28.10.08 – by James Slater – The on/off fight between Audley “A-Force” Harrison and the unbeaten Martin Rogan will finally take place this December 6th, after being postponed on two previous occasions. Harrison and “Prize Fighter” winner Rogan will share a bill at London’s ExCel Arena with Nicky Cook and Amir Khan boxing against as yet unannounced opposition..
The heavyweight bout is an interesting one, and the styles of the two men will hopefully mesh well enough to provide the paying customers with a good fight. Promoter Frank Warren, speaking today in U.K newspaper The Sun, expects nothing but an exciting and impressive performance from the 37-year-old southpaw who famously won gold at the 2000 Olympics. Harrison, 23-3(17) has not lived up to his once promising potential, and Warren says the fight with Rogan will be the 6’5″ heavyweight’s final chance to do so, with him as his promoter anyway.
Harrison was booed mercilessly by the fans during his last fight, a points win over Brazilian cruiserweight George Arios, and Warren says big Audley must look good this time, or else.
“He’s got to do it this time,” Warren said “because if he doesn’t then it’s all over as far as I’m concerned.”
Surely Harrison will heed this warning and make sure he comes to fight in December. One would think so, anyway, but Harrison is a strange case indeed. As talented as he is, and as big and athletic as he is, the 37-year-old will not or cannot put it together and perform at an acceptable level when fight time comes. Time and again he’s looked negative, gun-shy and intimidated. His last fight, against the much smaller Arios, was a perfect example.
Harrison, having nothing to fear from a man who, though he had stopped a respectable 29 of the 41 opponents he had beaten, was some 38-pounds the lighter fighter, was content to win on points. Instead of jumping right on a rival who had lost ten fights, four by stoppage, in an effort to get him out of there, Harrison was willing only to put his punches together sporadically. As this pattern of hitting an opponent with a few good shots and then clinching became obvious once again, the fans let their displeasure be known. Audley left the arena to a chorus of boos.
Now, against fellow 37-year-old Rogan, “A-Force” has his last shot at doing something that will lead him to big things. Rogan’s aggressive style will do one of two things: it will put Harrison on the negative back foot before overwhelming him, or it will bring out the best in a reluctant warrior who has no time to think and therefore is made to fight on instinct.
Harrison HAS looked good as a pro. Once. Dealing with the capable Danny Williams inside just 3-rounds in a rematch of a fight he lost on points, Audely looked the business. If he can put on a similar performance against the man from Belfast in December, Harrison will retain Warren’s powerful promotional services. If not, who knows where he will wind up.
Never has Audley Harrison had a more important fight!