Born with a boxing pedigree

Harrison was born with boxing in his blood. His grandfather Henry Hank won 62 fights during a 19-year pro career, and father Ali Salaam competed professionally at 147 pounds.

Although trained by his father, it was Harrison’s mother who steered him toward boxing after he was suspended from school repeatedly for fighting.

“My dad didn’t want me to box, but my mom got tired of seeing me get suspended,” Harrison said. “She told my dad to put me in the gym.”

Training under the tutelage of both his father and Steward, Harrison thrived as an amateur, compiling a record of 75-12, winning two Michigan Golden Gloves titles and reaching the semifinals of the National Golden Gloves tournament.

Strong out of the gate

Harrison, the second youngest of eight children, turned pro in 2011 on Steward’s advice instead of trying to make the 2012 U.S. Olympic team.

He made his professional debut in July 2011, gaining a first-round technical knockout of Uwe Tritschler in Hamburg, Germany.

Harrison stopped his first eight opponents, including five in the first round. He then won unanimous decisions in 2012 over veterans Calvin Odom and Daniel Urbanski to increase his profile.

With Steward also training heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko, Harrison fought in Europe on the same card as Klitschko four times, including three in 2012 alone, before Steward passed away in October 2012.

Continuing Steward’s legacy

It was Steward who gave Harrison the nickname “Superbad,” adopting it from former 160-pound Detroit-based fighter Bernard Mays, who died in 1994 at the age of 33.

Under the guidance of his father, Harrison stopped all five of his opponents in 2013, setting up a clash with veteran Grady Brewer, who won the second season of boxing reality show The Contender.

Fighting at the Masonic Temple in Detroit in February 2014, Harrison gained a second-round TKO of Brewer. He wrapped up the year with first-round stoppages of both former world champion Bronco McKart and Tyrone Brunson.

The 6-foot-1 Harrison opened 2015 by stopping Antwone Smith in the second round in Las Vegas in February in the main event on ESPN’s Friday Night Fights.

He then gained his 10th consecutive stoppage in April, scoring a third-round TKO of Mexican southpaw Pablo Manguia at Mohegan Sun Casino in Connecticut in another headlining bout on ESPN.

Tasting Defeat

On July 11, 2015, Harrison took on skilled veteran Willie Nelson at USF Sundome in Tampa, Florida. Harrison dominated from the opening bell up until the ninth round, when a hard right hand followed by a left hook dropped Harrison. The Detroit native gamely rose to his feet, but referee Frank Santore Jr. waved the fight off with seconds remaining in the frame.

Afterward, Harrison said he pressed too hard for the knockout.

“I let the anxiety get to me. I felt like I was winning the fight.”

Undeterred, Harrison would win his next three bouts in decisive fashion. The victories put him in line to meet the undefeated Jarrett Hurd for the vacant IBF 154-pound world title. The bout took place at Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Alabama.

Again, Harrison started fast, outboxing Hurd from the outside and landing a number of hard shots. But Hurd never stopped coming. His steady pressure and well-placed punches eventually wore Harrison down. A single right in the ninth round closed the show for Hurd and made him the new champion.

Rising from the Ashes

Harrison would have to work his way back to another world title shot. He began in October 2017, winning an eight-round unanimous decision over Paul Valenzuela Jr. at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

Harrison followed that up with a February 2018 fifth-round TKO over George Sosa at Don Haskins Center in El Paso, Texas.

On May 11, 2018, he took on veteran former world champion Ishe Smith at Sam's Town Hotel & Gambling Hall in Las Vegas. Harrison outboxed the boxer, winning a 10-round split decision in a competitive affair.

Despite success on the comeback trail, Harrison was a decided underdog versus undefeated WBC World Super Welterweight Champion Jermell Charlo when they fought on December 22, 2018 at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center.

Harrison brought all his skills to the table, boxing well off his backfoot for 12 rounds. His efforts earned him a stunning 12-round unanimous decision win, making him a world champion.

“I dictated the pace. That's what champions do,” Harrison said. “He wound up for big shots and I kept my defense tight. All we worked on was defense. I kept my composure and I did what champions do. I’m blessed. I told y’all, my family, everyone. He’s a great champion. I’ve seen him in the gym. He’s a hell of a champion. I used my ring generalship.”

A Battle for the Ages

The rematch was set for June 23, 2019. However, Harrison suffered torn ligaments in his ankle during training for the bout. It was rescheduled on Saturday, December 21, 2019 at Toyota Arena in Ontario, California, live on FOX PBC Fight Night. The trash talk in the weeks leading up to the bout was epic. And the fight itself delivered. Charlo came out winging in the first couple rounds. Harrison did his best to avoid the wild power shots but a left hook in the second sent him crashing to the canvas.

Harrison was back on his feet quickly and then, in what came as a surprise to many, began backing Charlo up behind a long jab and thudding shots to the body. Charlo fired back but it was the champ who was in control as the fight headed to the championship rounds. To his credit, Charlo remained determined. In the 11th, he countered a left hook with one of his own. It caught Harrison flush on the jaw, sending him stumbling backwards to the ropes and to the canvas. 

Harrison showed heart by rising but Charlo was on him instantly, landing three straight uppercuts that floored Harrison again. Harrison got up again but another Charlo volley convinced referee Jack Reiss to end it at 2:28 of the 11th. 

“Jack is a championship referee and I won’t question what he saw,” said Harrison, in response to whether the fight was called too early. “I started getting a little lax and got caught looking between hooks. He earned it.

“The game plan was to do a little bit of boxing. The shots he was hitting me with weren’t really hurting. But taking a year off, my body wasn’t used to it. I never trade offense for defense, he caught me in between. I feel like I let us down, I let me down. It’s one and one. Back to the drawing board. I would love to do it one more time.”

A Tumultuous 2020

Harrison was dealt a major blow in April 2020 when his father and trainer, Ali Salaam, died at age 59 due to complications related to COVID-19.

“My dad has been with me through my whole boxing career. Then coronavirus hit him, this strong, strong man and I had to sit and wait. Because of COVID-19, I couldn’t even visit him in the hospital," said Harrison.

“I couldn’t even talk to him on the phone, because he wasn’t able to talk. My dad would want me to fight and continue moving forward. I knew I had to do it for my dad and come to understand mentally that life was not going to change if I just sat around and did nothing.

“Me and brothers got ourselves in the mindset of a champion again, thinking ‘We gotta do this for pops.’ I could have sat around and got fat. My dad wouldn’t accept that.”

Harrison would return to the gym and, ultimately, the ring on April 17, 2021, as he took on Bryant Perrella at Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall in Los Angeles, California. The 16-months off was evident as Harrison struggled to shake off the rust. The two battled to a 12-round, split-decision draw in the main event of FOX PBC Fight Night. 

“The judges do their job, I'm not disappointed in their decision,” Harrison said. “I just have to ask myself what I needed to do more of and what I could have done better at.

“I'll know more about how I did after I look at it again. I probably could have let my hands go a little more. I gave him a couple of momentum rounds where he felt like he was doing better than he really was."

BACK IN THE SADDLE

On April 9, 2022, Harrison looked better than ever, cruising to a unanimous decision and nearly shutting out contender Sergio Garcia (33-2, 14 KOs) across 10-rounds.
 
“I pitched a shutout against a guy who just fought a guy that’s in the main event right now,” said Harrison. “Muscles are the way in the street, but skills pay the bills.”
 
Garcia applied pressure from the outset, looking to swarm Harrison and trap him on the ropes in an attempt to become the third fighter ever to stop the Detroit-native. Harrison adjusted quickly to the tactics however, and by round four was peppering Garcia with hard jabs to stop him in his tracks again and again.
 
“As the fight progressed, Harrison varied his attack and had consistent success landing powerful blows to Garcia’s head. Harrison dominated the punch stats, connecting on 197 shots to Garcia’s 103, despite Garcia throwing over 100 more punches (592-491). Harrison’s sharpness was also reflected in his 51% connect rate on power punches.
 
“He was swinging for the fences,” said Harrison. “When he was missing shots, all I heard was ‘whoosh!’. I felt it. I was trying to throw a few more counter shots in between. My composure was everything.”
 
Garcia remained game throughout and was determined to keep coming forward until the final bell, but the veteran Harrison showed ring savvy as the Spaniard’s punches were never able to bother him. After 10 rounds, all three judges scored the fight in favor of Harrison with two scores of 100-90 and one tally of 98-92.  

Harrison wasn't so fortunate in his next bout as he was stopped in the ninth round by unbeaten Australian star Tim Tszyu in March 2023. 

“The better man won,” Harrison said. “They’ve done a good job over there. His timing, his reaction is very good. He just beat me, so all I can say is he’s up for [Jermell] Charlo.”