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WBO Featherweight Champion Scott Harrison has the undefeated Samuel Kebede firmly in his sights and on Friday night the Cambuslang hardman gets the opportunity to pull the trigger on the Swedish based Ethiopian challenger. |
Harrison will attempt to make the third defense of his second title reign before moving on to greatly anticipated title unification matches and a possible move up to the super featherweight class. Standing in the way, however, will be Kebede, a slick boxer who has yet to experience the bitter taste of defeat. A sold out Braehead Arena in Glasgow, Scotland will be hosting the Sports Network event, in which top Scottish fighters Lawrence Murphy, Willie Limond and Martin Watson will also appear.
Since turning pro in 1996, Scott Harrison turned in one brutal performance after another as he picked up the British and Commonwealth titles, thrashing good domestic talent such as Gary Thornhill, Richie Wenton, Patrick Mullings and Steve Robinson. Former world champions Tom Johnson and Tracy Harris Patterson found the Scotsman too much to handle as he marched his way to a world title opportunity. That chance came in just his twentieth contest as the strong willed Harrison ripped the WBO crown from the head of clever Argentine Julio Pablo Chacon in October 2002.
Harrison then made his first defense, hammering iron chinned former WBC Bantam titlist Wayne McCullough before running into wily old mongoose and four time former world champion Manuel Medina in July of 2003. Medina used his praying mantis like frame to good advantage as he frustrated Harrison with never ending jabs and unpredictable leaping right hands. After twelve rounds, Medina had captured his fifth world title while the fallen champion vowed revenge.
Harrison, managed by Frank Maloney, got his chance to regain the WBO belt just four months later in November of last year when the battle scarred Mexican returned to Glasgow, ready to school the bull-like Scot a second time. It was not to be however, as Medina’s luck finally ran out. A wiser Harrison cut off the ring and took away the old master’s tricks one by one before flooring an exhausted Medina to end the fight in the 11th round.
Resuming where he left off before the first Medina fight, Harrison hit the ground running with the first defense of his second reign by belting out unheralded but teak tough Colombian southpaw Walter Estrada in just five rounds. Next was mandatory challenger William Abelyan. The Armenian born, American based southpaw had gained notice in the States by scoring defeats over Orlando Salido, Guty Espadas and Orlando Soto, causing some in the media to tip Abelyan to pull off an upset.
While the fleet footed and sharply skilled challenger had some success early, Harrison was able to draw the lefty into exchanges which proved to be his undoing. “Abelyan was tricky at the start of our fight, very tricky, ” recalled Scott. “He was boxing me, while using a lot of lateral movement, and he was very awkward. Once I caught him though, he stood right in the center of the ring and that was a bad thing because I broke him down really quick.”
With the challenge of Abelyan turned away, Harrison knew he was getting closer to having a crack at his long awaited opportunity to unify the world’s featherweight belts. Before he can even dream about bouts with the other titlists at 126 pounds, the twenty seven year old must first get past his opponent for this Friday night, Samuel Kebede. Scott’s father and trainer, Peter Harrison, is well aware of the dangers involved in this fight and knows that a potential lack of focus is as much an opponent as Kebede himself. “The Ethiopian’s record is quite good at 24-0 with 14 stoppages,” said Peter, “and when it comes to world title fights, every challenger raises his level performance. It happens all the time that when a champion fights at home and expects an easy fight, he ends up having a very hard one instead. We’re not taking this lightly because there’s too many big fights out there for Scott. We won’t be underestimating this guy and he is getting our full attention.”
Scott Harrison has been running up seaside hills and on difficult pebble beaches while wearing fifty pound of sand strapped to his back in preparation for this fight and can’t wait to turn lose the pent up hostility that such difficult training brings out in him. “I’ve seen a tape on Kebede and I know that he’s a boxer but I think that I can make him fight at my pace and knock him around the ring,” proclaimed Scott. “I’ve been in many title fights and he’s never been in one in his life. I’ve told him that I’m pretty much going to knock him out.”
Should things go as the Harrison’s expect, IBF Champion Injin Chi and WBC/WBA Champion Juan Manuel Marquez stand waiting on the horizon. Marquez in particular is on the Harrison radar as he’s gone on record recently stating a wish to face the Scotsman in a unification bout, something Scott looks forward to with relish. “I think Marquez is the number one rated featherweight and we heard that he said he wanted to fight me,” he said. “If that fight could be arranged by my promoter Frank Warren, that’s what I want next after this one with Kebede. I think a matchup with Marquez would be a great fight.”
Scott Harrison has held the WBO title for almost two years over two reigns and aside from the Medina loss, has made four successful defenses. The Glasgow area man is ready to step up even higher and sees this bout with Samuel Kebede as an opportunity to deliver a fistic statement to those who would stand in his way. “I’m looking to do a job on this character Kebede so I can send a message that I’m the number one featherweight in the world!” exclaimed Scott. “Real challenges are what I need and that’s why I’m taking on a fighter with a 24-0 record, when I could be taking an easy fight for this voluntary defense. After I’m done with Kebede, I’m hoping to get a unification fight very soon.”
For more information about Scott Harrison, visit his official website at www.scottharrison.net
