Terri Harper stuns Katharina Thanderz with ninth-round KO to retain WBC super-featherweight crown
TERRI HARPER retained her WBC super-featherweight crown with a belting ninth-round stoppage win over Katharina Thanderz.
The ex-chip shop girl chopped away at the undefeated Norwegian challenger and crippled her at the end with a soul-snatching body shot and a ruthless final flurry.
The recent birthday girl said: “That has made my year. I knew it would be a tough night and I hurt my back hand in the fourth round so I just jabbed and moved.
“I felt more mature and maybe it was because it was my 24th birthday just last week!”
Thanderz was stunned when an accidental head clash bloodied her nose and, despite being given a breather, the Spain-based 32-year-old never recovered.
Harper piled on the pressure until referee Victor Loughlin rightly stepped in to stop the onslaught.
The win takes the Denaby ace to 11-0-1 and sets her on course for unification fights in 2021.
Harper made the perfect start to her defence, ramming a handful of accurate and punishing one-twos through Thanderz’s guard and into her face.
Thanderz had taken a serious leap up in class by challenging the Yorkshire lass and the gulf in ability looked obvious early on.
Almost every straight shot Harper threw thudded into Thanderz’s skull and her fresh face was soon showing signs of abuse.
Thanderz tagged the Brit with a right hand as soon as the third started but it was a blip and she regained control very quickly.
The challenger was bold enough to snatch the centre of the ring in the fifth but Harper punished her with more accurate digs to the face.
Thanderz chased shadows in the middle rounds, Harper’s jab was carrying her toward a clear points win.
The underdog kept it interesting with a seventh-round body shot but Harper was dominating the final few rounds on the backfoot.
Thanderz needed a breather in the ninth when her nose was cracked by a rogue Harper headbutt and the Englishwoman whacked her in the gut when the action resumed.
The punch saw Thanderz crease up winded, almost taking a knee, and referee Loughlin then stepped in.