By Elliot Worsell – Standout Sydney Olympic champion Audley Harrison climbed the first notch of the heavyweight title ladder last night as he destroyed the overmatched yet game Richel Hersisia in four rounds at the Wembley Arena. In a fight billed as a World Boxing Federation title fight, Harrison turned on the style in the fourth round as Hersisia began to grab a foothold in the contest following three tentative sessions of Harrison ‘problem solving’. The title now in the posession of Harrison, one would hope, will be held in the regard that it deserves. It is after all, not a genuine world championship, and in terms of value and prestige, most domestic straps are found higher up the title shelf.
Nevertheless, last night in Wembley, in front of his hero and mentor Lennox Lewis at ringside, Audley Harrison put on a show worthy of all the acclaim and hype that has been lavished upon him since turning pro in May 2001. After a slow burning start to his professional career, hampered by injury and a knack of fighting obscure opponents, Harrison it seems is now directly on track to achieve the goals he first laid down at the start of his career. At 32 years of age, it’s about time too.
Hersisia, a proud 29-year-old champion from Holland, represented the first real test Harrison would face as a pro. Unbeaten, stocky, a record suggesting he could punch, and a ‘champion’s’ ambition. Harrison wasn’t up against the usual run of the mill heavyweight ‘record padder’ drafted in to give him rounds. Hersisia it was thought possessed a decent enough pedigree and brought with him enough ambition to give Harrison a real test.
In effect though, Harrison treated Hersisia with the disdain and resentment he had with his previous fourteen other opponents. Looking trim and in shape, at his career lightest 17 stone 7lbs, Harrison dwarfed the small, squat brawler from the Netherlands, and was intent on dictating the fight with his long, crisp right jab from the very start.
Passing great Lennox Lewis was perched at ringside lending moral support to Harrison, and it would appear his appearance rubbed off on the ambitious Olympian. Hersisia, looking compact defensively, marched forward not throwing a lot, but looking to land his left hook over the jab of Harrison. Audley, whose jab is a potent weapon when he snaps it out with force, was using the lead as more of a range finder than a solid right prod. There was more thinking than punching going on in the first, as Harrison looked to figure out the impish like Hersisia.
Hersisia upped his game in the following round as Harrison looked to be slipping into cruise control. Too reliant on his superior height and reach advantages, the 6’6 Londoner was concentrating purely on single jabs and straight lefts, neither of which were particularly deterring the come forward Dutchman. Hersisia, who looked to be building confidence, was attempting to fire his left hook as he rolled under the forays of Harrison. Hersisia showed nice head movement, and was slipping the Harrison jab competently at this stage. One left hook from the self proclaimed ‘Dutch Sonny Liston’ caught Harrison unawares, and the giant Briton in return smiled, acknowledging he was caught.
Hersisia would occasionally march forward letting his hands go to both head and body, but nevertheless it didn’t take the well-schooled Harrison too long to figure out the Dutchman’s method. Fighting on the back foot, Harrison showed good defensive skills, as he occasionally parried the attacks of Hersisia with his arms and gloves. At the rounds end, Harrison started to put his shots together and make a dent on the champion in front of him. A sharp right-left combination from out of the southpaw stance backed Hersisia up and gave him something to think about. The crowd duly rose to their feet in appreciation.
The third session was a real breakdown process dished out by Harrison as he beat the drum with his sharp right jab to both head and body. Hersisia, wild on occasions as he tried to get inside, was eating the jab and becoming increasingly frustrated. A cut under his left eye didn’t help matters, and the rugged champion looked to be running out of ideas very quickly. Harrison was still at his measured and methodical best, unflustered by his troubled opponent, and still content with dictating the fight behind his right jab.
Whether Hersisia went out in the 4th to give it one last shot, or whether Harrison just became a bit lazy defensively and shipped some unnecessary blows, what cannot be questioned is the way in which Harrison met fire with fire and extinguished the hopes of his opponent. The champion made a real go of it too. A right over the top from Hersisia seemed to unsettle Harrison momentarily, and this success gave Hersisia confidence as he unloaded on Audley while the big 32-year-old prospect tried to cover up. Harrison rode out the momentary storm and showed good composure in doing so. Hersisia’s last ditch surge acted as nothing more than a wake up call to Harrison, as, like a provoked bumblebee, he came stinging back. A chopping left cross followed by a cutely picked right to the body ruffled the feathers of the champion, and Harrison kept his foot on the gas with a combination of brilliantly picked shots from both fist. Hersisia’s gloves remained high, his chin tucked in, but Harrison still managed to find glitches in his defence via a stream of uppercuts and tight hooks. Hersisia took the last few punches of the barrage flush on his unguarded jaw and was sent reeling back to a neutral corner where he was felled in a crumpled heap. Harrison gritted his teeth and jumped in joy, as Hersisia was duly counted out by referee Ian John Lewis, despite struggling to his feet.
Lennox Lewis could be seen at ringside shooting his fist towards the sky as Harrison chopped down the challenge of Hersisia, and most others in the arena followed suit. A tremendous, eye catching finishing volley of punches that most heavyweights around the world often neglect. Body shots, multi punch combinations and down and dirty infighting not seen since the golden era of Tyson and Holyfield. It was good to watch and went to show that irrespective of the opponent in front of Harrison and the title draped around the contest like an unwelcome stench, he could fight and is a match for most.
Of course there are still numerous questions the fast-talking, articulate Londoner has to answer before he can even comprehend taking over the reigns of Lennox Lewis. Of course Richel Hersisia was a dressed up European fighter with an obscure title to hide his technical faults. But even so, in Audley Harrison, Britain have a confident, unbeaten prospect who has got people taking both sides of the pond, and on this kind of form, will continue to do so.