-brother Vivian set to fight on same card
Boxing fans can expect an invasion from the Harris brothers next year with world rated ‘Vicious’ Vivian Harris and his older brother Wayne coming here to give the Guyanese public a clinical performance against their respective opponents.
According to their father Herman Harris, Wayne has thrown out a challenge to national middleweight champion Howard ‘Battersea Bomber’ Eastman while an opponent from Latin America is being sought for Vivian.
“I did say when the Eastman/ Andrew Lewis fight was being promoted that should Raul Frank opt out of taking on the winner of that bout, there is a fighter whom I did not disclose at that time, who is willing to take on the winner.”
Harris, who is also a promoter, and had picked Eastman to come out victorious over Lewis, added: “Now would be the perfect opportunity to let the public know that the fighter I was speaking about one month ago is none other than my eldest son Wayne.”
He told Stabroek Sport that he was looking at a date either in late February (to coincide with the annual republic celebrations) or early March at a venue still to be decided.
“I have my eyes set on a Republic card, but if that is not permissible for one reason or the other, then my next best option would be early March. Either way, there will be a Harris/Eastman showdown for the national middleweight title.”
This would be Eastman’s second defence of the title he won against ‘Deadly’ Denny Dalton after a successful defence over Lewis at the Guyana National Stadium last month.
Herman Harris feels his son Wayne can definitely deliver the goods by upsetting Eastman when the two meet, either at the Guyana National Stadium or the National Park.
“Based on Wayne’s track record which shows that he is the lone professional boxer in the history of boxing in Guyana to have won four national titles in different divisions, from welterweight to light heavyweight Eastman will definitely have to put up or shut up if he intends to remain as the middleweight champion of Guyana after this bout.”
The 39-year-old Harris, who migrated to Canada in 2003, also fought former national heavyweight champion Charles Crawford (non-title bout) before he took on Reggie Johnson for his World Boxing Association (WBA) middleweight title and lost via a unanimous decision back in May 1993.
Unlike Wayne, ‘Vicious’ Vivian Harris has had some success on the international stage, having defeated Diosbelys Hurtado on October 19, 2002 to win the WBA junior welterweight title.
He successfully defended the title twice in the next two years against Souleyman Mbaye and Oktay Urkal respectively before losing the title to Carlos Maussa in June 2005 by a seventh round knockout.
Now an American citizen, Harris fought last month recording a sixth round stoppage over Octavia Narvaez.
The decision was widely unpopular amongst the crowd as journeyman Narvaez had knocked him to the canvas twice in the first round.
The win carried his record to 29-3-1(19 KO’s) and according to his father; a Latin American opponent is being sought for him which would form part of the undercard to the Eastman/Wayne Harris bout.
“I am seeking a Latin American opponent for Vivian, which would be a part of the undercard. Apart from that bout, there are some other prominent pugilists whom I am interested in having them compete on the undercard to the Wayne Harris/Howard Eastman clash,” said Harris.
