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Following his recent fourth round knockout of the Iraqi born Heavyweight Ali Adams in Brentwood, England, former Olympic Super Heavyweight Gold Medallist, Prizefighter and European Heavyweight Champion Audley Harrison has stated that he interested in fighting newly crowned British and Commonwealth Heavyweight champion and Beijing Super-Heavyweight bronze medallist David Price later this year.
Harrison has been in contact with the British Boxing Board of Control following his victory against Adams, requesting that they install him as mandatory challenger to Price and has taken to the micro-blogging site Twitter stating that he wished to take on Price for the British and Commonwealth titles.
Harrison has previously challenged for the Commonwealth title, losing a split points decision to Danny Williams at the Excel Arena back in 2005 but he has yet to challenge for the prestigious Lonsdale belt in his well documented 33 fight professional career that has experienced highs and lows and seen him written off, only to come back.
Price’s promoter Frank Maloney has stated that Harrison is an option for Price, in what would be the maiden defence of his titles in Liverpool and that he would be in contact with Harrison to discuss the possibility of making this fight happen.
Although some people within the fight game feel that Harrison may not deserve an opportunity to fight for the British title following his non-performance against former amateur teammate David Haye in his only world title challenge, and many people feel that Harrison would be destroyed by the bigger and more powerful Price. It would still be a fight that would generate considerable interest.
Price has stated in an interview with IFilm London blog that a defense against Harrison would sell tickets. This would be due to Audley’s recent appearance on the BBC talent reality show Strictly Come Dancing in which, when you take into account Harrison’s considerable 6ft 5 inch, 18 stone [252 pounds] frame, he performed admirably, and the fact that Harrison won an Olympic Gold medal.
Although Price would like to face Tyson Fury, who vacated the titles instead of facing Price, he is resigned to not seeing it happening, but Price is aware that a Harrison fight would sell well.
In terms of head to head comparison, Price possesses a two and a half inch height advantage standing at 6ft 8 to Harrison’s 6ft 5½, although Harrison possesses a reach advantage of 86 inches in comparison to Price’s 82 inches, and fights out of a southpaw stance.
Price has only faced one southpaw in his 13 fight professional career, in the shape of the Czech Pavel Polakovic, who was dispatched in just one round on the undercard of Fury’s rematch with John McDermott for the English Heavyweight title fight which doubled up as a final eliminator for the British title. Price would later face off against McDermott, who was knocked out in one round.
Should a Price vs. Harrison bout happen in the great fight city of Liverpool, it will be a guaranteed sell out, with Harrison (hopefully) fully motivated knowing that this would be his last major chance to obtain a major title in his career which at times flattered to deceive.
Price would take his time to figure out Harrison’s southpaw stance in order to establish his long punishing left jab to help him set up that powerful left hand.
Harrison would look to use his quicker hands to test Price’s chin, which has yet to be fully tested in the professional ranks and look to use his superior professional experience to bully and unsettle Price.
However, the younger and more powerful Price would eventually force his will on the fight and would grind down and eventually stop a very game Harrison.
