Degrees of Separation: Linking Tony Harrison with his grandfather

Six degrees of separation is a theory that everyone in the world is separated by no more than six social connections. In other words, you know someone who knows someone who knows someone who knows someone who knows someone who knows Queen Elizabeth. …

Six degrees of separation is a theory that everyone in the world is separated by no more than six social connections.

In other words, you know someone who knows someone who knows someone who knows someone who knows someone who knows Queen Elizabeth. Or so the concept goes.

We’re borrowing the six degrees concept – well, sort of loosely – to connect fighters from the past to their more contemporary counterparts in our new occasional feature, “Degrees of Separation.”

Example: Let’s connect Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. to Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. Super easy; we did it in two steps. Senior fought Grover Wiley, who fought Junior.

In this installment of the Boxing Junkie feature, we decided to stick with family matters. We linked Tyson Fury with his father, John Fury, in our last installment.

This time, we decided to connect former junior middleweight titleholder Tony Harrison with his grandfather, Henry Hank, a top middleweight and light heavyweight in the 1950s and ’60s out of Detroit who last fought in 1972.

It took us 13 steps but we did it.

Check it out:

Henry Hank fought …

Eddie Jones, who fought …

Tom Bogs, who fought …

Carlos Monzon, who fought …

Jose Napoles, who fought …

Armando Muniz, who fought …

Carlos Palomino, who fought …

Wilfredo Rivera, who fought …

Shane Mosley, who fought …

Canelo Alvarez, who fought …

Erislandy Lara, who fought …

Vanes Martirosyan, who fought …

Jermell Charlo, who fought …

Tony Harrison

Could you do it in fewer steps? Let us know via Twitter or Facebook. Or you can contact me on Twitter. And please follow us!

Read more:

Degrees of separation: Connecting John L. Sullivan to Deontay Wilder

Degrees of Separation: Linking Filipino greats Flash Elorde, Manny Pacquiao

Degrees of Separation: Linking Japanese greats Fighting Harada and Naoya Inoue

Degrees of Separation: Linking Tyson Fury to first U.K.-born heavyweight champ

Degrees of Separation: Connecting Canelo Alvarez with Mexican legends

Degrees of Separation: Linking the Mayweathers

Degrees of Separation: Linking Manny Pacquiao to Pancho Villa

Ali Salaam, father/trainer of Tony Harrison, dies from coronvirus

Ali Salaam, the father/trainer of Tony Harrison and a fixture in the Detroit boxing scene for many years, has died from the coronavirus.

Tony Harrison has lost his father and trainer to the coronavirus.

Ali Salaam, a fixture in the Detroit boxing scene for many years, died Monday. He was 59. Harrison confirmed the passing of his father on Instagram.

“You was in a tough fight and you went the distance,” Harrison wrote. “The decision just didn’t go our way, but we was together every step of the way. What more could I ask!!!! My right hand forever. Get some rest, pops. It ain’t goodbye. Just see you later!!”

The family has deep roots in boxing. Salaam’s father, the late Henry Hank (born Joseph Harrison and later Jusuf Salaam), was a middleweight and light heavyweight contender from 1953 to 1972. Salaam fought professionally from 1984 to 1989, compiling a record of 11-7 (5 KOs) mostly as a welterweight.

Salaam then became a trainer. He helped guide his talented son to a 154-pound championship, which he won by upsetting Jermell Charlo in December 2018. Charlo regained the title when he stopped Harrison in 11 rounds this past December.

Salaam also ran the SuperBad Boxing Gym with Harrison. The gym serves youth in the area.

Another son of Salaam, Lloyd, played professional basketball in Europe.