Audley Harrison

1.1. Birth and Early Years

Audley Hugh Harrison was born on October 26, 1971, in Park Royal, London, England. His childhood environment in London provided the backdrop for his formative years before he embarked on his journey in boxing.

1.2. Introduction to Boxing

Harrison began his boxing journey at the age of 19. He trained out of Repton Amateur Boxing Club in Bethnal Green, London. This late start for a future Olympian required intense dedication to build the fundamental skills and physical conditioning necessary for a competitive boxing career, laying the groundwork for his amateur successes.

2.1. Key Achievements

During his amateur boxing career, Harrison established himself as a dominant force in the super-heavyweight division. He became the British British super-heavyweight champion in 1997, defeating Nick Kendall in the final. He successfully retained this title in 1998 by defeating Dean Redmond. In the same year, he won a gold medal at the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur, where he secured victory against Michael Macquae of Mauritius in the final. His path to the Commonwealth gold included points victories over Fai Falamoe of New Zealand and knockout victories over Jim Whitehead of Australia and Michael Macquae. In 1998, he also competed at the European Super Heavyweight Championships in Minsk, Belarus, where he lost to Serguei Lyakhovich. In 1999, he participated in the World Championships in Houston, United States, defeating Lazizbek Zokirov of Uzbekistan on points but losing to Sinan Samil Sam of Turkey on points.

2.2. 2000 Sydney Olympics Gold Medal

The pinnacle of Harrison's amateur career was his gold medal win at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia. Representing Great Britain, he competed in the super-heavyweight division. His journey to gold included a technical knockout victory over Alexei Lezin of Russia in the fourth round, followed by points victories against Alexey Mazikin of Ukraine and Paolo Vidoz of Italy. In the gold medal match, Harrison defeated Mukhtarkhan Dildabekov of Kazakhstan on points. This victory was particularly significant as he became the first ever British boxer to win an Olympic gold medal in the super-heavyweight division, cementing his place in British sporting history. Following this triumph, Harrison was awarded an MBE.

3.1. Debut and Early Success

Harrison transitioned to professional boxing in 2001, making an unconventional move by setting up his own company, A Force Promotions, to manage his career. This made him the first British boxer to sign a direct broadcast deal with a television network, securing a 1.00 M GBP agreement with the BBC to broadcast his first ten professional fights. This pioneering contract was seen as a bold step to maintain control over his career.

His professional debut took place on May 19, 2001, at Wembley Arena in London, against US club fighter Michael Middleton. Harrison achieved a first-round technical knockout victory, a fight that was watched by 6 million viewers at home. Following this, an injury sidelined him for several months, but he returned later that year to outpoint fellow Briton Derek McCafferty over six rounds.

Harrison continued his winning streak into 2002 and 2003. He made his U.S. debut on November 23, 2002, knocking out Shawn Robinson in the first round in Atlantic City, New Jersey. In February 2003, he defeated US fighter Rob Calloway in four rounds and then outpointed Ratko Draskovic over eight rounds. He then knocked out Matt Ellis in two rounds. A controversial incident occurred after the Ellis fight at York Hall, Bethnal Green, involving a dispute with Herbie Hide that resulted in a riot, for which both Harrison and Hide were penalized by the British Boxing Board of Control. Harrison had attempted to arrange a fight with the 41-year-old former world champion Frank Bruno, who had been retired for seven years, but the proposed fight collapsed when Bruno was sectioned under the Mental Health Act 1983.

3.2. WBF Title and US Ventures

After the York Hall riot, Harrison relocated to the United States, where he remained unbeaten in 11 fights, securing eight knockouts. In November 2003, The Ring Magazine tipped him to emulate Lennox Lewis and become a dominant world champion. He fought three times in the U.S. in 2003, winning by knockout against Lisandro Diaz (KO4), Quinn Navarre (KO3), and Brian Nix (KO3). During this period, Harrison regularly sparred with experienced world-class heavyweights such as Vaughn Bean.

Returning to the UK in 2004, Harrison opted to fight unbeaten Dutch boxer Richel Hersisia for the World Boxing Federation (WBF) World belt, rather than challenging Michael Sprott for the British title. He knocked out Hersisia in the fourth round to win the WBF heavyweight title on March 20, 2004, at Wembley Arena. He successfully defended the title twice: first with a 12-round unanimous decision win over late-replacement Julius Francis on May 8, 2004, and then with a ninth-round technical knockout of the unbeaten Tomasz Bonin on June 19, 2004. After his defense against Bonin, Harrison suffered a severe ligament tear in his left hand, requiring surgery in New York. This injury led to a nearly year-long absence from the ring.

3.3. Period of Struggles and Comebacks

Harrison's career entered a more turbulent phase following his early successes, marked by significant defeats and persistent efforts to regain his previous form and public trust.

3.4. World Title Challenge Against David Haye

On June 8, 2010, Harrison vacated his European title, signaling his intention to pursue a world title shot. Negotiations with Hayemaker Promotions led to a highly anticipated WBA world heavyweight title fight against champion David Haye on November 13, 2010, at the Manchester Evening News Arena.

The fight proved to be a major disappointment for Harrison and his fans. Haye stopped Harrison in the third round after a barrage of punches, with Harrison unable to respond effectively. Post-fight statistics revealed that Harrison landed only a single punch throughout the entire contest. This performance led to widespread and severe criticism from both the public and boxing figures. British and Commonwealth champion Derek Chisora publicly lambasted Harrison, stating, "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 called for Harrison's retirement. The nature of the defeat led the BBBofC to withhold part of Harrison's purse pending a full investigation into the bout. After the investigation concluded, Harrison was eventually granted his full purse on January 11, 2011.

3.5. Later Career and Final Retirement

Despite calls for his retirement following the Haye defeat, Harrison confirmed on December 3, 2010, that he would continue his professional boxing career. His decision was met with further criticism, including from Derek Chisora who questioned public interest in his future fights.

On November 15, 2011, during an interview after his appearance on Strictly Come Dancing, Harrison announced his intention to return to boxing for one last time, expressing a desire to fight British Heavyweight Champion Tyson Fury in 2012.

Harrison returned to the ring on May 26, 2012, fighting Ali Adams at the Brentwood Centre in Essex for the International Masters Championships. Harrison secured a fourth-round technical knockout victory after Adams was knocked down and deemed unable to continue.

On October 13, 2012, Harrison faced David Price for the British and Commonwealth heavyweight titles, suffering a first-round knockout loss within 82 seconds. Despite this defeat, Harrison announced on October 25, 2012, that he would not retire.

On February 23, 2013, Harrison achieved a significant comeback by winning his second Prizefighter tournament, Prizefighter 29: The International Heavyweights III, defeating Derric Rossy in the final. This made him the first boxer to win two Prizefighter tournaments. In this tournament, he also defeated Martin Rogan by unanimous decision in the semi-final and Claus Bertino by first-round TKO in the quarter-final.

His last professional fight took place on April 27, 2013, against the unbeaten American prospect Deontay Wilder in Sheffield, England. The bout lasted only 70 seconds of the first round, as Wilder landed a right hand that wobbled Harrison, followed by a flurry of punches that led to a knockdown. Although Harrison beat the count, the referee stopped the fight, deeming him unable to continue, resulting in Wilder's 28th consecutive knockout victory via TKO.

On May 1, 2013, Harrison announced his retirement from boxing, but he came out of retirement just 20 days later with intentions to continue fighting. However, on March 26, 2014, Harrison definitively announced he was no longer a professional boxer and would not return to the ring.

5.1. Family

Audley Harrison is married to Raychel. Together, they have a daughter and a son, Hudson Hugh Harrison, who was born in May 2013.

5.2. Health Issues and Definitive Retirement

In 2015, Harrison revealed that he was suffering from traumatic brain injuries as a result of his boxing career. These injuries manifested as several debilitating symptoms, including sight problems, loss of balance, irritability, and severe mood swings, indicative of punch-drunk syndrome. After receiving a diagnosis of traumatic brain injury from a specialist, Harrison officially announced his definitive retirement from boxing on March 26, 2015. He also publicly disclosed that he was on the verge of bankruptcy due to failed investments. The significant impact of these health issues on his physical and mental well-being played a crucial role in his decision to permanently step away from the sport.

6.1. Achievements and Positive Recognition

Harrison's major achievements and positive contributions to boxing are primarily highlighted by his historic amateur career. His gold medal win at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney was a landmark moment, as he became the first British boxer to win an Olympic super-heavyweight gold. This accomplishment earned him an MBE in 2001.

In his professional career, despite its ups and downs, Harrison is recognized for his pioneering business approach, being the first British boxer to secure a direct broadcast deal with the BBC. He also demonstrated resilience by winning two Prizefighter tournaments (in 2009 and 2013), a feat that no other boxer had achieved, showcasing his ability to perform in a knockout format. His acquisition of the European Boxing Union (EBU) heavyweight title in 2010 further contributed to his positive recognition, proving his capability to hold a significant regional professional belt.

6.2. Criticism and Controversies

Despite his achievements, Audley Harrison also faced significant criticism and controversies throughout his professional career. A notable point of contention was his perceived underperformance in high-profile fights, particularly his 2010 world title challenge against David Haye. His performance in this fight, where he landed only a single punch and was stopped in the third round, led to widespread public and media disappointment.

He earned the derogatory nickname "Fraudley" from critics who felt he often failed to deliver on his potential or lacked aggression in crucial moments. Boxing figures like Derek Chisora openly criticized his performance against Haye as "pathetic" and a "disgrace." The British Boxing Board of Control even launched an investigation into his performance in that bout, initially withholding part of his purse. These incidents contributed to a public perception of Harrison as a boxer who, despite his immense talent and Olympic gold, often struggled to perform under pressure on the biggest stages of professional boxing.

9.1. Germany

His fight against David Haye also captured a notable audience in Germany.

9.2. UK pay-per-view bouts

The Haye-Harrison fight was also a significant event on UK pay-per-view.