Terri Harper Grabs UD Over Yamila Belen Abellaneda
Lightweight boxer Terri Harper (12-1-1, 6 KO’s) has successfully begun the arduous task of rebuilding her career after suffering her first professional loss. In her last bout, versus Alycia Baumgardner, Harper was stopped with one vicious shot in the fourth round. Now, in her first follow-up prizefight, Harper snagged a solid, confidence bolstering unanimous decision victory over Yamila Belen Abellaneda (13-4-1, 3 KO’s).
When Harper originally lost to Baumgardner, she had the option to invoke an immediate rematch clause. Yet, since this is a review of Harper versus Abellaneda and not Harper versus Baumgardner, clearly she thought better of the matter! Along with bypassing the rematch, Harper opted to move up from super featherweight to lightweight. Before Abellaneda was scheduled to fight, Harper had signed on to dance with the gritty Heather Hardy.
Yet, that bout bit the dust when Hardy pulled out with a wrist injury and the Argentine boxer was slid into her open slot. Now that she has returned to the win column, there still remains the question of how confident Harper is. Ultimately the answer will rest in what level of opposition that she chooses to face next. As for imported Argentinian Abellaneda, she will have to return home to lick her wounds and fight another day.
SEEN ONE, SEEN EM ALL
Harper opened the bout in effective fashion, moving well on her feet and establishing her jab. In fact, the best punch of the round was a thudding jab that snapped Abellaneda’s head back. The same format persisted in the second round, only now Harper was landing 2 and 3-punch combinations with regularity. Abellaneda was trying, and throwing a great deal of leather, but was too slow and wide to be very effective. Despite maintaining her dominance Harper suffered a cut in her left eyebrow in the third.
Very little of the overall dynamics of the fight changed as the prizefight wore on. Harper continued to dominate with her punches and footwork. When she wanted, Harper would stop, fire and snap Abellaneda’s head back. Her corner buttoned her cut up in satisfactory fashion and relegated it to a nonfactor in the fight. Knowing that she was likely way up on the scorecards, Harper coasted through the final rounds. In the end, when the cards were read, she prevailed by way of a clear unanimous decision to the tune of 99-91 on all three judges’ cards.
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By: Bakari Simpson
