Audley Hugh Harrison, (born 26 October 1971) is a British former
professional boxer who competed from 2001 to 2013. As an
amateur he represented Great Britain at the
2000 Olympics, winning a gold medal in the
super-heavyweight division and becoming the first ever British boxer to win Olympic gold in that division. Harrison turned professional the following year after signing a contract with
BBC Sport
BBC Sport is the sports division of the BBC, providing national sports coverage for BBC television, radio and online. The BBC holds the television and radio UK broadcasting rights to several sports, broadcasting the sport live or alongside f ...
, and went on to have seventeen fights on the network before their cancellation of all boxing broadcasts.
In his professional career he challenged for the
WBA,
British, and
Commonwealth heavyweight
Heavyweight is a weight class in combat sports and professional wrestling.
Boxing Professional
Boxers who weigh over are considered heavyweights by 3 of the 4 major professional boxing organizations: the International Boxing Federation, the W ...
titles. In 2009, Harrison won the
Prizefighter tournament, his first of two. He became the
European heavyweight champion in 2010, after defeating
Michael Sprott in a rematch of their 2007 bout.
In 2013, Harrison won his second Prizefighter tournament, becoming the first boxer to do so.
Amateur career
Boxing out of Repton Amateur Boxing Club in
Bethnal Green
Bethnal Green is an area in the East End of London northeast of Charing Cross. The area emerged from the small settlement which developed around the Green, much of which survives today as Bethnal Green Gardens, beside Cambridge Heath Road. By ...
, London, Harrison became
British super heavyweight champion in 1997, defeating Nick Kendall in the final. He retained the title in 1998, defeating Dean Redmond, and won gold at the
1998 Commonwealth Games beating Michael Macquae of
Mauritius
Mauritius ( ; french: Maurice, link=no ; mfe, label= Mauritian Creole, Moris ), officially the Republic of Mauritius, is an island nation in the Indian Ocean about off the southeast coast of the African continent, east of Madagascar. It ...
in the final. In 2000 he won gold at the
Sydney Olympics
The 2000 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXVII Olympiad and also known as Sydney 2000 ( Dharug: ''Gadigal 2000''), the Millennium Olympic Games or the Games of the New Millennium, was an international multi-sport event held from ...
by defeating
Mukhtarkhan Dildabekov
Mukhtarkhan Qabylanbekuly Dildabekov ( kk, Мұхтархан Қабыланбекұлы Ділдәбеков, ''Mūhtarhan Qabylanbekūly Dıldäbekov''; born March 19, 1976) is a Kazakh boxer, best known to win the silver medal in the Super Hea ...
of
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country located mainly in Central Asia and partly in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the north and west, China to the east, Kyrgyzstan to the southeast, Uzbeki ...
on points. After his medal win, Harrison was awarded an
MBE.
Highlights
*1998 at the European Super Heavyweight Championships in Minsk, Belarus, lost to
Serguei Lyakhovich
Siarhei Piatrovich Liakhovich ( be, Сяргей Пятровіч Ляховіч, Siarhiej Piatrovič Lachovič; russian: Серге́й Петро́вич Ляхо́вич, Sergey Petrovich Lyakhovich; also Siarhiej Piatrovič Liachovič or Siar ...
(Belarus)
*1998 Commonwealth Games Super Heavyweight Gold Medalist. Results were:
**Defeated Fai Falamoe (New Zealand) points
**Defeated Jim Whitehead (Australia) KO 3
**Defeated Michael Macquae (Mauritius) KO 1
*1999 competed at the World Championships in Houston, United States. Results were:
**Defeated Lazizbek Zokirov (Uzbekistan) points
**Lost to
Sinan Samil Sam
Sinan (Arabic: سنان ''sinān'') is a name found in Arabic and Early Arabic, meaning ''spearhead''. The name may also be related to the Ancient Greek name Sinon. It was used as a male given name.
Etymology
The word is possibly stems from t ...
(Turkey) points
*Won the Super Heavyweight Gold Medal representing Great Britain at the 2000
Olympics in Sydney, Australia. Results were:
**Defeated
Alexei Lezin (Russia) TKO 4
**Defeated
Alexey Mazikin
Oleksiy Mazikin (born 16 February 1975) is a Ukrainian boxer best known to win the silver medal at the 2001 World Championships in the Men's Super Heavyweight division.
Amateur
Mazikin was a successful amateur but kept losing to southpaws.
At ...
(Ukraine) points
**Defeated
Paolo Vidoz (Italy) points
**Defeated
Mukhtarkhan Dildabekov
Mukhtarkhan Qabylanbekuly Dildabekov ( kk, Мұхтархан Қабыланбекұлы Ділдәбеков, ''Mūhtarhan Qabylanbekūly Dıldäbekov''; born March 19, 1976) is a Kazakh boxer, best known to win the silver medal in the Super Hea ...
(Kazakhstan) points
Professional career
In 2001, Harrison released his autobiography ''Realising the Dream'' and set up his own company, A Force Promotions, to manage his career and concluded several high-profile sponsorships deals and became the first boxer in Britain to sign a direct broadcast deal.
He signed a
£1 million deal with the
BBC to show his first ten professional fights.
His debut was against US club fighter Michael Middleton, whom Harrison knocked out in the first round in Wembley Arena with 6 million viewers watching at home.
He was then out of action for several months with an injury, but by the end of the year outpointed Briton Derek McCafferty over six rounds.
Harrison continued to win and made his United States debut in November 2002, knocking out Shawn Robinson in the 1st round. In February 2003 he beat US fighter Rob Calloway in four rounds,
and outpointed Ratko Draskovic over eight rounds.
Harrison then knocked out Matt Ellis in two rounds. Harrison then tried to arrange a fight with 41-year-old ex-World champion
Frank Bruno, who had been retired for seven years. A dispute at
York Hall,
Bethnal Green
Bethnal Green is an area in the East End of London northeast of Charing Cross. The area emerged from the small settlement which developed around the Green, much of which survives today as Bethnal Green Gardens, beside Cambridge Heath Road. By ...
with the
Herbie Hide after the Ellis fight resulted in a riot.
The proposed Frank Bruno fight collapsed shortly afterwards, when Bruno was
sectioned under the
Mental Health Act
Mental Health Act is a stock short title used for legislation relating to mental health law.
List Canada
* Mental Health Act (Ontario) (Ontario)
India
*The Mental Health Care Act, 2017
Ireland
*The Mental Health Act 2001
New Zealand
*The Mental ...
. Harrison and Hide were both penalised by the British Boxing Board of Control for the riot.
America bound
Following the Ellis riot, Harrison relocated to the USA where he was unbeaten in 11 fights, with 8 knockouts. In the 2003 November issue of the Ring Magazine, Harrison was tipped to emulate Lennox Lewis and become a dominant world champion.
He had three more fights in 2003, against Lisandro Diaz (KO4),
Quinn Navarre (KO3),
and Brian Nix (KO3),
in America. Harrison was sparring regularly with experienced world class Heavyweights like
Vaughn Bean
Vaughn Bean (born September 3, 1974) is an American former professional boxer. Nicknamed "Shake & Bake", Bean challenged twice for world heavyweight titles in 1997 and 1998.
Professional career
Bean began his career with 27 victories over extre ...
.
Harrison returned to the UK in 2004, but instead of fighting new British champion
Michael Sprott for the British title, he fought unbeaten Dutch fighter
Richel Hersisia for the World Boxing Foundation (WBFo) World belt. He knocked out Hersisia in 4 rounds.
He defended the title twice: a 12-round points win over late-sub
Julius Francis
Julius Francis (born 8 December 1964) is a British former professional boxer who participated in many noteworthy boxing matches in the mid 90s and 2000s. In 2007, he also participated in a mixed martial arts bout, having been a former European ...
,
and a 9th-round TKO of unbeaten Tomasz Bonin.
After suffering a serious ligament tear in his left hand requiring hand surgery in New York, Harrison did not fight for almost a year.
BBC deal ends
Harrison's contract was not renewed in 2004 and the BBC stopped broadcasting professional boxing.
Harrison returned to the ring in June 2005, knocking out Robert Davis (KO7)
and Robert Wiggins (KO4).
On ''
The Best Damn Sports Show Period'' he said he was now ready to step up and face world class opponents and get a title shot.
Loss of form
Harrison returned to the UK in December to face long-time bitter rival
Danny Williams in London for the Commonwealth title. Harrison stepped in after Matt Skelton had pulled out and took the bout on five weeks notice. Harrison lost a close, split decision.
In April 2006, Harrison fought in the US against
Dominick Guinn and again lost on points.
Harrison put the defeat down to loss of confidence from his defeat to Williams and insisted he would bounce back. In June, he scored a three-round knockout of Andrew Greeley in an off-TV fight in America,
and was poised for a fight with
Matt Skelton to try to resurrect his career. Skelton had beaten Danny Williams in July, winning the title Williams had earlier taken from Harrison. When Skelton dropped out only one week before the fight due to injury, Danny Williams replaced him.
Williams had trained 8 weeks for a fight with British champion
Scott Gammer
Scott Gammer (born 24 October 1976) is a Welsh former professional boxer who competed from 2002 to 2009. He held the British heavyweight title from 2006 to 2007 and challenged once for the lesser European Union heavyweight title in 2008.
Biogra ...
. This time Harrison fought far more aggressively, decking Williams twice and winning on a third-round knockout. Williams suffered a broken nose and severe lacerations,
and Harrison was once again lauded as a contender for a world title. Following the victory over Williams, Harrison signed a promotional deal with
Frank Warren, whose aim was to get Harrison a world title fight in 2007.
On 17 February 2007, Harrison was knocked out by
Michael Sprott for the European Union title. This third professional loss left Harrison's future uncertain. Harrison claimed that he could make a comeback, but Warren suggested that any return to the ring would be for a reduced purse, since the public would have no great interest.
Harrison returned to fight Paul King for a bout scheduled for 29 September 2007 in Sheffield. However, he and his coach Kelvyn Travis were involved in a car accident on 21 September 2007 in the United States, and Harrison suffered injuries that caused the fight to be cancelled. Harrison had also suggested that a deal would be announced involving promoter Dennis Hobson, but the cancellation of the fight meant that a formal announcement was on hold. Harrison underwent surgery for his injuries, and returned on 19 April 2008, beating the American Jason Barnett in the fifth round on the undercard of the
Bernard Hopkins vs.
Joe Calzaghe fight at the
Thomas & Mack Center in
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vega ...
.
This bout was the first of a new multi-bout agreement between Harrison and Warren, which aimed to get Harrison a world title shot in 2009.
After proposed matches with
Samuel Peter
Samuel Okon Peter (born September 6, 1980) is a Nigerian professional boxer. He held the WBC heavyweight title in 2008, when he stopped Oleg Maskaev in six rounds. In his prime, he was known for his rivalry with the Klitschko brothers, having ...
and
Martin Rogan fell through,
on 6 September 2008 Harrison gained what the BBC described as "an unconvincing victory" over
George Arias at the
MEN Arena
Manchester Arena, currently referred to as the AO Arena for sponsorship reasons, is an indoor arena in Manchester, England, immediately north of the city centre and partly above Manchester Victoria station in air rights space. The arena has the ...
in Manchester.
The fight was overshadowed by
Amir Khan's first defeat later on the same card. On 6 December 2008, Harrison's career seemed all but over as he was defeated by the winner of the first ''
Prizefighter'' tournament and Belfast taxi driver, Martin Rogan. The referee scored the contest 96–95 in favour of the Irishman.
Comeback
Harrison signed for the ''
Prizefighter'' tournament, an eight-man, one-night knockout tournament that took place at
ExCeL London on 2 October 2009.
On 1 October 2009, he weighed in for ''Prizefighter'' at 18 stones and half a pound. He went on to win the tournament, by way of second round knock-out against
Coleman Barrett
Coleman Barrett (born 10 November 1982), nicknamed Coley, is an Irish professional boxer who has held the Irish heavyweight title.
Prizefighter
Coleman competed in the Prizefighter series on 2 October 2009 at the ExCeL London, London Do ...
. Before that, he had knocked out
Scott Belshaw and won a unanimous decision over Danny Hughes. Following his success in the ''Prizefighter'' tournament, it was announced on 15 January 2010 that Harrison would face
Albert Sosnowski
Albert Dariusz Sosnowski (born 7 March 1979) is a Polish former professional boxer who challenged for the WBC heavyweight title in 2010.
Professional career
Sosnowski made his professional debut in July 1998, defeating Czech fighter Jan Drobena ...
for the
European Boxing Union heavyweight title, with the fight set for 9 April 2010. However Sosnowski called the bout off for a shot at
Vitali Klitschko's WBC title.
On 9 April 2010, Harrison won the vacant
EBU belt against old foe
Michael Sprott at
Alexandra Palace. He knocked out Sprott in the final round despite being behind on all three judges scorecards. Harrison claimed he sustained a shoulder injury early in the fight and had to carry on single-handed. BBC Sport said of the fight: "Having come within seconds of a defeat that would have made a mockery of pre-fight assertions that he could face one of the
Klitschko brothers
Vitali Klitschko (born 19 July 1971) and Wladimir Klitschko (born 25 March 1976), known as the Klitschko Brothers, are Ukrainian former professional boxers. During their peak years between 2004 and 2015, they were considered the dominant world he ...
for a world title, Harrison said: 'I had to win it somehow.
On 24 April 2010, Harrison underwent surgery in
Cheadle, Greater Manchester to repair the torn
Pectoralis major muscle
The pectoralis major () is a thick, fan-shaped or triangular convergent muscle, situated at the chest of the human body. It makes up the bulk of the chest muscles and lies under the breast. Beneath the pectoralis major is the pectoralis minor ...
. The surgeon said he expected Harrison to make a "full recovery in about 12 to 16 weeks".
World title challenge vs. David Haye
On 8 June 2010, Harrison vacated his European title, announcing his intention of getting a world title shot. He began negotiations with
Hayemaker Promotions soon after, which culminated in a world-title fight in the
M.E.N. Arena against
WBA champion
David Haye on 13 November 2010.
Harrison was defeated by Haye, with the fight being stopped in the third round after Harrison was unable to respond to a barrage of punches from Haye. Statistics from the fight showed that Harrison only landed a single punch in the entire duration of the contest.
Harrison was heavily criticised for his performance after the bout. British and Commonwealth champion
Derek Chisora stated, "I'd never show my face again if I fought like that. It was pathetic. He disgraced himself and he disgraced British heavyweights, he shouldn't get paid the reported million pounds he is earning after that shambles." European light-heavyweight champion
Nathan Cleverly also voiced his discontent with the fight, adding Harrison should now retire. Due to the nature of Harrison's defeat, the
BBBofC
The British Boxing Board of Control (BBBofC) is the governing body of professional boxing in the United Kingdom.
History
The British Boxing Board of Control was formed in 1929 from the old National Sporting Club and is headquartered in Cardif ...
withheld some of the fighter's purse while a full investigation of the bout was carried out. After the investigation into the fight was concluded, Harrison was granted his full purse on 11 January 2011.
After defeat by David Haye through to retirement
On 3 December 2010, it was confirmed Harrison would continue his career as a professional boxer despite calls for him to retire. Former British and Commonwealth champion
Derek Chisora was critical of the decision, stating, "He's going to box on, but who's going to buy the tickets to go and watch him? Even if he gives them to you for free are you going to go and watch? ... Good luck to Audley anyway."
On 15 November 2011, during an interview on
BBC Breakfast
''BBC Breakfast'' is the BBC television breakfast news programme. Produced by BBC News, the programme is broadcast on BBC One and the BBC News channel. The simulcast is presented live, originally from the BBC Television Centre, London before ...
following his departure from ''
Strictly Come Dancing'', Harrison announced that he would return to boxing for one last time saying "It could be over, but I just need to go and check." He stated his intention was to fight British Heavyweight Champion
Tyson Fury in 2012.
Harrison returned to the ring on 26 May 2012 and boxed Ali Adams at the Brentwood Centre,
Essex
Essex () is a Ceremonial counties of England, county in the East of England. One of the home counties, it borders Suffolk and Cambridgeshire to the north, the North Sea to the east, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent across the estuary of the Riv ...
for the International Masters Championships. Harrison sent his opponent to the canvas with a right hand and although Adams managed to get to his feet, a flurry of follow-up shots from Harrison prompted the referee to step in and end the contest.
Harrison faced
David Price on 13 October 2012, and lost the fight by knockout after 82 seconds of the first round.
Harrison announced that he would not retire from boxing and will box on.
On 23 February 2013 Harrison won the ''
Prizefighter 29: The International Heavyweights III'' tournament, defeating
Derric Rossy
Derric Rossy (born July 2, 1980) is an American former professional boxer and a former defensive end at Boston College. He enrolled in the Lynch School of Education with a major in human development.
Rossy knocked out Gary Bell in the second ro ...
in the final.
On 27 April 2013, Harrison stepped into the ring to fight the unbeaten American prospect
Deontay Wilder, who had a record of 27 wins, all knockouts
7–0–0 Wilder had not been beyond 4 rounds in his professional career. The bout only lasted a mere 70 seconds of the first round. Wilder landed a right hand which wobbled Harrison, Wilder then rushed in with a flurry of wild punches. Harrison was knocked down but managed to beat the count. However, the referee then stopped the bout, deeming Harrison unable to continue. Wilder won via TKO, his 28th consecutive knockout.
On 1 May 2013, Harrison announced his retirement from boxing. However just 20 days later, he came out of retirement with intentions to box on.
On 26 March 2014, Harrison announced he was no longer a professional boxer, and would not return to the ring.
Professional boxing record
Television viewership
Germany
UK pay-per-view bouts
Reality television
On 6 September 2011, it was announced that Harrison would take part in the 2011 series of ''
Strictly Come Dancing''. Harrison and his dance partner
Natalie Lowe made it to the seventh round of the contest before being voted out.
Harrison came second in the 2014 Summer edition of ''
Celebrity Big Brother'', and in 2016 he took part in ''
Celebrity MasterChef
''MasterChef'' is a competitive cooking reality show produced by Endemol Shine UK and Banijay and broadcast in 60 countries around the world. In the UK, it is produced by the BBC. The show initially ran from 1990 to 2001 and was revived in 20 ...
''.
Personal life
Harrison is married to Raychel. They have a daughter called Ariella Amore Harrison, and a son named Hudson, who was born in May 2013.
In 2015 Harrison revealed he was suffering from
traumatic brain injuries
A traumatic brain injury (TBI), also known as an intracranial injury, is an injury to the brain caused by an external force. TBI can be classified based on severity (ranging from mild traumatic brain injury TBI/concussionto severe traumatic ...
leading to sight problems and severe mood swings.
References
External links
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Harrison, Audley
English male boxers
Heavyweight boxers
Super-heavyweight boxers
Boxers at the 2000 Summer Olympics
Boxers at the 1998 Commonwealth Games
Olympic boxers of Great Britain
Olympic gold medallists for Great Britain
Alumni of Brunel University London
People from Bethnal Green
1971 births
Living people
Black British sportspeople
English people of Jamaican descent
English Olympic medallists
Commonwealth Games gold medallists for England
Prizefighter contestants
England Boxing champions
Olympic medalists in boxing
Medalists at the 2000 Summer Olympics
European Boxing Union champions
Commonwealth Boxing Council champions
Commonwealth Games medallists in boxing
Boxers from Greater London
People with traumatic brain injuries
Alumni of The College of Haringey, Enfield and North East London