By James Slater: Like most of us, writer Colin Hart was shocked and somewhat deflated to read that Audley “A-Force” Harrison was set to fight again. Hart, who has covered greats from Ali to Tyson in his long career, couldn’t resist penning an article about the scheduled Harrison-Ali Adams fight, which will go down in Essex on April 14th.
Hart, who has seen it all and done it all sure had some good lines, too:
“Harrison’s unique form of pacifism has not been seen since that excruciating night in Manchester 14 months ago (the David Haye “fight),” Hart wrote in The Sun. “It’s still painful recalling how Harrison threw just one puny punch.” and, “The good people of Essex must be asking themselves what terrible things have they done to deserve to have Harrison, 40, inflicted on them.”
Hart tells it like it is, and it’s hard to disagree with anything he’s written on the planned return of the 2000 Olympic gold medallist. But the man who is promoting the fight – a largely unknown man named Steve Goodwin – has reported how half of the April 14th tickets have already been sold. Goodwin says he is giving 30-year-old Adams, who he has much faith in, this chance to KO a “name.”
“Ali came to this country 20 years ago when he was ten and I think he has tremendous potential,” Goodwin said. “At this stage of his career he needs publicity and a recognisable name on his record. As far as I’m concerned Harrison is strictly the opponent and not the star.
“I know I’m going to lose money (on the fight) because I don’t have any T.V revenue. But because I have faith in Ali I’m prepared to speculate to accumulate. There’s been a rush for the £100 executive seats and people are coming from as far away as Newcastle. The attraction is seeing Harrison beaten.”
I’m fully aware that Harrison, 27-5(20) is a “love to hate figure,” but there must be some sad people around if so many £100 tickets have been sold. No-one, in a time of recession, has good money to throw away by sitting down and hoping to see a fighter (and, after all, Audley is a pro fighter; a man with the guts to climb inside the ring) beaten up, surely?
And what if Harrison turns up in a fighting mood (like when he fought Danny Williams and Michael Sprott in return fights, KO’ing them both!) and beats Adams? Will the high rollers baying for the blood of Harrison turn on the young Adams, 13-3-1(5) for having “let them down?”
It could be a strange crowd in attendance at The Brentwood Centre in Essex!