By Jake Donovan
There stands a terrific chance that Audley Harrison’s career will eventually end with his never coming close to living up to expectations. But at the very least, the 2000 Olympic Gold medalist was able to provide a lasting memory.
Seemingly moments away from suffering yet another humiliating loss, Harrison dug deep to avenge the lone stoppage loss of his career with a one-punch bailout knockout at 1:05 of the 12th round of his rematch with journeyman Michael Sprott.
The bout served as the main event at the Alexandra Palace in London, England and aired live on Sky Sports.
It was Harrison who was knocked out cold the last time they met, suffering a humiliating third round knockout in their February 2007 match. The bout came on the heels of Harrison attempting to pick up the pieces of his career, avenging an earlier loss to Danny Williams but found himself back on the also-ran pile when he was upended by Sprott.
Harrison has won seven of eight since then, but none of the wins coming against notable competition, and also dropping a close nod to Martin Rogan in December 2008. His lone in-ring action came in the heavyweight edition of the Prizefighter Tournament last October.
The idea for Friday’s fight was to provide Harrison with the opportunity to show that his earlier loss to Sprott was a fluke and that, even at age 38, he could somehow find a way to salvage his disappointing career.
Things started out promising for Harrison, who controlled the action in the early going, but began to fall behind in round three. The sequence is consistent with his post-fight claim that he injured his shoulder, but whatever the case, Sprott continued to dominate the action and pile up the rounds.
Harrison attempted a late round surge, but Sprott came in and fought upset-minded, refusing to let up and sought to close the show. The British journeyman grew more aggressive as the fight crept closer to the finish, and had Harrison on the verge of a second knockout loss.
An uppercut had Harrison wobbling along the ropes, with the fans on hand and the ringside announcers expressing concern that the former Olympian wouldn’t hear the final bell.
Somehow, Harrison managed to spin himself out of a corner, switching places with Sprott and scoring with a right hand. There was a brief moment of hesitation from both fighters, but just enough time for Harrison to measure the scenario and plan his next move.
Boom!
Sprott left his chin exposed just enough for a clean left hand to crash down upon it, knocking him out well before he hit the ground. No count was offered, nor did the ringside physicians waste anytime before racing into the ring to tend to the fallen fighter.
Approximately 10 feet away, Harrison could be spotted exhaling in the form of spontaneous celebration, and rightfully so. The big left hand came as he was two minutes away from suffering yet another humiliating loss, as he was way down on all three scorecards.
It was a familiar place for Harrison, though past instances were accompanied with a laissez-faire attitude as if a Plan B was simply never an option.
This time around, the 38-year old Harrison knew the score – figuratively speaking, but with literal undertones.
“My corner told me I was losing and that I had to do something big to pull out the victory,” stated Harrison, who improves to 27-4 (20KO) with the come-from-behind knockout win. “I was looking to land that left hand and was glad to find that shot in the last round. I’m getting this shoulder fixed and want to get back in the ring as soon as possible.”
Presumably the sooner the better for Harrison, as time isn’t exactly on his side.
For Sprott, the future isn’t quite as clear. The majority of his fighting days have been spent as the opponent, and there’s always room in the sport for such a job description.
But as the losses pile up, retirement could soon become the only realistic option for the 35-year old heavyweight. If there was any chance of anyone ever again taking his career seriously, it slipped away the moment Harrison landed the mother of all left hands.
“I was ahead on all three scorecards, but that’s heavyweight boxing for you,” Sprott stated afterward, accepting what took place though not necessarily content with the outcome. The loss puts him at 32-15 (17KO), having now dropped five of his last seven contests.
The bailout knockout extends Harrison’s current win streak to four straight. Despite an impressive amateur background and ten years in the pro ranks, the fight itself revealed a valuable lesson that you’re never too old to learn.
With the shoulder injury early and the deficit on the cards late in the fight, Harrison discovered he possesses both the will to win and the ability to shift gears when properly motivated.
“It was a tough contest but I showed a lot of heart. My shoulder went out in the second round. I was inexperienced in fighting (out of a conventional stance), but losing wasn’t an option.”
Winning is still the only way to travel if he’s to remain in the game, which for the moment appears to be his plans.
“I want to remain in heavyweight boxing. People state, ‘You can’t be serious,’ but you saw what I had.”
If only he himself realized long ago what he had, the highlight reel knockout would be yet another entry to his resume rather than what will ultimately hold up as the standout moment.
Jake Donovan is the Managing Editor of Boxingscene.com and an award-winning member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. Contact Jake at JakeNDaBox@gmail.com.
