• Boxing news

'Unbreakable' Harrison ready to lay his demons to rest

Audley Harrison is ready to put his disappointments behind him © Getty Images

Enlarge

Related Links

• News: Harrison vows to pounce on Haye's 'chaos'
  

Audley Harrison has admitted that he "needed to be crushed, cut down and diminished almost to nothing" in order to get his boxing career back on track, although the Brit insists "after all I've been through, I am unbreakable now."

Harrison is currently on Big Bear Mountain in California for an arduous six-week training camp in preparation for his heavyweight showdown with David Haye on November 13 at the MEN Arena.

But his time away from the spotlight has allowed the former Olympic gold medallist to reflect on a boxing career, that he openly accepts, has not been as successful as he had hoped.

In 31 fights, Harrison has only suffered four defeats, though many of his performances have left a lot to be desired.

"Yes, some of my performances were dire," he told the Daily Mail. "I understand now why people questioned me. Some of the stuff was libellous but I didn't have the time to waste on litigation while I was pursuing my dream.

"And I came to realise that my ego was out of control. I was arrogant. I was ruthless with my staff. I was bad to women. I needed to be crushed, cut down, diminished almost to nothing, to lose to Danny Williams in our first fight.

"Had I been given the benefit of that split decision I would have believed I could keep on getting away with it and never grown up. When I was taken to hospital and people thought it was a heart attack it was actually a panic attack brought on by knowing I had to change myself. It's been a long process but I'm there now."

Harrison's career began to go on a downward spiral as his contract with the BBC fizzled out. He had 17 fights on the network before 'A-Force' was shunned by the corporation and 'forced' to join promoter Frank Warren.

"My heart was crying when the BBC walked away from boxing because of the havoc at ringside caused by Herbie Hide at one of my fights," he said. "I was being driven to sack the 20-odd staff at A-Force. I was forced into the arms of Frank Warren and, through him, to ITV. It was not where I wanted to be.

"Frank was the biggest promoter out there and I had sworn to myself that I would never surrender to the system. I felt destroyed. It was no coincidence that three of my defeats came under Frank."

Despite the heartache, Harrison is adamant he is a changed man, a boxer reborn, and in the shape of his life to wrestle the WBA strap from Haye when the pair clash.

"David Haye is hoping that it will be Fraudley not Audley Harrison who turns up on November 13," he said. "He will be disappointed. He is a creature of habit who cannot change. His manager Adam Booth is a mug in his corner who won't have the answers. Nor will David when he finds that I'm as fast as him and that there is more power in my punches than his, genuine heavyweight power."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.