05.09.07 – By James Slater: Next week sees the anniversary of the third and final boxing fight between light-heavyweight warriors Jeff “The Hitman” Harding and Dennis “The Rock” Andries. On September 11th, 1991, the two teak-tough 175 pounders met in London to settle their rivalry with a rubber-match. As in fights one and two, a ferociously paced and grueling battle ensued. Harding won by the closest of majority decisions – bringing the end to one of the light-heavyweight division’s most hard fought series of fights in recent memory.
To me, however, it seems these brutal fights are often overlooked when it comes to compiling all-time great trilogy lists. This is a shame, as all three fights are as fine an example of just how brave and supremely conditioned – mentally as well as physically – boxers have to be to make it at the very top. Indeed, the Harding-Andries fights are, quite simply, way too good to ever be forgotten.
Fight one took place at The New Jersey Convention Centre in Atlantic City, back in June of 1989 and Dennis was the defending WBC 175 pound champ. Andries, aged thirty-six, and who was now trained by the great Emanuel Steward, was enjoying his second reign as champion. Having Regrouped under Steward’s guidance after his drubbing at the hands of the legendary Thomas Hearns, Dennis – who had won the title for a second time, with a fifth round stoppage of the unbeaten Tony Willis, in February of ’89 – signed to make the first defence of his second tenure as WBC boss against another, far less know “Hitman” – this one a 14-0 fighter coming all the way from Sydney, Australia.
Jeff Harding, aged just twenty-four, may have been almost completely unknown going into the bout, but he more than made a name for himself during the superb brawl. A big underdog, Harding took everything Andries could dish out in the early going – including a contentious looking knockdown in round number five – before coming on strong in the final third of the fight to win. Despite being covered in blood due to bad cuts around his right eye, and despite having taken some wicked shots from the rampaging champion, Jeff gutted it out and scored a TKO win over the rapidly tiring Andries in the twelfth and final round. In tears of joy after his triumph, the new “Hitman” had arrived on the world stage. To make Harding’s unexpected win even more dramatic was the fact that Dennis had been ahead on all three judges’ scorecards going into the last session. Andries was exhausted, but also keen for a return fight.
After making two successful defences, both inside schedule, the new champ signed to give Andries what he so badly wanted. Harding-Andries II was on – only this time the fight would take place in the champ’s home country. Dennis would have to make the long haul flight to Oz. Few gave the aging former king much of a chance at becoming a three-time WBC belt holder. Not only had Dennis been quite badly beaten in fight one with Harding, but this time he had to fight in Australia too. This time, in July of 1990, Dennis was the betting underdog.
As with their initial encounter, though, there was to be an upset. Throwing himself at Harding like a man possessed in the middle rounds, Dennis looked for all the world like a man who was going to punch himself out. Instead, and sensationally, the Londoner’s tactics actually worked. In round number seven, with Andries throwing everything at him, a huge over-handed, and quite ungainly thrown, blow to the side/top of the head, finally sent Harding to the mat. He was counted out in the act of rising and the old man from London was once again the world champion. Somehow, Dennis even found the energy to perform a victory somersault after the ref had hit ten. Finally, after many years in the wilderness, Dennis was to get at least some of the credit he so clearly deserved. But there would also have to be a third and deciding fight.
After two successful retentions by Dennis – one of which was over another Australian in Guy Waters -the rubber-match took place. In yet another country, this one Dennis’ own, and with a large supporting crowd in attendance to spur him on, along with live T.V coverage in the U.K, Dennis, now pushing forty years of age, was determined to sort out his rivalry with the Australian warrior once and for all. This third fight, which took place in Hammersmith, London, seventeen years ago next Tuesday, was the most grueling and damaging of the lot.
Once again a fierce pace was set right from the get-go and once again it was hard to pick a winner. Despite his age, Andries was supremely fit, as was the much younger former beach bum in Harding. Both men knocked absolute lumps out of one another for the full twelve rounds. At times in the later rounds it looked doubtful that Dennis was going to last. Appearing to have reached the point of real exhaustion, Andries was open-mouthed and bloody lipped. He hung on, however, and somehow made it to the final bell. Excruciatingly for him, though, he hadn’t done quite enough to retain his title after having done so. The most bitter and closely scored fight of the trilogy went to the man from Oz via an agonizingly close majority verdict. Jeff had done it. This time he had pulled off a win in the other guy’s backyard.
With this fight, one of the light-heavyweight division’s hardest fought three fight series was finally over. There have been few fights that can match the complete lack of quit shown by both men in each and every installment of this barn-burning trilogy. A trilogy that, to my mind, deserves to be celebrated along with other great three fight series from the sport of boxing such as Ali-Frazier, Bowe-Holyfield and Duran-DeJesus – at least from a sheer guts standpoint. Dig out the tapes, watch them and you’ll see for yourself!