Audley Harrison’s top five moments
There is no denying that Audley Harrison has had quite some career. With his impending world title shot against David Haye weeks away perhaps now is a time for reflection on the finer moments of “A-force”.
5. Cutting a £1million deal with the BBC
Fresh from Olympic gold medal glory Harrison managed to wrangle himself the deal of a life time, his first 10 fights on prime-time terrestrial TV for £1million.
Things went fantastically, until people actually watched the fights. To cut a long story short as a result of this deal boxing was never shown on the BBC again.
4. Winning the WBF title
Since the world boxing championship fractured into different governing bodies debate has raged about which is the true title, WBA? WBC? No, WBF.
A-Force joined the illustrious list of WBF heavyweight champions such as Joe Bugner, Johnny Nelson, Jimmy Thunder and Pinklon Thomas when he defeated Richel Hersisia on the 20th of March 2004. He defended his title twice against the often horizontal Julius Francis and mutual Haye opponent Tomasz Bonin before moving on to bigger and better things.
3. Prizefighter glory
Last chance saloon time for A-force but the slick-southpaw rose to the occasion as always. With his career all but over Harrison took part in Barry Hearn’s 3-round knockout tournament as a last gasp chance of salvaging a destroyed career.
Having KO’d young rising star Scott Belshaw in two the Olympian scraped past Danny Hughes on points which set up a tantalising final between Harrison and Coleman Barrett.
This mouth watering encounter saw Barrett bouncing around Harrison with intent and the big man responded by doing his standard “snail hiding in a shell” impression. Then completely out of the blue Harrison sheepishly hurled out that big left when Barrett was least expecting it, down went the Irishman and just like that Harrison was back in the big time.
2. Michael Sprott KO
Having triumphantly left one last chance saloon A-force opened the door and found himself right back in another one.
It was do or die for A-Force as he lined up against old nemesis Michael Sprott for the European title. If Harrison didn’t win this the dream was over.
It so nearly was as well, Sprott came along and he was up for it, Harrison sustained a shoulder injury early and once again his eyes glazed over with that look of horror and worry we so often see plastered on his face when he is in the ring.
Harrison covered up and took all Sprott threw at him and gave little back in reply; it looked like the script was written for the end of A-force. Then unbelievably the gargantuous slugger stunned the world once again by producing the punch everyone has been waiting years for him to throw, a beast of a left hook that caught Sprott full on the chin.
Down went the Reading man and onward went Harrison his saga far from over.
1. Olympic gold medal
The one unquestionably great thing Harrison did in his career and the only time you will hear him mentioned in the same breath as Joe Frazier, Lennox Lewis and Wladimir Klitschko.
Harrison showed power, skill and hunger; all the things he has lacked as a pro. He cruised to the final before obliterating Mukhtarkhan Dildabekov 30-16, a result that turned him into a national hero overnight. This remains the highlight of Harrison career, well for now anyway.
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