“To my family, my team and the fans who got behind me on this journey to overthrow David Haye and become Heavyweight champion, I’m sorry I was unable to walk through the door and fulfil my destiny. I can promise I cut no corners in training and did all I could do in getting myself ready both physically and mentally for Saturday’s fight. Ultimately, I didn’t get going and my game plan to take over the fight in the later rounds was extinguished by the power and speed of David Haye who caught me clean around my guard..
If I wanted an easy way out, I would have stayed down from the knockdown, but I rose and the referee’s intervention saved me from a potentially bad knockout as David is a good finisher, but I would have gladly left the ring on a stretcher as I wanted to work my way through it.
I make no excuses and I’m not sure where I go from here in boxing, but I’ll lick my wounds, take some time out with my family and see what I want to do.
From Prizefighter, to the European Title and overcoming a career ending injury and surgery – I am happy to have made my way back to this point. Yes I am defeated and upset about the outcome on Saturday, but my journey in life has been one of triumph and the ‘yes I can’ slogan goes onwards and upwards.
To David Haye, I’m grateful for the opportunity to fight for the World Title and I’m glad we buried the bad blood between us. I wish you well in your attempts to unify the titles and you have my support.”
Haye and Harrison perform Prizefighter draw
Choi kicks-off November 20 action, British champ Sykes meets Lawton
David Haye and Audley Harrison performed the draw for the Prizefighter Super-Featherweights tournament on November 20 ahead of their World title clash in Manchester.
Harrison’s victory in the Prizefighter Heavyweights III event in October 2009 was the springboard to his fight with Haye, and he joined his rival in Manchester in selecting the four quarter-finals in the 15th edition of Barry Hearn’s eight-man, one night tournaments, live on Sky Sports.
The Mongolian Warrior Choi Tseveenpurev will kick-off the night against Brighton fighter Ben Murphy, and the winner of that opener will face either Prizefighter Lightweights semi-finalist Gary McArthur or former WBU title holder Derry Matthews – Choi having defeated Matthews in April 2008 take his WBU belt.
The bottom half of the draw sees undefeated British champion Gary Sykes take on British and European title challenger Scott Lawton in the third quarter-final, with a semi-final against Coronation Street actor and former England Commonwealth Games captain Steve Bell or European Lightweight title challenger Gary Buckland going to the victor.
Quarter-Final 1 – Choi Tseveenpurev v Ben Murphy
Quarter-Final 2 – Gary McArthur v Derry Matthews
Quarter Final 3 – Gary Sykes v Scott Lawton
Quarter-Final 4 – Steve Bell v Gary Buckland
Tickets for Prizefighter Super Featherweights are available now at £35 (unreserved), £60 (ringside) and £100 (VIP) – call Matchroom Sport on 01277 359900.