By Mark Vester
After sitting in a Spanish jail since October 6, WBO featherweight champion Scott Harrison was granted bail. Harrison has been sitting in a cell for allegations of assault.
Due to Harrison's incarceration, promoter Frank Warren was forced to cancel his December 9 bout with challenger Nicky Cook in London. Barry Hughes, Harrison's manager, told STV that his fighter is returning to Scotland tomorrow and begin preparations for a title defense against Cook.
After there was word that the WBO was set to strip Harrison of his title, Hughes said that discussions were held with the sanctioning body, and he appear to have saved his fighter's title for the moment.
"We spoke to the WBO last night and had serious talks with Scott's legal team yesterday and they gave us the answer we were looking for today. We only had until 5pm today before Scott would have been stripped (of his title) and the bail hearing was 3pm today to ensure Scott's release from prison tomorrow," Hughes said.
"We spoke to Frank Warren to ensure the fight was still on and he was more than willing to put the fight back on on December 9. Hopefully, Scott will be back in Scotland tomorrow night."
That is easier said than done. Promoter Frank Warren said that Harrison must pass a medical exam with the British Boxing Board of Control.
"It is not necessarily the case that the fight is back on. Scott has been released from prison and has a contract to fight and we have to honour that contract. But it is subject to the fighter passing a medical so he has to get through those first, and he will see a doctor from the BBBC on Monday. It has been a nightmare but obviously Scott is innocent until proven guilty. The whole situation I could have done without. I made another fight, as you know, with WBO world cruiserweight champion Enzo Maccarinelli. But, if Scott does fight, I have to cancel his fight. I have no idea how fit he is but I have been told he has been training and I hope he is fit and well," Warren said.
