Is Harrison going slow?

JC · Post by JC » 21 Jan 2004, 19:52

I was just looking at the stats for Audley Harrison, who has had 14 fights in the first two and a half years of his career since winning the super heavyweight Gold in Sydney. Klitchko who won the medal in 96 had just over 20 fights under his belt by the same stage, and held the WBC International belt. Taking Harrison's age into account do you feel Harrison will achieve anything serious in the division?

steve689 · Post by **steve689** » 21 Jan 2004, 20:01

I would say so, but it seems like every other thread we are discussing this same subject

bennie · Post by **bennie** » 21 Jan 2004, 20:09

He'll be even slower now. Who can he fight in this country who isn't allied to allegedly?

steve689 · Post by **steve689** » 21 Jan 2004, 20:14

Well i hate to keep repeating myself but that first McCafferty fight left a lot of unanswered questions...i think Derek deserves a rematch 8)

JC · Post by JC » 21 Jan 2004, 20:17

Sorry I'm quite new to the site I didn't realise this had discussed that much before. I think Harrison is in an interesting position now as he has made the move to the U.S., but just as he's getting noticed over there with, what is in my opinion his best performance to date, the win over Nix, he has stated his wish to fight his 'domestic rivals.' Whether this is because he's dying to get a crack against Hide and Williams or if he doesn't fancy making the step up in class against American opponents, the next few fights will be make or break of him.

bennie · Post by **bennie** » 21 Jan 2004, 20:25

Does anyone know if Harrison is back in this country as planned.

stujones · Post by **stujones** » 21 Jan 2004, 20:26

Welcome to the forum, J-C.

JC · Post by JC » 21 Jan 2004, 20:29

Cheers mate

bennie · Post by **bennie** » 21 Jan 2004, 20:35

Audley Harrison is a regular topic on British boxing forums, and it all tended to get fairly disparaging in the past. But since his campaign in the States, a shift in atmosphere has occurred. People are starting to believe he can go somewhere.

jamesmcdonnell · Post by **jamesmcdonnell** » 22 Jan 2004, 06:04

To be fair to Harrison, he was sidelined by that injury to his shoulder as well, whilst he hasn't had as many fights as most future champs did in their first 2 years, he is coming on nicely.

As far as I am aware he is back in the UK, but may have his next fight in the states....

Chambers · Post by **Chambers** » 22 Jan 2004, 06:37

Audley will be World Champion 8)

He had a career threatening shoulder injury in his first year which resulted in a 9 month lay off. He is overdue in announcing his next fight though, possibly caused by FW putting a spanner in the works by signing Long, Sprott and Danny, expect big things from Audley this year. He has stated that he wants to be challenging for a world title in about 18 months.

http://www.audleyharrison.com/boxingnew ... id=101&p=1

beleive and you will recieve :)

beduff · Post by **beduff** » 22 Jan 2004, 07:23

yes he is taking it slow,all talk and no action,he needs to fight someone half decent to prove himself,not these hand picked bums.fair enough everyone needs to start somewhere for experience,but audley aint no spring chicken.

jamesmcdonnell · Post by **jamesmcdonnell** » 22 Jan 2004, 07:30

Beduff, I suggest you take a trawl through tyson first two years as a pro, or his first 20 odd fights, they too were against 'hand-picked' opposition, in fact I doubt he even faced anyone as 'dangerous' as Nix. Every single fight was against someone who couldn't possible give him any trouble at all.

The difference of course is that Audley doesn't have that long, but I think this year we will see him take a step up.

beduff · Post by **beduff** » 22 Jan 2004, 07:36

how old is audley?how old was tyson?that is the difference.

jamesmcdonnell · Post by **jamesmcdonnell** » 22 Jan 2004, 07:43

Did you read the last sentence of my comment???!

beduff · Post by **beduff** » 22 Jan 2004, 08:10

yes i did.mark these words audley harrison will never hold one of the proper world titles.

knockout artist · Post by **knockout artist** » 22 Jan 2004, 08:14

Tyson had 32 fights by the time he had been pro 2 1/2 years.

Audley is much older than Tyson was then.

Meaning he should be fighting more often.

Audley aint bad, but the day he is pronouced HW Champion of the World is the day I seriously consider finishing with Boxing.

Chambers · Post by **Chambers** » 22 Jan 2004, 08:19

knockout artist wrote:Tyson had 32 fights by the time he had been pro 2 1/2 years.

Audley is much older than Tyson was then.

Meaning he should be fighting more often.

Audley aint bad, but the day he is pronouced HW Champion of the World is the day I seriously consider finishing with Boxing.

Audley will obviously not have as long at the top as someone like Tyson, but he does have at least 3 years in him IMO (barring injuries) which is plenty of time for him to reach the top.

Why will you seriously consider finishing with boxing if Audley wins a world title?

knockout artist · Post by **knockout artist** » 22 Jan 2004, 08:20

jamesmcdonnell wrote:Beduff, I suggest you take a trawl through tyson first two years as a pro, or his first 20 odd fights, they too were against 'hand-picked' opposition, in fact I doubt he even faced anyone as 'dangerous' as Nix. Every single fight was against someone who couldn't possible give him any trouble at all.

The difference of course is that Audley doesn't have that long, but I think this year we will see him take a step up.

Before TYson had completed 2 years as a pro he had defeated, among others

James Smith
Trevor Berbick
Alfonso Ratliff
Jose Ribalta
Marvis Frazier
Reggie Gross
Mitch Green
James Tillis
Jesse Ferguson.

All of the above would have KO'd Nix.

beduff · Post by **beduff** » 22 Jan 2004, 08:21

i agree.yeh talks a good fight though,and i do respect him as he is a decent boxer,but thats all decent not a world champion.he will probally make a few quid this year boxing journey men again.im bored of listening to him.in that interview when he was on about becoming world champion and then said he was gonna become southern area champ.please everyone wake up.

knockout artist · Post by **knockout artist** » 22 Jan 2004, 08:28

Personally, I think that Tyson could have won the HW Title in his FIRST professional fight.

I think, in March 85, he could have stopped Holmes.

But thats another story.

jamesmcdonnell · Post by **jamesmcdonnell** » 22 Jan 2004, 08:35

Let's have a look at who Tyson was fighting after he had the same number of fights as Audley....

http://www.boxrec.com/boxer_display.php?boxer_id=003047

Slammin Sammy Scaff, that notable Heavyweight....

Don't look at Audley's length of pro career, but number of fights which is far more important. It's around this time, that Tyson began to step up the level of competition by about the 18th fight, he was fighting the likes of Jesse Ferguson, so in 3-4 fights Audley should be taking on a youngish and hungry guy on the way up, which Ferguson was at that point.

Trying to think of an equivalent, how about Joe Mesi, he's at about the stage where Ferguson was then, or will be soon when he has his first loss....

So, if Audley fights someone of the level of Mesi in about 3 fights, he's about on course.

jamesmcdonnell · Post by **jamesmcdonnell** » 22 Jan 2004, 08:36

Tyson was matched INCREDIBLY carefully in his early career, and no wya on gods earth would he have beaten Holmes.

It's amazing how the myth of Tyson perpetuates to this day, Cayton and Jacobs hand picked his opponents every bit as carefully as Bruno's opponents were picked, until they thought he was ready.

Of course, Tyson had way more natural ability than Bruno, but that fragile psyche was always there, and his handlers knew it.

Hardhitters11 · Post by **Hardhitters11** » 22 Jan 2004, 08:39

Old sammy the scaff had fought Mitch "blood" Green and Witherrspoon though....Get your point though mate....I think as long as Audley gets a move on this year nobody can complain.

HH

MightyWarrior · Post by **MightyWarrior** » 22 Jan 2004, 08:45

Thing about Audley is, excellent fighter or not, he could easily win a world title with all the various versions that are gonna be floating about by the time Lewis retires.
History shows that an Olympic gold medalist will usualy at least make it to a title shot.
So it's probably down to his management - if they can manouver him through the division, avoiding the dangerous punchers and picking fights with the guys who have top ten ratings, but probably don't really belong there, he can likely get himself a vacant shot.

Who's to say he couldn't flatten Joe Mesi for a vacant IBF title for instance? Or Brewster, or Kirk Johnson...

Look at the Russian who fights Long on Sat night - he's the WBC international champ, which I guess means he's up for a shot? Or will Long move to top ten if he wins?

The division is likely to be wide open in 2005.

HEAVYWEIGHT
CHAMPION: LENNOX LEWIS (GB)
WBC INTERNATIONAL CHAMPION: Dennis Bakhtov (Kazakhstan-Russia)
1. Vitaly Klitschko (Ukraine)
2. Corrie Sanders (South Africa)
3. David Tua (New Zealand)
4. Joe Mesi (US)
5. Juan Carlos Gomez (Cuba)
6. Fres Oquendo (US)
7. Mike Tyson (US)
8. James Toney (US)
9. Wladimir Klitschko (Ukraine)
10. Lamon Brewster (US)
11. Jamel McCline (US)
12. Dominick Guinn (US)
13. Faruq Saleem (US)
14. Eliecer Castillo (Cuba) NABF
15. Hasim Rahman (US)
16. Henry Akinwande (Nigeria)
17. Lance Whitaker (US)
18. Sinan Samil San (Turkey) EBU
19. Kirk Johnson (Canada)
20. Oliver McCall (US)
21. Danny Williams (GB) COMM
22. Jeremy Williams (US
23. Evander Holyfield (US)
24. Luan Krasniqi (Gerrmany)
25. Saul Montana (Mexico) AMERICA
26. Samuel Peter (Nigeria) YOUTH
27. Marcelo Dominguez (Argentina)
28. Peter Okhello (Uganda) OPBF
29. Friday Ahunanya (Nigeria)
30. Tomasz Bonin (Poland)