Exclusive Interview: Dan Goossen

“I’d like to match him with Calvin Brock, Monte Barrett or any other top ten rated heavyweight because I think he has all bases covered to become the unified champion.”–Dan Goossen has no doubt about Audley Harrison’s star potential.

Goosen – Tutor is one of the top promoters in the world and the success of the company is a testament to the vision of the firm’s President, Dan Goossen. In business for three decades, Goossen had already guided the careers of world champions Michael Nunn, Mike Tyson, the Ruelas Brothers and Terry Norris

by the time he and construction magnate Ronald Tutor formed Goosen – Tutor Promotions in 2002. Within six months of setting up shop, the new venture was already staging major world title bouts and soon had a valuable television broadcast partnership with Fox Sports Net. Today Goossen – Tutor’s stable features such current, former and future world champions as James Toney, Glen Johnson, Julio Gonzalez, Derrick Harmon, Sam Soliman, Andre Ward, Lovemore N’Dou, Steve Forbes, Lakva Sim, Robbie Peden, Robert Guerrero, Wayne McCullough and Ricardo Vargas among others. One of their best up and coming talents is the undefeated British heavyweight hopeful Audley Harrison and SaddoBoxing had the opportunity to discuss the professional career of the 2000 Olympic Gold Medallist with Dan.

Audley Harrison is coming off the best win of his career this month, a four round battering of legitimate heavyweight hard man Robert Wiggins. While some have felt that Harrison has been moved too slowly, mainly due to the big Briton being thirty-three-years-of age, it’s hard to argue with the result achieved by the six-foot-six southpaw. Wiggins built a record of 20-4-1 the old fashioned way, by fighting in obscurity until bigger opportunities arose and then making the most of them. “Robert Wiggins is a very dangerous opponent,” remarked Goossen. “Look at his prior bouts, especially with Monte Barrett, who he dropped a split decision to and DaVarryl Williamson; Wiggins broke his jaw in a close losing effort. It was very important for Audley to send a message to the heavyweight division in that fight. He needed a knockout and he got one.”

After beginning his career in the UK, Harrison relocated to sunny Las Vegas after talks for a proposed English mega fight with British and Commonwealth Champion Matt Skelton fell through. Goossen was the natural choice for Harrison to begin a promotional relationship with as the Sherman Oaks, California based promoter is unparalleled in his abilities to take fighters from outside of the US and build them to world title shots.

After winning all nineteen of his professional fights and passing the test presented by Robert Wiggins, Harrison stands in good position to begin the drive towards his stated goal of unifying the heavyweight titles. The London man is certainly British but there’s nothing reserved about his proclamations of being on his way to dominating the division. Although he’s clearly in possession of some of the best skills among the heavyweights, he’ll need to put on a few more performances against a steadily increasing level of competition before the bulk of the American media are sold on the Englishman.

Possessing one of the best eyes for talent in the business, Goossen is already on the undefeated Brit’s bandwagon and thinks it’s only a matter of time before the rest of the boxing world is as well. “Audley has tremendous physical advantages,” said Goossen. “He has size as well as skills that will be hard to beat, i.e., speed, defense, strength and a killer instinct. Audley put the pressure on himself predicting a knockout and he didn’t disappoint. This should only confirm that he’s letting his actions inside the ring backup what he’s saying outside of it. I’d like to match him with Calvin Brock, Monte Barrett or any other top ten rated heavyweight because I think he has all bases covered to become the unified champion.”

SaddoBoxing.com would like to thank Dan Goossen for making this article possible.

Contact Curtis McCormick at thomaspointrd@aol.com