02.08.04 – Vivian Harris talks a good fight but when it comes down to it doesn’t want to fight. After all his cheap trash talk, Vivian Harris has rejected a fight with Manchester star RICKY HATTON. Harris’ promoters Main Events, through their attorney Patrick English, said today that Harris does not want to go to England to defend his WBA World Light-Welterweight title against Hatton in October.
This was despite Promoter Frank Warren confirming last week that he would STILL meet Harris’ demand of the original $750,000 purse even though the US TV Network Showtime would not be televising the fight – meaning that Warren was prepared to take the financial hit to get the title fight for Hatton.
Warren set Harris’ team a deadline of today to confirm and English contacted Warren saying that the their man was not interested in tackling Mancunian Hitman.
“After Kelson Pinto pulling out earlier this year, yet another fighter has pulled out of fighting Ricky. We have done everything in our power to make this fight happen which everyone has seen. After all the trash Harris has talked and the financial demands he has made – which I met – he now says he doesn’t want to fight Ricky. It’s a shame that his balls are not as big as his mouth.” Stormed Warren.
Hatton, known for his calm respectful manner, said, “My fans know that I never have a bad word to say about fighters but for the first time I have got to say this about Harris: “He is not the WBA World Champion. He is the WBS Champion – The World Bullshit Champion,
“I’ve had to put up with all his rubbish on websites saying that he definitely wants the fight and all along he is just kidding everyone. He never wanted the fight,
“In defence of Frank he has bent over backwards to make this fight happen. Where else will he get that kind of purse? He’s not a name or a draw and the reason he was getting that purse was because of my name,
“What else is on offer for Harris? He would rather fight Oktay Urkal for half that amount again in Germany,
“I think he has made a right clown of himself after saying he was going to smash me up in four rounds with body shots and he’s going to do this and that to me but when it comes down to the crunch he doesn’t want to fight me.
“I hope that the fight fans out there will see the truth and that it was not down to Ricky Hatton or Frank Warren that this fight did not happen.”