Terri Harper is tipping Mikaela Mayer to win tonight’s world title unification fight against Maiva Hamadouche, but it is not the unanimous verdict in her training camp and she will not be staying up to watch her rival in action. 

Harper, the WBC super featherweight champion, sees a fight with Mayer, the WBO champion, as the “big-money fight in the division” and hopes that will happen for the undisputed world title next year, but as Mayer gets ready to face Hamadouche, the IBF champion from France, Harper is only a week away from her first title defense in a year against Alycia Baumgardner, of the United States, in Sheffield. 

“It’s exciting,” Harper said of the Mayer-Hamadouche fight. “One step nearer to the big undisputed. I know Andrew, my manager (Stefy Bull), said he is going to get up to watch the fight, I’m going to get my sleep, because obviously I have got a big fight myself next weekend, I’ll catch up in the morning.  

“But it is two very different style fighters. I’m backing Mayer to win, but I know Andrew believes Hamadouche because of her aggression and come forward style.” 

While Mayer is favorite with the oddsmakers for the fight in Las Vegas, Harper says she will have her hands full with Hamadouche, who boxed at the Olympics this summer. 

“Hamadouche is just relentless and she will make it a long night for Mayer if she is unable to keep her off,” Harper said. 

“I just wonder whether Mayer has the power behind her shots to keep Hamadouche off, because that is the only way to beat her - having the power, picking the shots to be able to move off and not allow her to put the pressure on and be pinned on the ropes. 

“I’ll watch it in the morning after my training is done, I’ve got all day to chill, relax and catch up.” 

Harper had been due to have a unification fight of her own earlier this year, but she broke her hand for the second time in sparring forcing her fight against WBA champion Hyun Mi Choi, of South Korea, to be cancelled. 

“Mayer is the biggest fight for me at super featherweight,” Harper said. “I know Andrew believes Hamadouche will win but we’re hoping that Mayer is successful because that is the big fight.  

“Obviously, I have a big fight myself next week that I have to win, but that’s where I think it is all leading and that is the big-money fight in the division.” 

Ron Lewis is a senior writer for BoxingScene. He was Boxing Correspondent for The Times, where he worked from 2001-2019 - covering four Olympic Games and numerous world title fights across the globe. He has written about boxing for a wide variety of publications worldwide since the 1980s.