Ringside Report Looks Back at Audley Harrison to Bestow Credit Where It Hadn’t Been Before

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By Donald “Braveheart” Stewart

“Bad” Brad has a rule in his Ringside Report FB Forum. Nobody calls a boxer a bum or insults him – or her. It’s a decency rule. Sometimes it is hard to enforce or police due the volume of traffic we get to the forum with almost 23K in members, but it’s the right thing.

I have never called anyone who fights – amateur or professional – a bum. I have, however called someone out as a fraud. I didn’t instantly regret it. I was angry. I was not as angry as the people who paid good money on the pay per view platform to see this guy fight but over the years, I have come to really regret it.

Audley Hugh Harrison, MBE 31-7, 23 KO’s has played a pivotal part in the renaissance of British boxing that he should be saluted, applauded and lauded for that and not derided, mocked or attacked for the David Haye/Audley Harrison fight that spiked my anger. He gave us the Commonwealth Gold Medal in 1998 and the Olympic Gold Medal in 2000, at the Sydney Olympics – our ONLY medal in boxing there – that sparked the revival of British Olympic boxing hopes that led to DeGale, Khan, Campbell, Joyce and Joshua for good reason.

He was the first super heavyweight Gold Medalist ever for Britain.

As a professional he went on to challenge for the WBA, British, Commonwealth and European titles, and was the only professional boxer to win the Prizefighter tournament twice.

His fight against David Haye for the WBA title, launched the career, ironically, of one Mr Eddie Hearn.

It’s a fairly decent record and one that I would praise in any other fighter. So why did I not recognize it for Audley Harrison?

What is there to dislike?

Well, there was the unflattering professional start to his career where he won his fist fight, then ended up injured and out of the ring for a while. There was the level of opponents brought in whilst he went through a lucrative deal with the BBC that many questioned as he was determined to manage his own career and listen to no one else – apparently.

There was a rumored fight being put together against British treasure Frank Bruno, who had by then been retired for 7 years, just prior to Bruno being sectioned under the Mental Health Act which wasn’t great publicity.

There was a riot after one of his fights with British fighter Herbie Hide that meant he skipped over to the USA.

But we know as has been said many times, he did not lack courage though no fighter does. It has been said, though, that a highly skilled three minute by three round amateur does not a great professional always make. This seems to have been doubly true of the gentleman that was Mr Harrison.
His professional debut was on the 19th May 2001 in Wembley – thanks to a highly lucrative 10 fight deal with the BBC apparently worth £1 Million – that saw a first round knockout of Mike Middleton who had lost more than he had won.

By 2003, despite much criticism and 3 years after Olympic triumph, he was tipped by Ring Magazine to emulate none other than Lennox Lewis and become a dominant force in the division.

His return to the UK in 2004 saw him win the minor WBF world title against Richel Herisia, gain at Wembley in a 4th round knockout, and then he defended it twice. Ligament damage in his hand thereafter meant he was out for a year.

2005 saw his return and he was still winning as he approached Christmas that year – what could possibly stop him?

His impetuous nature possibly sent him in against Danny Williams on 5 weeks notice for the Commonwealth belt and it ended in defeat by split decision. He went back to the US to lick his wounds and lost again. Things were not being kind to him.

Harrison though, having been a British icon, obviously wanted to set things straight at home and agreed a deal to fight Matt Skelton in 2006. Skelton then pulled out. Williams replaced him and Harrison stopped Williams brutally in the 3rd round.

After the fight, Harrison signed with Frank Warren and Warren geared him up for a world title. Then Michael Sprott knocked him out in a European and English title fight in only the 3rd round.

Even Warren was beginning to tire of the circus, warning him that the great British public would not take much more of it all.

Harrison then unfortunately had a car accident, where he ended up in surgery, then made a comeback on undercards, took on the winner of the very first Prizefighter tournament and lost to taxi driver, Martin Rogan – who was a decent fighter.

What now?

Well, if you can’t beat them and he couldn’t…

Harrison went into the Prizefighter tournament and won. He was then offered a shot at the European title against Albert Sosnowski. By now the infamous meeting with Eddie Hearn had happened and Hearn had agreed to get him a European title shot and if could, get Harrison a world title shot. From there began a narrative that ended with the worst world title fight in history launching one of the most successful careers in boxing – unfortunately NOT the fighters!

Sosnowski got called into the WBC title fight against Vitali Klitschko so Harrison fought late replacement Michael Sprott instead and won, knocking Sprott out in the 10th round!

Would he finally make it to a world title? Well, Eddie said he would…
On 8th June 2010 Harrison vacated his European title and went to media war with David Haye for a fight in November of that year. The deal was signed, Hearn delivered – Audley just didn’t…

It was the most hyped fight of any in the 21st century. We were sold an absolute turkey. David Haye retained his title, his dignity, but lost a lot of support because his opponent in three rounds of boxing threw one punch. One.

Widely ridiculed, Harrison continued with notable fights and defeats to David Price in 2012 (82 seconds), by knockout in the first round, and Deontay Wilder (70 seconds) by knockout in the first round.

In between he won the international Prize fighter crown which cemented a bit of a legacy in a stoppage win against Derric Rossy.

But you know what, the journey was fascinating. The lowlights, the highlights were what kept us waiting and anticipating. He can legitimately claim that when there was very little going on, he laid the foundations of what became the Tyson Fury comeback, the Anthony Joshua pursuit of greatness and the new era of British heavyweight boxing. This was all because the Harrison story was one, we could mock, but also admire – he is a Gold Medallist, a pugilist of note and a man who never shirked things; a boxer, then really. And for that Audley deserves the credit.
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