WBO welterweight champion Sandy Ryan 7-1-1 (3) wants the big names in and around her weight class after destroying fellow Brit Terri Harper 14-2-2 (6) in four rounds at at Utilita Arena in Sheffield, England on Saturday night.
The 30-year-old Ryan from Derby was simply the better fighter than Harper. She was faster, busier, more accurate and powerful across the three completed rounds.
Ryan landed repeatedly to the body and head, backing up the 27-year-old Harper from Yorkshire for much of the six minutes.
Harper, who was making an ambitious bid to become a three-weight world champion, was simply overwhelmed by Ryan’s workrate and aggression.
Ryan started the bout well and began really pressing the action in the second round. Her corner called for her not to rush herself and crowd her offence and she did just that in the third, pummeling Harper around the ring for much of the two-minute stanza.
By the end of the third round Harper’s trainer Stefy Bull, recognising his boxer was on a hiding to nothing, withdrew her from the fight.
“I know Terri Harper and I knew I had to take it to her early,” said Ryan, who was coming off a split draw in her unification bout against Jessica McCaskill 12-3-1 (5) in Orlando, Florida in September.
“I had to be more smart in my work, but I knew I had to take it to her and stick to the gameplan.”
Harper, a former WBC super featherweight champion and reigning WBC junior middleweight champion, entered the ring fresh off a majority draw against the highly-regarded Cecilia Braekhus 37-2-1 (9) in Sheffield, England in October.
Her credentials were strong. But she just couldn’t match it with the determined Ryan.
“I just believe in myself,” said Ryan. “I’ve done this all my life. Now it’s time for me to get the rewards. I’ve taken myself away, out of the country training, away from my family and friends for so long.
“I respect her massively and she knows that. After round three I started putting the pressure on and I could see her fading and I thought, ‘There’s no way I’m taking a back foot here’.”
With the victory Ryan now called for a unification bout or a fight against Chantelle Cameron 18-1 (8), who split a pair of majority decisions against Irish superstar Katie Taylor 23-1 (6) at junior welterweight in 2023.
“She’s proved she’s the best in the division,” promoter Eddie Hearn said. “She beat Jessica McCaskill comfortably. I like the Natasha Jonas fight. It’s a massive unification. Big-name fighter.
“Chantelle Cameron against Sandy Ryan is an unbelievable fight as well. Big fights only, get the other belts. Like I said, she’s the best in the division and she wants to prove it to everybody.”
Northampton’s Cameron, 32, predicted a Ryan win before the fight, telling the BBC: “I think Sandy will win by unanimous decision as she’s a bit stronger and has more experience.”
IBF welterweight champion Natasha Jonas 15-2-1 (9) also tipped a Ryan victory.
“I expect it to be a real good fight,” Jonas told the BBC. “People wills say it’s 50/50, but in my opinion it’s more 60/40 to Sandy. I just think down to experience and past few performances I’m going to go with a Sandy win.”
