Harrison given go-ahead for fight

[ICB]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/boxing/6138118.stm


Scott Harrison has been cleared to defend his WBO featherweight title against Nicky Cook on 9 December.
The British Boxing Board of Control are satisfied with the results from medical tests the Scottish fighter underwent last week.

The 29-year-old champion returned to Glasgow last week after five weeks in a Spanish prison on assault charges.

Harrison had faced being stripped of his world title if he failed to defend it at London's Excel Arena next month.

A statement by BBBC general secretary Simon Block said: "Following consideration of a number of medical reports received, boxer Scott Harrison has been cleared to proceed with his contest against Nicky Cook scheduled for the Excel Arena on Saturday, December 9."

Cook, a former British, European and Commonwealth champion, is delighted with the outcome.

"To be honest, I've trained up until now with the mindset that the fight has always been on," he said.

"I've focused on nothing by Harrison since this fight was announced and now I'm just focused on winning the world title on the night."

Harrison's manager, Barry Hughes, had no doubts over his fighter's fitness.

"He is getting on with things and is looking great," said Hughes prior to the announcement.

606 DEBATE: Can Harrison get his career going again?

"The plan is to bring sparring partners up from England and over from Europe in the next few weeks for some intensive sparring."

Harrison was arrested on 6 October after several alleged offences, including an assault on a police officer.

He faces another hearing in Spain on a date which is still to be set.

Harrison's imprisonment was the latest in a series of troubled episodes for the fighter.

He pulled out of his last fight in Belfast in May because of depression and alcohol issues.

And, in September, police charged him with six offences, including three of assault and one of fraud, following several incidents in South Lanarkshire earlier this summer.

[smashup]

SCOTT HARRISON GIVEN WBO CONDITION SANCTIONING


Nov 22nd 2006

The World Boxing Organisation are expected to sanction Scott Harrison's featherweight title defence against Nicky Cook on 9th December now that he has signed and returned a conditional sanctioning form.

In a correspondence sent to Harrison, his lawyer Massimo Franchi and promoter Frank Warren, WBO Championship Committee Chairman Luis Batista Salas explained that the Puerto Rican governing body will allow the bout to proceed provided the 29-year-old complies with the conditions set out in the sanctioning form.

The British Boxing Board of Control have given their approval to the contest after Harrison passed a set of medical examinations, which takes care of the WBO's first provision, but the Scot must also adhere to the original 180 day disability extension afforded to him earlier this year on May 13 and continue to supply updates on his treatment and rehabilitation for depression.

Finally Harrison must conduct himself “both inside and outside the ring in exemplary fashion, without the type of incidents that have lead to recent arrests and charges and that the criminal charges in pending cases are resolved with dispositions that do not prevent him from discharging his responsibilities as a WBO World Champion.”

Harrison was recently arrested in Spain and incarcerated in the Alahaurin De La Torre prison from 6th October until his bail was secured on 13th November and a date has yet to be set for the trial where he faces several charges.

Come February Harrison will have to endure two trials in Glasgow, one where he confronts the charges of breach of the peace, refusing to leave a licensed premises, resisting arrest and assaulting a police officer, and the other opposing six alleged offences, including three for assault.

Interim WBO featherweight title-holder Juan Manuel Marquez also consented to Harrison fighting Cook at the ExCel Exhibition and Conference Centre in London.

Mexican Marquez is scheduled to make a first defence of the interim belt against Philippine Jimrex Jaca at the Dodge Arena in Hidalgo, Texas on 25th November. Marquez won the title in August after stopping Thailand's Terdsak Jandaeng inside seven rounds.

The full conditional sanctioning can be read at the WBO's website, www.wbo-int.com

[robyork]

cant wait to go to this fight. Because of Harrisons history you just get the feeling anything could happen in this one, but i do slightly lean towards harrison to grind cook down for a late stoppage. cook must target the harrisons body early and if he does that then i give him an excellent chance.

[Steelie]

I find Warrens take a bit distasteful. He says on his site he's legally obliged to promote it

[smashup]

This will be a proper war Cook is the sort of fella that you have to near enough kill to stop him and he has a vicious left to the body and a brilliant jab when he's not getting sucked into the toe to toe stuff.
Looking forward to this more than Calzaghe/Manfredo

[Steelie]

Trouble is that people are always gonna say Scott was far from 100% for this fight. Then again., I snese even the Harrison faithful have little patience left for his shenangians...

I do know he's one mean mo-fo in the flesh though!!

[smashup]

He is supposedly in fine shape and the other prisoners actually made him a skipping rope while in nick.
Got a feeling this could all make him more hungry to win.

[ICB]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/boxing/6176394.stm


WBO featherweight champ Scott Harrison has told BBC Sport that he is as fit as he has ever been despite spending five weeks in a Spanish prison.

He defends his title against Nicky Cook on 9 December - only three weeks after his enforced stay in Malaga.

Sporting a tan gained whilst running in the prison yard, the 29-year-old Scot said he was ready to face Cook.

"I was training for a month before going in, so in some ways the rest has done me good," said Harrison.

Harrison was in London on Thursday to help promote his fight against the 27-year-old Cook, a former British, European and Commonwealth champion, at the Excel Arena in the city's Docklands.

And the Cambuslang-born boxer was in bright spirits as he explained his prison training regime.

"I trained three times a day by running around the yard, shadow boxing and skipping with a rope that some of the other prisoners made for me," said Harrison, who was in prison on assault charges.

"There were Spaniards and lots of Brits in there - it was like the League of Nations at times.

"We only had two meals a day and it was mostly fish and boiled rice. But that has probably helped me get my weight down for the fight more quickly."


Harrison looked in surprisingly good nick after his release
The British Boxing Board of Control has already added its formal approval for the fight after Harrison underwent a medical examination last week.

Harrison, however, admitted that his stay in custody was not entirely without downsides.

"There were times, as (the bail application process) dragged on, that I worried if I would be released in time to make the fight," he said.

He would have been stripped of his title if he had failed to defend it against Cook.

Harrison, who has admitted to problems with alcohol and depression, was arrested on in Spain on 6 October after several alleged offences, including an assault on a police officer.

He faces another court hearing in Spain on a date which is still to be set.

The fighter, who pulled out of his last fight in Belfast in May because of his personal troubles, is also scheduled to be up before a Scottish court next year to answer a number of charges, including three of assault.

Harrison, who regained his world title four years ago when he avenged his defeat to Manuel Medina, has a 26-2-1 record with 14 KOs, while the Dagenham-born Cook is unbeaten in 26 fights.

[Steelie]

I still think Scott would be best trying to get this done early...

[smashup]

Cook is pretty solid so imo this goes long.
Watch out for Cookies lefts to the body too
Would love to see Cook win this!!

[Memphis]

Harrison dont like it to the body,thats Cooks best route IMO. Also might pay to jump on him early to see if he genuinely does want it. Any luck getting through to Cook Smash,I aint having none.

Steelie I agree, Warren disgusts me in all of this. A couple of weeks ago Harrison had problems far more important than boxing to sort out. Now he's out they have all dissapeared? Total bollocks.

[Fenster]

Harrison dont like it to the body,thats Cooks best route IMO. Also might pay to jump on him early to see if he genuinely does want it. Any luck getting through to Cook Smash,I aint having none.

Steelie I agree, Warren disgusts me in all of this. A couple of weeks ago Harrison had problems far more important than boxing to sort out. Now he's out they have all dissapeared? Total bollocks.

What happened with your piece?


Can't believe this fight is happening but, as it is, Cook must have an excellent chance what with Harrisons pathetic preparation.

[smashup]

COOKIE is in TENERIFE

Agree about Warren.

IF cookie doesn't let his father get in his ear hole as per usual "be a spiteful orrible c*nt in their boy,etc" and actually uses his excellent stinging jab and his killer body shots (Left in particular ) then he has a great chance even if Harrison hadn't been to prison
Well underated fighter Cook and hard as nails.
Harrisons fans wanna watch their backs too over in East London
Cookies fans are made up of West Ham (ICF) wannabe's (Nicky is best mates with Paul Konchesky-West Ham's left back footie fans so there is a big connection with WHUFC)) and are F*cking frightening in groups of 200/300 and a section of them kicked off at his last fight and hospitalised a few people.(Steady-E was there)
Hope they play cool this time and don't try and spoil it but he will bring MASSIVE support


THIS JUST IN FROM MR WARREN

Promoter Frank Warren has issued a verbal warning to WBO champion Scott Harrison.

Out spoken Warren wants to make it clear to Harrison that he should be under no illusions about the consequence of being involved in any more trouble.

"As far as being world champion is concerned, there aren't going to be any other chances," said Warren.

"If anything goes wrong it's all over and he knows that as well as anybody. And that will affect him and his lifestyle if anything did happen.

The 29-year-old Scot is due to fight challenger Nicky Cook at London's ExCel Arena on Saturday, December 9.

However the fight nearly didn't go ahead after the WBO almost pulled the plug after Harrison was jailed in Spain.

Harrison's manager Barry Hughes secured the fighter's release on £20,000 bail just in time.

"The winner must defend against Juan Manuel Marquez, the Mexican who became interim champion after Harrison pulled out of his last scheduled defence in May against Gary St Claire because of his alcohol and depression-related problems.

"That's a big fight so there's a lot to go for," added Warren.

[Bumface]

Well, shut my mouth.

I in no-way expected this fight to go ahead, and expected scotty boy to be languishing (belt-less) in a spanish clink for the forseeable future. As it is, im glad the fights back on, especially given that it appears proper assessments of Harrisons condition have been made.

I have been impressed by Harrisons interviews etc since confirmation of the reactivation of the bout; given the very public pantomime of both his career and private life over the past months, he seemed remarkabley clean headed and focused. He has been contemptuous of suggestions that he may be ill-prepared, either mentally or physically, and claims to be in tip-top shape. Perhaps, after the spanish fiasco, he realises he has used up his chances and has something to prove (or, rather, something to remind us of).

Anyway Im sure it will be a cracker - I like Cook also, but hope Harrison wins and will expect that as long as his boasts about his condition are reasonably accurate!

[Steelie]

Predictions anyone?