “Hannah and her team are calling this reckless. I feel like going back down to (130 pounds) would be reckless at this part of my boxing career.  

“This is the first camp where I’m able to enjoy it, not being food focused. I feel fully fueled. It wasn’t just a case of putting the mass on and getting up to 11 stone. I’ve conditioned my body to perform at this weight. I’m not the fighter I was at nine stone, four. I’ve developed into an even better athlete.”

Rankin-Harper serves as the DAZN co-main event this Saturday. Topping the show, IBO lightweight titlist Maxi Hughes defends his title against former IBF featherweight titlist Kid Galahad, who moves up in weight. The bout was elevated after local hero Leigh Wood was forced to withdraw from his secondary WBA featherweight title defense against Mauricio ‘Bronco’ Lara due to a biceps injury suffered late in training camp.

Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox