'She looked sad': Why Tayla Harris almost quit boxing

Dual-sporting champion Tayla Harris has revealed her program to decision the reigning Australian superweight champion - who erstwhile "belted" her during sparring.

The 26-year-old is looking to instrumentality the Australian ace welterweight rubric from Millicent Agboegbulenon connected Wednesday night, entering the ringing undefeated aft winning each 9 of her nonrecreational boxing appearances.

Harris is acceptable to constitute her sanction successful the past books, headlining the archetypal televised all-female Australian boxing card.

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The AFLW premiership victor made her boxing debut successful 2017 and present holds the title belts successful some the Australian pistillate middleweight and Australian super-welterweight divisions.

Tayla Harris flexes astatine a measurement successful for a combat successful July, 2023. (No Limit)

Harris unveiled her plans to enactment her mode into contention for 1 of the super-welterweight divisions' 4 large titles - presently held by 2 English women, Terry Harper and Natasha Jonas.

Speaking with Fox Sports Australia connected Monday, the Melbourne premiership-winner revealed she would garbage to decorativeness opponents erstwhile the accidental presented itself during the aboriginal stages of her nonrecreational career.

"I retrieve successful the aboriginal days, determination were opportunities (to decorativeness opponents)," said Harris.

"My manager said 'What's going on?'

"I said 'ah, she looked a spot scared, a spot bittersweet …"

Harris told reporters that she is nary longer frightened to "pull the trigger" erstwhile opponents are wounded but "by nature, [would not] privation to wounded anyone - fto unsocial sound them out."

"I really had to see if boxing was going to beryllium the athletics for maine if I wasn't consenting to sound my opponents out," said Harris.

"I had to look [coach Tai Tuiniua] successful the eyes and say, 'Yes, I americium consenting to bash it'.

"And ever since we've had that conversation, I've caught the bug …"

The Demons prima insists she is assured she tin triumph her mode into immoderate rubric portion inactive playing footy, but admits determination is inactive plentifulness of advancement to beryllium made successful her crippled plan.

If Harris is to decision Agboegbulenon astatine Moore Park, Sydney connected Wednesday, she volition articulation the extended database of palmy warring Australian footballers, which includes the likes of Anthony Mundine, Bill Lang, Sonny Bill Williams and Tony Madigan - who fought astatine 3 Olympic Games.

Tayla Harris of the Demons runs done the banner during the circular 7 AFLW lucifer betwixt the Melbourne Demons and the Western Bulldogs astatine Casey Fields connected October 09, 2022 successful Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)

With lone six weeks until the AFLW play launches, Harris was asked by reporters if she could inactive triumph the satellite boxing rubric portion inactive kicking Sherrins to which she responded: "I tin and I will."

Harris revealed she dropped 10kg for a combat during the aboriginal stages of her nonrecreational vocation and has continued to play shot astatine little than 4 kilos supra the ace welterweight people bounds - 69.85kg.

"Right present I'm successful the heavy of footy pre-season and inactive capable to combat Wednesday night," Harris said.

"I'm capable to execute a afloat combat campy and inactive not miss retired connected a azygous footy drill.

"And I'm assured I'll beryllium capable to proceed with that."

Harris revealed that she was "belted" by her upcoming hostile during sparring successful 2018, lone months earlier Agboegbulen would spell connected to marque the semi-finals astatine the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games.

Tayla Harris poses alongside hostile Millicent Agboegbulen a time retired from their boxing clash successful July, 2023. No Limit CEO George Rose holds the loop they're warring for. (No Limit)

"I was inactive precise earthy and Milli, with her experience, gave maine a acquisition successful boxing… [She] outclassed me," Harris said.

"... She decidedly has a important vantage successful presumption of experience," Harris added.

"And I person nary uncertainty she'll look to gully connected that Wednesday night.

"I was fortunate to person that spar against idiosyncratic with her quality aboriginal on.

"You larn truthful overmuch much erstwhile sharing the ringing with idiosyncratic who is much experienced than you, who is amended than you.

"And astatine the time, it's precisely what I needed. It was a invaluable acquisition for me."

Harris said she is expecting her rival volition bring "everything she's got" successful the anticipation of retaining the title.

"She volition travel retired with a batch of aggression, privation to enactment unit connected maine and privation to trial me, spot however I react," the dual-sporting champion said.

"And I cognize I volition beryllium disciplined capable to combat that."

The premiership victor insisted that whilst she is not aiming to pursuit a finish, she is assured she volition gain her 5th consecutive stoppage successful her imaginable rubric win.

"I americium readying to finish," she said.

"You don't get paid overtime successful this athletics and I don't privation my friends and household holding their enactment for immoderate longer than they request to."

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