by James Slater – Tonight’s intriguing clash between Albert Sosnowski and Paolo Vidoz, which will decide the currently vacant European heavyweight title, will have one very interested observer in former Olympian champion Audley Harrison. According to an article that has appeared in The Mirror, the 38-year-old known as “A-Force” is being lined up by promoter Barry Hearn to fight the winner..
Feeling his faltering career was revived in style due to the way he recently won the latest heavyweight instalment of the Hearn-promoted “Prize Fighter” tournament, Harrison is convinced he can still become world heavyweight champion. And the big southpaw who is currently 26-4(19) feels if he were to win the European title it would help him along in his quest to get a crack at world honours.
“I’m ticking over in Los Angeles and can’t wait to get going again,” Audley said. “A European title fight is a quick route back and that is something I am keen to talk about with promoter Barry Hearn. I want to do whatever gets me to a world title the quickest way possible.”
Tonight’s fight between the man from Poland going up against the Italian boxer, to be held at the historic York Hall in London, might be a pretty tough one to pick; but with all due respect to both men, Harrison would have a good chance at beating either (after all, both Vidoz and Sosnowski have been beaten by the oft-defeated Zuri Lawrence)
30-year-old Sosnowski, who is now based in Essex, is the younger man by almost ten years and he also has the better record of the two men. At 44-2-1(27), Sosnoswki has been stopped just once; by a guy named Arthur Crook way back in 2001. Recently, the approx 227-pound Pole has shown good form; stopping Danny Williams back in November of last year and then holding the huge Francesco Pianeta to a draw many felt he’d won in April. Going by all this, then, Sosnowski looks the favourite tonight.
Vidoz, however, cannot be written off. His recent form has not been great (losses in two of his last three outings; to Sinan Samil Sam and then Matt Skelton), but the Italian is tough and he has wins to his name over good men like Timo Hoffman and Michael Sprott (albeit back in 2005). Stopped three times as a pro – by Skelton, Vladimir Virches and Nikolai Valuev – Vidoz, 26-6(15) has had his share of hard fights.
I have to go with the younger man, the fresher man, the man with more KO’s to his name and the man who has shown the better form recently – and that’s Sosnowski. It doesn’t figure to be an easy night for him though.
So, could we see the British-based Pole defending his European belt against the now U.S-based Harrison next year? If so, there could be a way back yet for “A-Force!”