MEXICO CITY, Mexico, CMC – Guyana’s former world boxing champion Vivian Harris suffered a contentious fourth-round technical knockout loss to Argentina’s Lucas Martin Matthyse in their non-title welterweight boxing bout on Saturday night.
Badly needing a win to revive his career, Harris was unable to get past the undefeated Matthyse, who stopped him at two minutes, 44 seconds of round four at Auditorio Plaza La Condesa.
Harris objected to the referee’s decision to stop the contest but the ruling stood and the New York-based Caribbean fighter now has just one victory in his last four bouts.
His ring record sinks to 29 wins (19 knockouts) against four losses and one draw, while Matthyse, who finished with a badly swollen right eye, improved to 26-0 (24 knockouts) with the victory.
The battle of the two hard punchers began evenly.
Neither boxer scored significantly in the first round but the pace quickened in the second frame and Harris, the former World Boxing Association (WBA) light welterweight champion, appeared to have the edge after jolting the South American with a hard right hand.
Matthyse rallied for a big third round, scoring well with body shots plus overhand rights an uppercuts.
Harris took some heavy shots in round four and when Matthyse scored with a powerful right hand that badly shook him, the referee stepped in to prevent further punishment.
Harris was definitely hurt but did not appear helpless and so the stoppage appeared slightly premature, leading to immediate protests from Harris and his team.
In October 2002, Harris became Guyana’s third world boxing champion – after Andrew Lewis and Wayne Brathwaite – when he knocked out Cuban Diosbelys Hurtado to win the WBA 140-pound crown. He successfully defended the title three times before losing it to Colombian Carlos Maussa.
In the main event on Saturday night’s card, former world champion Daniel Ponce De Leon, of Mexico, outgunned Orlando Cruz for a third round knockout victory that earned him the vacant World Boxing Council (WBC) Latino featherweight title.
