- Chaos unfolded at a
boxing press conference Thursday. Tony Harrison , who fightsSergio Garcia on Saturday, threw punches at another fighter in the crowd.
LAS VEGAS — You can take Tony Harrison away from the streets of Detroit but you can't take the streets out of Tony Harrison.
That's at least what the American fighter told Insider himself, through a mischievous smile, shortly after a boxing press conference descended into chaos because a rival of his,
"Being from the streets of Detroit is who I am," the 31-year-old said.
Harrison is fighting Sergio Garcia at the theater inside Virgin Hotels, Las Vegas, but for a brief period at a pre-fight press conference Insider attended Thursday, he was ready to ruck with Arias instead.
It is unclear why Arias, who has a pro boxing record of 19 wins (nine knockouts) against three losses, attended the Premier Boxing Champions on Showtime media day. Though it seems like he just wants to rankle Harrison.
Arias bucked a run of three fights without a win in June, last year, when he beat Jarrett Hurd but got outpointed by Vaughn Alexander in December.
Arias insulted Harrison numerous times at the midweek event, getting louder as the day progressed, before throwing a rubber duck at his rival.
That was enough for Harrison, who had otherwise remained calm, to snap. And so Harrison left his stool on the dais, walked to Arias, and threw punches before both men were restrained.
Arias was then thrown out of the room before Harrison cooly returned to the stage to continue promoting his upcoming fight against Garcia.
—Al Dawson (@AlanDawsonSport) April 7, 2022
Watch the chaos here:
—SHOWTIME Boxing (@ShowtimeBoxing) April 7, 2022
Harrison lingered around the hallways of the Virgin Hotels casino with his entourage after the press conference had finished.
To friends, he said he told Arias that he would fight him but Arias couldn't wait as he "needed the money" and took the Alexander bout instead.
It was a match Arias went on to lose and it has seemingly created a divide in levels as Harrison continues to rebound from a 2019 defeat to Jermell Charlo.
"You done," Harrison said he told Arias.
"I'm from Detroit, man. It ain't never dull where I am," Harrison told Insider; describing Arias as an "internet gangster."
He said: "We talking shit on the internet. He wrote me on my inbox and that he wanted to fight. This was at the time I was agreeing to fight Tim Tszyu and I told Arias, I told him, after Tszyu, me and him could get it on.
"But then he lost. I told him he took a fight that was stupid and he lost. He was already bum to me then but he's an extra bum to me now. Our fight's no-go. So now he's popping up at press conferences and doing shit like that."
Insider asked Harrison if he knew what Arias threw at him on the stage. He was surprised when we told him it was a rubber duck.
"Was it? I don't know what the fuck it was but all I see is him throwing something at me and now that means war."
Harrison hopes to bring another war to the ring Saturday when he fights the more mild-mannered Garcia.
The PBC on Showtime event, which is promoted by TGB Promotions, is headlined by a separate super welterweight fight between Erickson Lubin and Sebastian Fundora.
Kevin Salgado and Bryant Perella complete the 154-pound triple-header.