Audley Harrison’s reputation as a heavyweight prospect was partly restored at the ExCel Centre in the east end of London last Saturday night when he stopped Danny Williams in the third round. If Williams was a late replacement for Matt Skelton, and therefore well short of peak condition, Harrison at least showed some of the aggression that is a necessary ingredient of the authentic heavyweight.
The 35-year-old former Olympic gold medallist floored Williams twice, the 20th victory of his career against two defeats, to avenge a miserable loss to Williams at the same arena 12 months ago. It was hardly a display of excellence by Harrison. Williams looked a shell of the fighter who fought so heroically when defeating Mike Tyson in Louisville and has never recovered from the beating he took from Vitali Klitschko in an ill-advised title challenge five months later.
For last Saturday’s fight he replaced Skelton at a week’s notice after the Commonwealth champion withdrew with a hand injury. Williams leaped at the opportunity of repeating his previous victory over Harrison.
Williams was confident but from the moment he entered the ring he clearly wasn’t in the right frame of mind, spending most of the preliminaries slumped on his stool vacant eyed when called to the center of the ring.
At the weigh-in Williams had talked a good fight. When it was put to him that Harrison, an 11-8 favourite, still believed he could be a world title contender, Williams smiled. “He can say all he likes,” he said. “But once I hit him and he tastes his own blood he’ll revert to fighting like a poofter.”
Both men had lost fights since their first meeting. Williams to Skelton in July at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff and Harrison to Dominick Guinn of America when he gave another poor performance, showing a familiar reluctance to assert himself. “But that kind of performance will not happen again.” Harrison said. “I’m focused strictly on boxing.”
Harrison’s insistence that his days as a playboy are over was evident from the opening bell. He was immediately aggressive, finding Williams with his left hand and then a heavy right. Williams was able to survive the round but as he trudged back to his corner his face bore an air of resignation.
Things didn’t improve for Williams. The referee Richie Davies interrupted the action after further exchanges to call for the ringside doctor to examine the damage done by Harrison’s blows. One slashing hook had opened a cut across Williams’s face and it was with some reluctance that the doctor allowed the fight to continue.
Early in the third round Williams made one last desperate attempt to get into the fight, staggering Harrison with a solid left to the jaw. Harrison’s response to this futile effort was a left uppercut that sent Williams staggering to the floor. Williams took an eight-count then a series of damaging punches which sent him onto his knees, prompting referee Davies to call a halt to the contest after 2:32 of the round.
With the heavyweight division in such a parlous state the promoter Frank Warren believes he can deliver a world title shot for Harrison in 2007. It is not inconceivable.
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