Audley: The Verdict

[- Ram Raid -]

I always got the impression that he'd possibly suffered some childhood trauma that had stunted his emotional development and he'd never been able to fully progress past adolescence. He often carried the demeanour of a lost & confused teenager.

In a way I respect his persistence, because I see what he was trying to do. Unfortunately he was misguided to believe that achieving his external goals would help him get his head straight. He was going after the external markers of an ordered mind whilst overlooking the actual foundations that would have enabled him to get there.

As an amateur I respect his achievements. Even though the super heavyweight division isn't laden with talent, the man has won an Olympic Gold Medal. That can never be taken away from him and he deserves to be proud of that.

As a professional, I give him less respect than the sum of his achievements would normally engender in me, simply because his claims and boasts were so far removed from what he would actually achieve. I came to find his self delusion insufferable.

Opponents and promoters used him for his name and he made a lot of money from rolling over. That annoyed me. He should never have been in the same ring as David Haye or David Price, but they're more responsible for that than he is.

In the end, his professional career gave the sport an opportunity to make a mockery of itself for monetary gain. Sadly for me, that's the legacy he'll leave behind in the paid ranks.

[Bodyshot3]

For me the real tragedy of Audley was that he could and should have been so much better as a professional.....

....but he made some crucial and hugely costly mistakes early in his career which he never fully recovered from.

The biggest blunder was to effectively appoint himself as his own matchmaker, promoter and head trainer. Wearing three hats in any job is tough but in boxing it is a recipe for failure.

Audley weighed well over eighteen stone for his pro debut and did not face a fighter with a winning record until he faced Richel Hersisia in his 15th fight and even that opponent's record was largely built on wet sand.

Audley was a clever, educated and modern fighter who wanted to get to the top his way but his failure to hire the best (notably when it came to a trainer who would govern him in the gym and force him to improve) was an arrogant and avoidable mistake. Especially for a guy making the move to the pro ranks so late and with such an amateur style.

There was no harm in Audley promoting his fights and managing his affairs; but what he needed was a whip in the gym and a matchmaker who allowed him to win as well as learn at the same time.