Boxing: Why Terri Harper is ready for WBC International lightweight title shot

As he left his house to collect Harper for her appearance at Sheffield Arena last November, he received a call from Sky Sports producers asking if his fighter would be interested in moving into a live TV slot and over eight rounds instead of the scheduled six.

He put the option to Harper, who was on her way to her fifth fight as South Yorkshire's first female professional boxer.

“A lot of kids would be umming and ahing about it, talking themselves out of it and being a bit reluctant,” Bull told the Free Press.

“But Terri just said ‘wow’ when I told her and immediately agreed to it.

“Then, for the rest of the night, I kept an eye on her to see how she was dealing with it.

"I've know fighters freeze a bit when they’re about to go out live on TV but Terri was bouncing around, taking selfies with other boxers and was just buzzing.

“And then she went in the ring and demolished a lass that had lost one fight, a Commonwealth title fight.

“What I’ve known all along is that Terri has the ability to go as far as she wants but I’d always had concerns about her self belief and her confidence.

“Since that night, I've not worried anywhere near as much about that.

“She seems to improve week by week and I think a lot of that is down to her mentality.

“That's why I was happy to make this opportunity.”

That opportunity is a chance at the vacant WBC International lightweight title against Newark's unbeaten Nina Bradley.

It was a big step for Harper that Bull had not planned until her fight record reached double figures.

But he will be happy to have contradicted himself if she is successful on Friday night at a sold out Barnsley Metrodome.

He said: “This is a genuine 50-50 fight and it's going to be tough for Terri.

"But I’m fully confident she will go out and get the job done on Friday.

“I’ve said all along that I believe Terri can show herself as world class and this is a big chance at being able to do that.”