Articles

ThunderBox Alum Maurice Harris Close To Title Shot

Published

13 years ago

April 28, 2011

USBA heavyweight champion
Maurice Harris on brink of living his dream

NEW YORK (April 27, 2011) – The long, strange journey taken by Maurice “Sugar Moe” Harris finds the USBA heavyweight champion only two fights away from his living his dream to fight for the world title, as he prepares to go back to the future May 27 to participate in an International Boxing Federation (“IBF”) Box-Off against the same opponent he defeated a decade ago in the final of the “Thunderbox Heavyweight Tournament,” former world title challenger Tony “The Tiger” Thompson,” live on ESPN Friday Night Fights from Reno Events Center in Nevada.

Harris (24-14-2, 10 KOs) and Thompson are IBF rated No. 8 and No.9, respectively, and the winner of their 12-round May 27 co-feature earns a showdown against the other IBF Box-Off winner, “Fast” Eddie Chambers (36-2, 18 KOs), who defeated Derric Rossey by way of a 12-round unanimous decision this past February to become the IBF No. 1 contender. The Harris-Thompson winner automatically becomes No. 2 and earns a place in an IBF Title Eliminator against Chambers to ultimately determine the IBF mandatory challenger for champion Wladimir Klitschko (or David Haye if he wins their July 2nd unification fight.

“It feels good to finally be here,” Harris said from his training camp in New Jersey. “It’s been a long road and now I have a special opportunity against Tony Thompson, who is a great fighter but somebody I have to overcome. I don’t think I have an edge because I beat him in the ‘Thunderbox Tournament’ because that happened a long time ago (2002) and it was only a three-round fight. We were both younger then but we have to do it all over again.

“I’m fighting for something very important. I’m more focused today than I was when I fought Thompson. Age brings wisdom. Another fight against Thompson has always been there for us to clash. His name came up a few times and now it’s happening. He’s going to bring his ‘A’ game, I’m going to bring my ‘A’ game – may the best man win. I don’t want to get caught-up in the hype (future world title fight implications). I just want to remain focused on this fight.”

The 35-year-old Harris has beaten some of the best but also lost to journeymen playing the role of a classic heavyweight underachiever for most of his up-and-down 18-year pro career. The reborn-Harris, however, is riding high on the crest of a wave that he hopes reaches its zenith with a world title belt wrapped around his waist.

After making his pro debut December 4, 1992, losing a four-round decision to Joe Kenna, Harris lost three of his first five fights and was 5-4-2 midway through 1994. Back-to-back losses via knockouts to world title challengers Vaughn Bean and Dale Brown followed, but Harris bounced back strong with a win by eight-round decision versus previously unbeaten David Izon18-0) to start 1996.

When Harris stopped Jimmy Thunder (32-7) in the seventh round of their 1997 fight, Maurice was chosen as the opponent come-backing former world champion Larry Holmes, who won a 10-round split decision that most observers felt Maurice should have been awarded.

The resilient Harris, however, reeled-off seven straight victories, including a 10-round decision against world title challenger Jeremy Williams in 1999 on only a five-day notice. Harris eventually gained the experience he lacked with no amateur background to speak of when he later sparred with world champions Lennox Lewis and Mike Tyson.

Harris lost to another world title challenger, Derrick Jefferson, in one of 1999’s best and most entertaining fights, but Maurice became more inactive from that point on, winning his only two fights in 2000, and losing his 2001 showdowns to former and future world champions, Chris Byrd and Henry Akinwande.

In 2002, Harris knocked out previously unbeaten and future world title-holder Sergei Liakhovich (16-0) in the ninth round, earning him a spot in that November’s “Thunderbox” tournament, in which he captured the $100,000 winner’s purse by out-pointing Gerald Nobles, Israel Garcia and Thompson in the finale, fighting three-round bouts on the same evening.

After being stopped in the 10th round by Fres Oquendo in his first fight after upsetting Liakhovich, Harris found himself frustrated and on the shelf by his promoter Don King, fighting only four times in six years, idle for all of 2008 and 2009, until Maurice signed a promotional contract in late 2009 with Boxing 360. His first fight with his new promoter was a win by 6-round unanimous decision January 29, 2010 against Billy Zumbrun (23-10-1) in Albuquerque.

Harris went on to win six and eight round decisions, respectively, against 7-foot Julius Long and Robert Harris, setting the stage for his August 6, 2010 USBA title shot against a Nagy Aguilera, who was 10 years younger than Maurice and had defeated former world champion Oleg Maskaev only a five months earlier. Harris out-boxed Aquilera (16-3) by scores of 117-111, 117-111 and 115-113 for a unanimous 10-round decision and the USBA crown.

“I’ve believed all these years that I would someday be fighting for the world heavyweight title,” Harris concluded. “It took me to meet Mario (Yagobi, CEO and Founder of Boxing 360), somebody who believed in me, to get me this opportunity. I’m not there, yet, but I’m only two fights away from my dream of fighting for the world title.”

Other members of Boxing 360’s stable include WBC #3 rated super bantamweight Leon “Hurry Up” Moore, former IBF super middleweight champion Alejandro “Naco” Berrio, NY State super middleweight title-holders, middleweight Lennox “2 Sharpe” Allen and welterweight Danny Sostre, KO king Tyrone Brunson, Nick “Hands of Gold” Casal, Amanda “The Real Deal” Serrano, middleweight prospect DonYil Livingston, Joshua “The Juice” Harris, Emad Ali, Angel “Toro” Hernandez and “King” David Estrada.

Go to www.Boxing360.com for more information about Harris, Boxing 360 or any of its other fighters.

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The Sweet Science

Articles

2015 Fight of the Year – Francisco Vargas vs Takashi Miura

Published

8 years ago

January 4, 2016

The Sweet Science

The WBC World Super Featherweight title bout between Francisco Vargas and Takashi Miura came on one of the biggest boxing stages of 2015, as the bout served as the HBO pay-per-view’s co-main event on November 21st, in support of Miguel Cotto vs Saul Alvarez.

Miura entered the fight with a (29-2-2) record and he was making the fifth defense of his world title, while Vargas entered the fight with an undefeated mark of (22-0-1) in what was his first world title fight. Both men had a reputation for all-out fighting, with Miura especially earning high praise for his title defense in Mexico where he defeated Sergio Thompson in a fiercely contested battle.

The fight started out hotly contested, and the intensity never let up. Vargas seemed to win the first two rounds, but by the fourth round, Miura seemed to pull ahead, scoring a knock-down and fighting with a lot of confidence. After brawling the first four rounds, Miura appeared to settle into a more technical approach. Rounds 5 and 6 saw the pendulum swing back towards Vargas, as he withstood Miura’s rush to open the fifth round and the sixth round saw both men exchanging hard punches.

The big swinging continued, and though Vargas likely edged Miura in rounds 5 and 6, Vargas’ face was cut in at least two spots and Miura started to assert himself again in rounds 7 and 8. Miura was beginning to grow in confidence while it appeared that Vargas was beginning to slow down, and Miura appeared to hurt Vargas at the end of the 8th round.

Vargas turned the tide again at the start of the ninth round, scoring a knock down with an uppercut and a straight right hand that took Miura’s legs and sent him to the canvas. Purely on instinct, Miura got back up and continued to fight, but Vargas was landing frequently and with force. Referee Tony Weeks stepped in to stop the fight at the halfway point of round 9 as Miura was sustaining a barrage of punches.

Miura still had a minute and a half to survive if he was going to get out of the round, and it was clear that he was not going to stop fighting.

A back and forth battle of wills between two world championship level fighters, Takashi Miura versus “El Bandido” Vargas wins the 2015 Fight of the Year.

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Articles

Jan 9 in Germany – Feigenbutz and De Carolis To Settle Score

Published

8 years ago

January 4, 2016

The Sweet Science

This coming Saturday, January 9th, the stage is set at the Baden Arena in Offenburg, Germany for a re-match between Vincent Feigenbutz and Giovanni De Carolis. The highly anticipated re-match is set to air on SAT.1 in Germany, and Feigenbutz will once again be defending his GBU and interim WBA World titles at Super Middleweight.

The first meeting between the two was less than three months ago, on October 17th and that meeting saw Feigenbutz controversially edge De Carolis on the judge’s cards by scores of (115-113, 114-113 and 115-113). De Carolis scored a flash knock down in the opening round, and he appeared to outbox Feigenbutz in the early going, but the 20 year old German champion came on in the later rounds.

The first bout is described as one of the most crowd-pleasing bouts of the year in Germany, and De Carolis and many observers felt that the Italian had done enough to win.

De Carolis told German language website RAN.DE that he was more prepared for the re-match, and that due to the arrogance Feigenbutz displayed in the aftermath of the first fight, he was confident that he had won over some of the audience. Though De Carolis fell short of predicting victory, he promised a re-vamped strategy tailored to what he has learned about Feigenbutz, whom he termed immature and inexperienced.

The stage is set for Feigenbutz vs De Carolis 2, this Saturday January 9th in Offenburg, Germany. If you can get to the live event do it, if not you have SAT.1 in Germany airing the fights, and The Boxing Channel right back here for full results.

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Articles

2015 Knock Out of the Year – Saul Alvarez KO’s James Kirkland

Published

8 years ago

December 29, 2015

The Sweet Science

On May 9th of 2015, Saul “Canelo” Alvarez delivered a resonant knock-out of James Kirkland on HBO that wins the 2015 KO of the Year.

The knock-out itself came in the third round, after slightly more than two minutes of action. The end came when Alvarez delivered a single, big right hand that caught Kirkland on the jaw and left him flat on his back after spinning to the canvas.Alvarez was clearly the big star heading into the fight. The fight was telecast by HBO for free just one week after the controversial and disappointing Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao fight, and Alvarez was under pressure to deliver the type of finish that people were going to talk about. Kirkland was happy to oblige Alvarez, taking it right to Alvarez from the start. Kirkland’s aggression saw him appear to land blows that troubled the young Mexican in the early going. Alvarez played good defense, and he floored Kirkland in the first round, displaying his power and his technique in knocking down an aggressive opponent.

However, Kirkland kept coming at Alvarez and the fight entered the third round with both men working hard and the feeling that the fight would not go the distance. Kirkland continued to move forward, keeping “Canelo” against the ropes and scoring points with a barrage of punches while looking for an opening.

At around the two minute mark, Alvarez landed an uppercut that sent Kirkland to the canvas again. Kirkland got up, but it was clear that he did not have his legs under him. Kirkland was going to try to survive the round, but Alvarez had an opportunity to close out the fight. The question was would he take it?

Alvarez closed in on Kirkland, putting his opponent’s back to the ropes. Kirkland was hurt, but he was still dangerous, pawing with punches and loading up for one big shot.

But it was the big shot “Canelo” threw that ended the night. Kirkland never saw it coming, as he was loading up with a huge right hand of his own. The right Alvarez threw cracked Kirkland in the jaw, and his eyes went blank. His big right hand whizzed harmlessly over the head of a ducking Alvarez, providing the momentum for the spin that left Kirkland prone on the canvas.

Saul “Canelo” Alvarez went on to defeat Miguel Cotto in his second fight of 2015 and he is clearly one of boxing’s biggest stars heading into 2016. On May 9th Alvarez added another reel to his highlight film when he knocked out James Kirkland with the 2015 “Knock Out of the Year”.

Photo by naoki fukuda

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