The State of British Boxing: A Positive Look.

The reputation of British boxing has long suffered from stereotypes, and as a consequence sadly lacks credibility in the eyes of many. Fair? Yes and no. I do not wish to dwell too much on how British boxers are habitually pigeonholed by, let’s face it, the American audience; however,

what I will say is that a select few are patently not doing their part to dispel certain established perceptions associated with the British fight scene. I need not name names, except to state that they have, in recent years been flying the flag – it must be said, non-prominently – for us on the world stage; not because of a deficiency of talent or potential, but because of an apparent reluctance to break out of the “European’ mould of mismatches, padded records, hometown advantages etc. You get the idea. But as I said, it is not my intention to pessimistically focus solely on the negative aspects of the British boxing industry; god knows enough people are doing that already. I’d instead prefer to recognize the abundance of talent emerging from these cold and windy shores (that’s not another stereotype is it?), and access their respective future prospects. It’s called looking on the bright side.

Audley “A-Force” Harrison: Almost five years into his professional career, I think it’s safe to say that Olympic gold medalist Harrison has been something of a disappointment so far. The big man has withstood his fair share of knocks since entering the professional ranks following his Sydney success, though the punches he’s taken have predominantly been verbal. Once a national hero, he has now been labeled “Fraudley” and “A-Farce,” indeed, the media and fans have not been kind to the talented Edmonton southpaw.

As harsh as that may sound, the criticism Harrison has and continues to endure could easily be described as self inflicted; in truth, I don’t give as much credence to that accusation as some, but recognize that he has made some markedly poor decisions which have contributed to his dwindling popularity. To say though that he has brought all of his misfortunes on himself is exceptionally unfair; one must take into account the external hindrances that have interfered with his progress. It seems to me as though Harrison is noticeably susceptible/prone to picking up injuries, often being left on the sidelines for long periods of time, while his legion of critics and doubters do their level best to kick him while he is down.

At thirty-three, Harrison himself knows he is no spring chicken, so long spells of inactivity in what should be the most active years of his career must be an incessant frustration; I’m sure he’s desperate to get a move on. Or is he? His overall hunger for the sport has been unceasingly called into question over the last few years and common thought is that Harrison possibly lacks the fundamental desire necessary to reach the heights he once seemed destined to scale. It’s an opinion shared amongst a high percentage of British boxing scribes; one that has perhaps been reaffirmed by the fighters’ recent vanishing act in the wake of the BBC’s decision to cut their ties with him.

It is my understanding that another injury is the chief reason for his lengthy absence from the ring, yet the press has seized upon it as an ideal opportunity to further berate him. I can’t help but feel slightly sorry for Audley. For he is, in my opinion at least, the first British born heavyweight since Lennox Lewis to possess realistic world title aspirations. Yes, his career is moving at a snails pace, and yes, crucial questions about him are still waiting to be answered, but it would be nice if we could occasionally look past the negativities and get behind “A-Force” (as he has asked us to) a little bit more. He does have genuine potential, I believe his height, stance and pedigree will make him a very hard man to beat even at the highest level. Let’s try to be patient, Harrison has said he knows what he is doing so we just need to trust and support him, then maybe he will deliver.

Next week I am going to be taking an in-depth look at the careers of cruiserweight sensation David Haye and Junior Witter, please stay tuned.

Don Caputo can be reached at don_caputo@hotmail.com