Preview Analysis: Scott Harrison vs. Michael Brodie.

On June 3, WBO featherweight champion Scott Harrison will defend his title against Manchester’s Michael Brodie in what will be the opening headliner in a bumper weekend of action, the following night of course being Ricky Hatton’s challenge to Kostya Tszyu. At a glance, it looks like a classic domestic match-up; the brute strength of

Harrison pitted against what some would deem the more technically skilled Brodie. The fight may indeed pan out that way, with Brodie having success early on before getting ground down by the incessant Harrison and falling behind on the cards or getting stopped. Now don’t get me wrong, I love a good domestic tear-up as much as the next man, but there’s something about this fight that doesn’t sit right with me. Is it the fact that Brodie is coming back from a double failure at world honours and walking straight into another chance? Is it the possibility that Harrison might be taking the soft option, whilst Victor Polo (the man who fought Harrison to a draw last time out, Polo won on my card) moves on to a crack at the man who sits at the top of the featherweight tree, Juan Manuel Marquez? Well actually, it’s a bit of both.

When we hear talk from a boxer, promoters or managers, we take it with a pinch of salt, believe it when we see it and all that, but we were led to believe that Harrison-Marquez might actually materialize. Let’s assume that there was a genuine possibility of Harrison getting the Marquez fight and he (or they) turned it down, what does it say about Harrison and his team that he turned down the opportunity he claims to crave so much? Now I understand that for a fight of that magnitude you would want to be coming in with a bit of momentum, and the fight with Polo robbed Harrison of any he had built, but on the other hand, if you have the mental toughness and a firm belief in your ability to beat the other man, you can prevail. Look no further than Erik Morales for how to react to a setback; after being beaten by nemesis Marco Antonio Barrera, he went straight back into a super-fight with Barrera’s conqueror Manny Pacquiao, and won emphatically.

This will be Michael Brodie’s third straight shot at a major organization’s belt. Now don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t begrudge Michael Brodie any bit of success, what with his much-publicised personal traumas, his near miss against Willie Jorrin and then coming up short after close to twenty completed rounds with the hard-as-nails Korean In Jin Chi, but does all this warrant another tilt at a title? I say no. I think Brodie has seen his best days (many an “expert’ called for him to hang them up after the Chi defeat). Brodie fought the fight of his life in the first meeting with Chi, and it wasn’t quite good enough against a big, strong bullish fighter who wasn’t too technically gifted, remind you of anyone?

I’d like to say I can see a win for Brodie, but unfortunately, I can’t. What I do see is Brodie having a little success early before Harrison serves up a Wayne McCullough style drubbing, served up of course for the on looking American audience. Speaking at a head-to-head press conference, Brodie, who has been out of action for a year said: “I am surprised but grateful to be getting this chance; if I lose it will be the end of me.” Harrison’s crew were quick to point out that Brodie had failed at every attempt on the world stage, which begs the question, why is he getting this chance, particularly as Harrison is on record stating that he only wants the big (unification) fights?

Whilst I’m quick to pour scorn on Team Harrison’s words, I do agree with them. Brodie has failed at each attempt at a world title and in my opinion he will fail again; his heart and almost unbreakable will might mean Brodie gets to hear the final bell, but he’ll be a bruised, puffy mess and once again contemplating hanging them up. This time, I hope he does.

Matt Cotterell can be reached at mattcotterell@blueyonder.co.uk