By Dave O' Swan

So, that heavyweight juggernaut Audley Harrison rolled into Liverpool's Olympia, finally picking up speed, before knocking out American Wade Lewis - 43 seconds into round two.

This was to be the British heavyweight's seventh fight and while his brief professional career has been blighted by criticism, this was arguably Harrison's best performance to date.

With a three-inch height advantage, the 30-year-old Olympic super-heavyweight champion from the 2000 games in Sydney, found little resistance from a challenger who shares the surname of an all-time great, but there the similarity ends.

Harrison was late to arrive in the ring, and after the usual dramatic introductory music had played for a second time, he finally made into the ring, only to be greeted by derisory football-style chants accompanied with much booing and laughter.

But it was Harrison who was to have the last laugh in the disused dancehall by dismantling Lewis with the minimum of fuss. The 32-year-old American offered little defence against a dominant Harrison, and it came as no surprise when he took a count of eight - after a sweet left-hook put him on the canvass, late on in the first.

Lewis' history of only three defeats in 14 contests is not a bad record, but it became clear, after the punishment he took in the opening round, that he was way out of his depth against the potential title contender.

The stools were scarcely out of their corners, when southpaw Harrison landed a clubbing left to Lewis' head sending him sprawling to the canvas. He had the dazed American down a further time, before referee Marcus McDonald stopped the contest after a series of damaging lefts from Harrison.

On-looking British heavyweight champion Danny Williams remarked: "Audley looked good tonight, much more like a pro. Having said that, his opponent was very poor."

Audley Harrison turns 31 next birthday, and in a climate where boxers seem to mature at middle-age these days, there is still time for him to reach the heights already obtained by his more illustrious co-heavy Lennox Lewis.

With the retirement of the world champion not to far on the horizon, there are a clutch of heavyweights waiting for the chance to seize one of the many belts on offer. Harrison will want to maintain the progress he has made if he is to be amongst them, but his management will surely be looking for more durability when searching for his next opponent.

Harrison was pleased with the way he performed, saying: "I've been working on my fitness and my power. I've got a great left hook and when I use it, it is dramatic."

He went on to add, laughing: "not bad for a bloke who can't punch."

Realistically Harrison must be disappointed to be fighting in front of just 1,300 in a darkened area of Merseyside, when after his triumphant return from Sydney 2000, he was expecting to be raising his fists in salute at a packed Wembley Arena.

Indeed, his paymasters at the BBC seem to have lost interest in their man. After all the build-up and hype surrounding Harrison after his Antipodean success , his fights are now scheduled for the grave-yard slot of 11.30 pm - with this match-up shown on pre-recorded time delay.