BROOKLYN, New York, CMC – Guyana’s former world boxing champion “Vicious” Vivian Harris is linking up with Oscar de la Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions as he tries to rebuild his flagging career.
Golden Boy Promotions issued a brief statement Monday about acquiring Harris and
declared that a date and opponent for his first bout with Golden Boy Promotions “will be announced shortly”.
“I’d like to thank Oscar and the team at Golden Boy Promotions for the faith they are showing me,” said Harris.
Beaten in two of his last six fights, Harris is anxious to return to the top flight and Golden Boy Promotions are ready to take him there.
“Vivian Harris has always been a great fighter to watch, simply because of the excitement he brings to the ring,” said de la Hoya, president of Golden Boy Promotions.
“He is without a doubt one of the premier junior welterweights in the world and now it’s time to remind the boxing world of that fact,” added de la Hoya.
Harris, one of four Guyanese – the others Andrew Lewis, Wayne Braithwaite and Gairy St Clair – to become world boxing champions, held the World Boxing Association (WBA) light welterweight title for three years before losing it to Colombian Carlos Maussa in June 2005.
He earned a shot at the World Boxing Council (WBC) belt two years later but lost to Britain’s Junior Witter.
In his only fight since losing to Witter, Harris fought Nicaragua’s Octavio Narvaez and won on a sixth round technical knockout.
He has been inactive for the past nine months and Golden Boy aims to restore his career. “We will do our job to put Vivian in big fights that will have the fight fans cheering,” de la Hoya said.
Harris has a ring record of 29 wins (19 knockouts) against three losses and one draw and although he has fallen out of the top flight in the ratings of all the major world bodies, he believes he can get back to world title range.
“I’ve been in this game a long time, but I’m not done reaching my boxing goals yet. People know what I can do when I’m on and I feel better physically and mentally than I ever have. Expect fireworks from me each time I’m in the ring from now on,” Harris said.
