Boxing Perspective: Harrison Lays It All On The Line Against Skelton

Humbled heavyweight boxer Audley ‘A-Force’ Harrison has this week claimed that he is determined to regain his credibility as a fighter after suffering a pair of reputation-shattering losses within a year.

The booming declaration came after it was revealed that Harrison, 34, will challenge countryman Matt Skelton for the Commonwealth title on Saturday, December 9 at the ExCel Centre in London’s Docklands.

Bereft from the UK fight scene since his ignominious display against an under-trained Danny Williams last December, the former Olympic Gold Medallist has accepted the Skelton bout knowing that anything less than a triumphant return to British shores could potentially bring the curtain down of his stuttering boxing career.

Against Williams, it has not been forgotten how the 6’6 Harrison dumfounded critics and disappointed viewers with his intensely negative, bordering on petrified showing. A portrait of confidence prior to the fight, the U.S-based Londoner appeared to freeze under the glaring ring-lights and after 12 dire rounds of wide-eyed posturing and desperate clutching, his bloated opponent gladly accepted the gift-wrapped victory.

Reticent to even throw punches that night let alone mount a serious assault, an identical attack of consternation the following April against fellow-underachiever Dominick Guinn not only resulted in his second professional loss. It effectively rubbed out all lingering hopes that he could one day win a major world title, something that just a few years ago seemed a very distinct possibility indeed.

Harrison now finds himself competing without any such expectations, but says that the public’s lack of faith in him has re-ignited an inner fire that he claims has been dormant ever since winning gold at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

“Coming back to England and redeeming myself has always been on my mind,” said Harrison in a recent interview with the Guardian. “I know my image isn’t quite right, but it isn’t over yet. I’m here to turn it around. People say I’m at the end of the road and my career is over. But only I’ll decide when it is.

“I put in an abysmal performance. It took the loss and the ridicule to wake me up. This is a quick route to a world title fight. My philosophy is to try again, because another door will open. I’m not a quitter, and I don’t surrender.”

The now 20-2 (15 KO’s) fighter attributes the back-to-back setbacks against Williams and Guinn, both of whom are considered journeyman heavyweights, to an inability to remove himself from the whirlwind celebrity lifestyle that he was thrust into after returning home from Sydney. His focus, he candidly admits, has been more on fraternizing than fighting over the last few years.

“I’ve been to every film premiere, every event, met the Queen and travelled all over the world, but now I’m not on the celebrity circuit,” Harrison said at London press conference earlier this week. “People still phone me to go here and there, but I’ve done it. Now I can stop. It’s about my credibility as a boxer. I’m here to do my name justice. For four years after the Olympics, I was on every television channel. It burned me out, I couldn’t say no.”

Since parting ways with his long-time trainer, Thell Torrence, earlier this year, Harrison has enlisted the expertise of former world champion turned teacher Buddy McGirt to aid in his comeback attempt. The respected American debuted in his corner on June 9 when Harrison scored a confidence-building victory over Andrew Greeley on a small-hall show in Atlantic City. The world-rated Skelton, however, is going to be a much harder nut to crack.

When asked to give his thoughts on his upcoming foe, Harrison said: “Skelton brings a lot of heat to the table. He might not be technically the most gifted athlete. But he is definitely all heart, all spirit and he brings a lot of aggression. It will be a tough. But he’s definitely got weaknesses, like I have, and I’ll look to exploit them on the night.

“He’s from the school of hard knocks and I’ve fought guys like that before. They are difficult to overcome. But you can overcome them. I could have taken four fights on the under-card in America but Matt Skelton is ranked number 12 in the WBO so this is a quicker route back. It gives me chance to bounce back.”

Having faltered twice, Harrison knows how disastrous a third strike would be. Come December, it is going to be do-or-die for the fallen hero. Those who still wonder just how much he wants to succeed in the sport will finally receive a definitive answer.

And so too will Harrison.

Courtesy www.frankmaloney.com