Tony Harrison honors his father by leaning into the “boring stuff” and chasing another title
As he nears his next challenge, Tony Harrison is embracing the life lessons and boxing fundamentals his father, Ali Salaam, instilled in him. Experience has taught him to value the small, consistent practices that once felt tedious, and now he’s proudly applying them to this camp ahead of his upcoming fight.
Harrison is set to take on Brian Chaves in a 10-round middleweight showdown at the Fox Theatre in Detroit.
Even though Salaam is no longer in the gym—he passed away in 2020—Harrison is rethinking what he used to avoid. He’s leaning into the details his father valued, especially shadowboxing, which Harrison says his dad would have been proud to see him do during this camp. “The stuff that I thought was boring back then isn’t boring anymore,” Harrison told BoxingScene. “I am having pride in doing it.”
In his younger years, Harrison tended to rush into sparring and fight prep. Now, with his brother LJ Harrison coaching him, he finds himself drenched in sweat during warm-ups. At 35, he acknowledges that maturity has helped him adopt routines he once lacked at 23 or 24.
“Sometimes my brother will have me shadowboxing against a person,” Harrison explained. “No headgear or gloves, and we are shadowboxing like we are fighting each other.”
Harrison believes these high-intensity, ring-mimicking drills translate to performance on fight night. A former junior middleweight titleholder, he now feels stronger and in better shape at middleweight, partly because he’s not forced to drop extra pounds.
“This run for me is iconic,” Harrison stated.
Now 30-4-1 with 21 knockouts, Harrison signed with Salita Promotions earlier this year. This will be his second bout under the new promoter, following a 10-round unanimous decision over Edward Ulloa Diaz in July.
Chaves, 15-7 with 6 knockouts, is a 33-year-old from San Miguel, Buenos Aires, Argentina. He recently halted a six-fight losing streak by stopping Matias Raimundo Diaz in October.
While beating Chaves wouldn’t automatically set up a title shot next, Harrison’s goal remains clear: secure another belt. He believes becoming a two-division world champion would solidify his father’s legacy as a trainer posthumously.
“All the credit my father didn’t get as a trainer will come to the light,” Harrison said. “I think winning a world title in two divisions will show why my father was the GOAT.”
Lucas Ketelle, author of “Inside the Ropes of Boxing,” contributes to BoxingScene and writes for the Boxing Writers Association of America. You can follow him on X at @BigDogLukie.
