BoxRec

This new manager of Harrison's is a bit of a joke, he can't be convinced surely that Harrison is fit and ready to go, he is probably trying to talk himself round after investing money in Harrison.

The WBO should strip Harrison after he failed to comply with their rules i.e. stay sober etc but despite all of this i would still back the scot to dismiss Nicky Cook. Cook has taken a bit of a risk free route i suspect and i doubt he belongs anywhere near world level.

Risk free? British, Commonwealth and European titles is hardly risk free. I think he has world class potential.

Yeah i suppose risk free was the wrong statement i will admit to that, still i am dubious of his world class potential.

I think he'll beat a badly prepared Harrison. I was willing to give Cook a fair chance even before all this shit hit the fan, now I'm backing him all the way. If it happens of course.

Could be time to put some money on cook to win. Surely harrison cant prepare well enough now? Should cook be the favourite?

Any odds out there for this yet?

just looked on oddschecker, no odds yet.

I guess it might be hard to find any as the fight is in the balance right now.

My guess is Warren is lobbying the WBO to get the Cook fight put back a month or two and he keeps his belt.

http://images.scotsman.com/2006/11/16/1611harrisonb.jpg
Arriving back in Glasgow
WBO casts fresh doubt on Harrison bout

STEPHEN HALLIDAY
([email protected])

THE World Boxing Organisation has placed fresh doubt on Scott Harrison's proposed defence of their featherweight title next month by demanding medical and legal evidence he has not breached the conditions of the disability extension they granted him in May.

Harrison spent much of yesterday undergoing a series of medicals sanctioned by the British Boxing Board of Control to assess whether he is physically and mentally fit enough to face Nicky Cook at the ExCel Arena in London on 9 December.

The 29-year-old Scot arrived back in Glasgow on Tuesday following his release from the Spanish prison where he had been held since his arrest on 6 October on suspicion of attempted car theft and assault. Promoter allegedly called off the Harrison-Cook fight last Wednesday but has since said he will honour the contract and reinstate the contest if the Cambuslang boxer can prove his well-being beyond any doubt.

The full results of Harrison's medicals may not be revealed until next week, but it emerged yesterday that the WBO has set its own deadline for sanctioning the 9 December fight.

Luis Batista Salas, the chairman of the Puerto Rico-based organisation's world championship committee, has written to Harrison asking him to "show cause" why they should not deny him the opportunity to defend his title against Cook.

Harrison has not fought since November last year and when he pulled out of his last scheduled defence against Gairy St Clair of Guyana in Belfast in May at short notice, citing depression and alcohol problems, the WBO granted him an initial disability extension of 180 days to 9 November. It was extended by a further month when his mandatory challenger, Juan Manuel Marquez of Mexico, turned down the initial date offered for a fight against Harrison.

Among the terms and conditions of the extension was the requirement that Harrison provide medical certification of his recovery programme every 30 days and that he certified under oath that he had "ingested no alcoholic beverage or illegal drug since the date of this notice".

In his letter to Harrison, also posted on the WBO's official website, Salas writes: "We are aware of news reports of the facts and circumstances of your arrest in Spain. It is a special concern that we have received reports you have been charged with assault of a member of the Guardia Civil, and that this incident may have, in part, occurred due to violations by you of the conditions of your disability extension, specifically the condition that you ingest no alcoholic beverage or illegal drug."

Salas goes on to request medical certification of Harrison's condition within five business days of the date of his letter, sent on 10 November, and medical opinion on "whether your participation in professional boxing is advisable during your treatment for the conditions for which you have been diagnosed."

A request is also made for Harrison's lawyer to provide the WBO with details of the incident which lead to his arrest in Spain and the ongoing legal proceedings against him.

The WBO has crowned Marquez as their interim featherweight champion during Harrison's absence from the ring. Marquez defends his belt against Jimrex Jaca of the Philippines in Texas on 25 November and will be upgraded to full champion status if the WBO decide to strip Harrison of the title.

Simon Block, the general secretary of the British Boxing Board of Control, said last night: "The medical examinations of Scott Harrison are ongoing and extensive. We may not be in a position to say anything about the results until the start of next week."

Barry Hughes, Harrison's manager who paid the bail money to secure the boxer's release from prison, remains confident the Scot will be able to defend his title against Cook next month.

Jesus he does look pretty small there considering.

Well, cannot see this happening now, seeing as the spanish police records will say he was under the influence.

Fingers crossed, I'd like to see Cook give him a going over to be honest.

jamesmcdonnell wrote:Well, cannot see this happening now, seeing as the spanish police records will say he was under the influence.

Well, this is the WBO we are talking about here, who once moved a fighter up their ratings, even though he'd been dead for a month - a minor detail really - I think SN tried to get him for Joe in fact.

If Scott passes his medical, a quick call from Mr Frank will sort out this slight misunderstanding.

Hmm, I suspect not in this case, otherwise why would they already be mentioning that they require proof he has not taken a drink or any drugs when the case would clearly indicate he has?

My suspicion is that Sports Network are not amazingly keen for this to go ahead, as Scott is becoming something of a thorn in the side for them. I mean how many pull outs recently, how many incidents? Would you be happy being Scott's promoter right now?

jamesmcdonnell wrote:Hmm, I suspect not in this case, otherwise why would they already be mentioning that they require proof he has not taken a drink or any drugs when the case would clearly indicate he has?

My suspicion is that Sports Network are not amazingly keen for this to go ahead, as Scott is becoming something of a thorn in the side for them. I mean how many pull outs recently, how many incidents? Would you be happy being Scott's promoter right now?

On the other hand if it doesn't go ahead, they lose the WBO title and Marquez gets the full title. You can bet Frank will be doing all he can to keep this fight on. He'll probably be rooting for Cook though if it happens.

Reading between the lines and hearing Frank last week. I think he wants to scrap this fight and also severe ties with Scott (I will alledge this).

I think Frank knows this fight shouldn't go ahead but and is talking about as a contract obligation to both SCOTT and the WBO. The WBO sanctioned it, Scott and Nicky signed the agreement. If the BBBoC and WBO pass Scott fit then the fight MUST go on.... but I don't think Frank wants it on, and from how I interpreted him in the interview on the Alex Arthur bill - if the fights off, then so is the deal with Harrison. Of course, Warren didn't say this.... but it certainly didn't sound like he was looking forward to working with him if he hasn't got the WBO belt.


Cannot say my first impressions of the Harrison's new manager are good. Seems like a mate of Scott's as opposed to a manager.

Yes, sounds like the clasic case of a fighter who is losing the plot, getting a yes man on board, much like Naz did in the latter stages of his career.

You really cannot blame warren if he washes his hands of Scott, he's been given more than his fair crack of the whip, and has really caused a lot of embarassment for his promoter with recent shenanigans.

I hope Scott can turn his life around, but I fear that what he really needs is to get some proper help outside of the ring, I don't think that just fighting is going to keep his life on track, certainly not based on recent evidence.

Then again Warren can still make money off him so might not be so quick to give him the boot.

Well, he sure as hell ain't making much from Harrison lately.

True enough. Potentially he can make money from him if he can keep the WBO belt though.

Will be hard to keep the WBO belt even if circumstances work out this time. Marquez will still be interim champ, next in line. Seeing as though he pulled out vs St Clair, pulled out vs Guzman, he doesn't seem prepared to fight anyone who's a threat.

Might as well give it away now.

I see the BBBofC has given the fight the green light. The following is taken from the BBC News website.


Harrison given go-ahead for fight

Scott Harrison has been cleared to defend his WBO featherweight title against Nicky Cook on 9 December.

The British Boxing Board of Control are satisfied with the results from medical tests the Scottish fighter underwent last week.

The 29-year-old champion returned to Glasgow last week after five weeks in a Spanish prison on assault charges.

Harrison had faced being stripped of his world title if he failed to defend it at London's Excel Arena next month.

A statement by BBBC general secretary Simon Block said: "Following consideration of a number of medical reports received, boxer Scott Harrison has been cleared to proceed with his contest against Nicky Cook scheduled for the Excel Arena on Saturday, December 9."

Cook, a former British, European and Commonwealth champion, is delighted with the outcome.

"To be honest, I've trained up until now with the mindset that the fight has always been on," he said.

"I've focused on nothing by Harrison since this fight was announced and now I'm just focused on winning the world title on the night."

Harrison's manager, Barry Hughes, had no doubts over his fighter's fitness.

"He is getting on with things and is looking great," said Hughes prior to the announcement.

606 DEBATE: Can Harrison get his career going again?

"The plan is to bring sparring partners up from England and over from Europe in the next few weeks for some intensive sparring."

Harrison was arrested on 6 October after several alleged offences, including an assault on a police officer.

He faces another hearing in Spain on a date which is still to be set.

Harrison's imprisonment was the latest in a series of troubled episodes for the fighter.

He pulled out of his last fight in Belfast in May because of depression and alcohol issues.

And, in September, police charged him with six offences, including three of assault and one of fraud, following several incidents in South Lanarkshire earlier this summer.

According to FW today, there will be no problemo with his good mates at the WBO in giving the green light to Scott defending his title in Dec.

Not sure who this says more about;

Frank's powers of persuasion, the WBO's tactic compliance, or the corruption of the spanish police.

Harrison is surely facing more jail time with the 6 charges he faces over here, his long term prospects even if he wins here cant be good.

I really think Cook will beat him.