Tony Harrison to headline PBC on Fox card in 1st bout since title loss, father's death

Former junior middleweight titlist Tony Harrison and southpaw Bryant Perrella will meet in the main event of a Premier Boxing Champions card on April 17 (Fox and Fox Deportes, 8 p.m. ET) without spectators at the Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall in Los Angeles, PBC announced on Tuesday.

Also on the card: junior welterweight Omar Juarez takes on Jessie Roman in the 10-round co-feature and welterweight prospect Vito Mielnicki Jr. fights James Martin in the eight-round opener.

Detroit’s Harrison (28-3, 21 KOs), 30, has not fought since getting stopped in the 11th round and losing his title to Jermell Charlo in December 2019 in a rematch Harrison’s upset title victory. Harrison will also be fighting for the first time since his father and trainer, Ali Salaam, died last spring from Covid-19.

“Due to the pandemic, we’ve lost a lot of people over the last year, including my father Ali Salaam, and I’m dedicating this fight and the rest of my career to him,” Harrison said. “My father was always there in my corner, and I’ll continue with him right by my side spiritually. But my brother L.J. is my head trainer now and we’re working hard to prepare for a tough fighter in Perrella.

“I’m coming off the longest layoff of my career, so I’m just excited to get back in action. The realest fighter in the game is coming back and I’m glad we’re going to be bringing this fight to everyone on free TV on Fox. This fight will be fireworks and I’ll be looking out for whenever it’s execution time. When I see the opportunity, I’ll knock his head off and put it on my mantle.”

Perrella (17-3, 14 KOs), 32, a southpaw from Fort Myers, Florida, is coming off a controversial loss to Abel Ramos in February 2020. Perrella was up big on all three scorecards when Ramos dropped him in the final seconds of the fight. Perrella beat the count but referee Jack Reiss waved it off after the bell should have sounded but didn’t. Officially, the fight was stopped with one second left.

“I’ve made big changes in my game and they will reflect a more proficient fighter when I step in against Tony Harrison,” Perrella said. “I don’t care about status or resume heading into this fight. I’m coming to do what I do best and that’s dominate. I can’t wait to get in there and perform on April 17.”

Juarez (10-0, 5 KOs), 21, of Brownsville, Texas, is one of PBC’s best prospects and fought four times in 2020 despite the coronavirus pandemic.

“This will be my toughest fight to date, and I know what needs to be done to come out on top,” Juarez said. “I left Brownsville to be in San Antonio with my trainer Rick Nunez and we have a great game plan in place.”

Roman (22-4, 11 KOs), 29, of Sana Ana, California, has not fought since an eight-round decision loss to Javier Molina in June 2018.

“After a setback comes a major comeback,” Roman said. “I know that because I always come back stronger than before. I can’t wait to square off against Juarez and prove that once again, all while bringing a great fight for the fans to enjoy.”

Mielnicki (8-0, 5 KOs), 18, of Roseland, New Jersey, is another of PBC’s top prospects who has gotten prime television slots to develop in.

“I’m glad that I’m getting right back in the ring so I can showcase my skills again,” said Mielnicki, whose last bout was on Feb. 27.

Martin (6-2, 0 KOs), 23, of Philadelphia, is coming off a six-round decision loss to 18-year-old Xander Zayas, one of Top Rank’s blue chip prospects, on Feb. 20.

“I am going to box smart and bring the pressure,” Martin said. “I know my opponent is a good fighter and a win over him would get me a lot of notice.”