CARLSTADT, New Jersey, CMC – Guyanese ex-world boxing champion Vivian Harris has been given the green light to resume his career after collapsing from an accidental head butt in his last fight two weeks ago.
Up against the Mexican Noe Bolanos Desert Diamond Casino in Tucson, Arizona on August 14, Harris collapsed about 90 seconds into the second round after clashing heads with Bolanos in the ESPN televised bout.
He collapsed again a few moments later as he was walking to his corner and after a series of tests he has been given a clean bill of health.
“I’m OK. All the tests came back negative,” US-based Harris said in a Fightnews web site story on Thursday.
“My health is my number one concern so I made sure I took all the necessary medical precautions before I resume fighting,” he added.
On fight night, had collapsed in his corner, with his eyes closed, and was unresponsive for a brief period as the ring doctor tended to him for almost 10 minutes.
He was taken to nearby UPH Hospital at Kino Campus for observation and was given a precautionary CAT scan that came back negative.
The bout was ruled a no-contest.
After returning to his New Jersey home he decided to visit his neurologist as a further precaution and nothing adverse was found.
“Unfortunately these types of things happen but I’m back in the gym, and I look forward to fighting again before the end of the year,” said Harris, a former World Boxing Association (WBA) light welterweight champion.
Harris, 31, recently signed with Oscar de la Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions and has pledged to reclaim the 140-pound light welterweight world title.
With a ring record of 29 wins (19 knockouts) against three losses and one draw, Harris has been trying to revive his career.
He lost his WBA light welterweight title to Colombian Carlos Maussa in June 2005 and also failed in a bid for the World Boxing Council (WBC) belt two years later when he challenged Britain’s Junior Witter.
