HARRISON AND GUINN PITCH A NO HITTER

By Oleg Bershadsky


 


 

 

 

The fight between Audley Harrison and Dominick Guinn was set to be a career defining moment for both fighters, a last chance to save a decaying career. Both men are regarded as underachievers with great physical attributes and skill, but possessing a weak mentality. It was hoped that after this fight one of these boxers would step up and show the desire and the mental toughness necessary to once again be considered a serious threat in the heavyweight division. In the end, this fight turned out to be more of a psychological battle than a physical one. 

From the onset of the fight it was evident that the boxer who would best control his nerves would have an advantage. The whole fight proved to be a jittery affair with both men preferring to hold or pose rather than fight. Audley Harrison did little except paw with his jab while only rarely throwing the straight left hand. His offense during the fight was almost completely nonexistent, putting in question his mental toughness and the desire to win. Guinn was not that much better but unlike Harrison he was a little more consistent offensively and largely controlled the pace of the fight.  

The offensive output for either fighter was flat out embarrassing and most of all unprofessional. To me this fight was more about being a real professional than just someone who comes to get a pay day. Neither boxer gave it his all in a fight that looked worse than most sparring sessions. The plain refusal to throw punches undermined the entire sport of boxing and I believe further discredited the two fighters. Win or lose it is the job of every boxer to give it his all and at least try to mount some kind of an offense.

The final result of the bout was Guinn by unanimous decision (98-92, 97-93, 97-93). 

It seems that the heavyweight division is set for a long period of uncertainty. Every fight of consequence ends in either more controversy or somehow raises more questions as to the dominance of the boxers involved. So for now I have given up hope of finding that one dominant heavyweight who can truly stand on top of the division. Instead my wish is for more competitive fights that can bring back some of the respect the heavyweight division has lost.
 

 4-14-2006  



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