At the launch of his new book, Audley Harrison spoke to Times Sport's own heavyweight KEVIN BURCHALL about dealing with criticism and his master plan to win the world title

A bonecrushing right hand to the ribs after 264 seconds of his third professional fight wasn't enough to silence his critics but then if you're name's Audley Harrison, criticism is part of your life.

However, the 6ft 6in tall boxer, who grew up in Kingsbury, has known of little else. Like many boxers, Harrison has had a chequered life, being expelled from school and spending time in a young offenders' institution, he then went on to successfully complete a degree in sports studies and leisure management at Brunel University, a story he's just told in his new autobiography, Realising the Dream.

"This book's about me realising my dream and of triumph over adversity. Hopefully people will get some inspiration from it and if there's a kid in prison or thinking of committing suicide then hopefully after reading my book they can say 'Hey I can turn my life around'."

"Life is about what you make it, it's not a rehearsal and you should make the most of it," he added.

Speaking at the launch of his book at Brent Cross Shopping Centre, Britain's super-heavyweight gold medallist from the Sydney Olympics, says he gets his inspiration from the current England football captain.

"When David Beckham was sent off in the World Cup in France he was vilified in the press but he believed in himself and kept his talent and he's a hero now and deservedly so.

"I see the same sort of criticisms I'm receiving in my career now but I'd like to think in three or four years' time I'll be getting the press and people on my side just like at the Olympics."

Harrison has not received many plaudits from his detractors since Sydney, with his critics claiming he has been overweight and fighting opponents who are not up to scratch.

But Harrison explained he is on a learning curve: "I didn't put in any extra work before Saturday's fight and I wasn't doing anything wrong beforehand. The more you fight, the more your weight is going to come down.

"What people are seeing is that I am serious and they're seeing the difference between the second and the third fight. My weight is coming down so we're on the right track. There is a long way to go and that is what people need to realise."

A 600-strong crowd at the Kelvin Hall, Glasgow, watched Harrison's latest facile win against Polish nightclub bouncer Piotr Jurczyk which has led many to question the wisdom of putting such an obvious mismatch on terrestrial television.

Harrison thinks otherwise: "In the first fight we had five million viewers and in the second and third fights we had four million so there are people who want to see it. Fans have turned up at every place I've boxed and I think it's sour grapes from promoters who failed to sign me up.

"At the end of the day boxing needs an audience and it is getting the audience from terrestrial television."

But how long Harrison's fans will be able to see their man in this country is open to question after his trainer, Thell Torrance, who has trained heavyweight champions Riddick Bowe and Tony Tubbs, claimed his protg would be better off in Las Vegas.

Harrison is mindful of his trainer's view and believes a change of environment may bring out the best in him, if only to escape all the hype from this country: "In America I'm just another normal fighter but in England I'm an Olympic gold medallist and I'm treated as such.

"It's going to be great for me to be going back and forth and we're looking at that which is why I've got the best American trainers, but I won't be a permanent resident over there."

But for the mean time, the pretender to the world heavyweight throne is just glad to be back home: "It's great to be back at Brent Cross as this is where I had my weigh-in for my professional debut so it's very close to my heart.

"I may be fighting here in London for my next fight on December 1 but if not it will definitely be here early in the new year. My goal is the heavyweight championship of the world and in two or three years I will be a contender for the throne."

And if he proves his critics wrong, you can probably expect another book.

October 30, 2001 17:21

KEVIN BURCHALL