A Message to Audley Harrison

WIN YOUR BOUT – WIN IT WELL – AND THEN STEP BACK INTO RESPECTED RETIREMENT

Audley deserves to have his opportunity for redemption
Harrison wishes to erase the humiliation of his loss to David Haye

Audley Harrison, the former Olympic Games laureate now 40 years old, is scheduled to return to the ring against 30 years-old Ali Adams, who was born in Baghdad, at the Brentwood Centre on 14^th April 2012. Fresh from entertaining a new audience on Strictly Come Dancing, he has unfinished business in the ring. Harrison wishes to erase the humiliation of his three-round loss to David Haye in pursuit of the WBA version of the world heavyweight crown just over a year ago. With a record of 27 wins and 5 losses, he has fought at a higher level of competition than Adams who was managed to achieve 13 wins against 3 losses and a draw.
Audley deserves to have his opportunity for redemption. He is an attractive personality. I cherish fond memories of the young Harrison, who went out of his way to help journalists and up-and-coming boxers – unlike so many “names” he supported his colleagues in other sports and in social activities. It is difficult to square the image of that Audley with the arrogance of his later press conferences and contests. His record since winning the Olympic gold and turning professional has been disappointing. Critics have said that his best two “fights” were those across the ropes with Herbie Hide, after he had beaten Matthew Ellis, and with the national press.
Yes – Audley Harrison has disappointed. In physique and ability he seems to have “had it all”. If ever a man had champion stamped on him it was Harrison. Yet he was as capable of slithering to a lacklustre defeat against Martin Rogan as he was of producing the superb punch which knocked out Michael Sprott in the closing seconds of a fight which seemed to have slipped from his grasp. It has been demeaning to hear the booing which has greeted his latter appearances in the ring.
Audley deserves to have an opportunity for his final day in the sun. And, surely, in their hearts the majority of fans feel that he should go out in style. A boxer is remembered, as the saying goes, only by his last fight, and in his last fight Harrison could go out yet as one of the “good guys” of British heavyweight boxing. He cannot lose to Adams – can he? – that would be a humiliation too far.
Even so I fear that if Audley Harrison should win, and particularly if he should win well, he will be persuaded to come back again, and again, and again until he fades into an obscurity from which there can be no redemption. To some people Audley is already a joke – he does not deserve to be a sad joke. Yet if he should win here there is always ..... Dereck Chisora, Sam Sexton / Larry Olubamiwo, a rising young lion such as David Price, or two or three, a handful of semi-known continentals or Americans, and even possibly a Klitschko on the downward path of advancing age.
Audley, please take it from CaribCommx in friendship, win your bout – win it well – and then hang up your gloves and step back into respected retirement.

Clayton Goodwin   

Miss Caribbean & Commonwealth – A New Challenger

Barbara Byabazire – representing Uganda – has entered the Miss Caribbean & Commonwealth challenge. More details of Barbara can be found on Miss C & C 2012 / January 2012.