Tony Harrison took a deep breath before walking through Little Ceasars Arena in Detroit, Michigan, this past weekend. Once the bell rang, he took another breath.

The former WBC 154-pound champ needed time to get re-acclimated to his surroundings. Edward Ulloa Diaz, a longtime journeyman, was selected as his first opponent in more than two years.

Harrison didn’t know what to expect. The last time he had been spotted in a ring, he was getting broken down and stopped at the hands of Tim Tszyu. Still, that took place on March 12, 2023. Meaning, Harrison had more than enough time to regroup and get his head on straight.

There was a bit of worry considering the time off. But after cruising to the finish line against Diaz, winning a wide decision, Harrison realizes that there wasn’t too much rust.

“Being off two-and-a-half years, I gave a lot of flashes of who I am and who I was,” Harrison told a group of reporters immediately after. “I think the jab is still amazing. I think I still got the best jab in boxing. I couldn’t miss. I feel like overall, my timing was pretty good. I felt like I did pretty damn good. I don’t feel like I was that far off.”

Time, at 34, isn’t on his side anymore. But desperate to find a way around it, Harrison (30-4-1, 21 KOs) moved up in weight. Now, he’ll spend the twilight of his career hoping to compete for a middleweight title.

Those future goals, however, are the furthest thing from his mind. He wants to sit back and appreciate every waking moment he has left in the sport.

“I missed this so much,” Harrison said. “I love boxing.”