- Boxing
Harrison bemoans 'premature' stoppage

Audley Harrison felt the referee jumped in 'prematurely' to end his title challenge against David Haye at the MEN Arena.
Harrison was stopped while still on his feet midway through the third round, having previously just been floored by a barrage from Haye.
The southpaw admitted he was caught with a good shot to spark the onslaught, but he feels the referee then denied him the chance to pull victory from the jaws of defeat with one big punch. Harrison had championed the power of his left hand in the build-up to the bout, the same left hand that defeated Michael Sprott in desperate circumstances, and he was frustrated that he did not get to throw it.
"I didn't really get going to be honest. Our strategy was to take it into the late rounds and then put pressure on David," Harrison explained on Sky Sports. "I felt the earlier rounds I had hold of his rhythm - he caught me with a good shot, it felt it was behind the head but no excuse, he caught me with a good shot.
"I went down and I got up. He caught me with another shot and the referee jumped in. I thought he was a bit premature. He just caught me with a good shot. It happens in the heavyweight division. When I got up and beat the count then my mind kind of switched to sitting there waiting for the shot to go for it but I didn't have the opportunity.
"I got up, I beat the count and I felt I was okay to continue. So I didn't really get a chance to dig in and take it to the later rounds. I didn't really get chance to put my strategy in."
Harrison had hinted he may retire if he failed in his title mission, but he seemed less sure when reflecting on the pain of defeat.
"I felt really good coming into this fight - great actually. I really felt it was going to be my night but it wasn't to be my night. So I'm going to have to sit down and see what I do. Obviously my mission is incomplete - my goal is not realised. All credit to David Haye."
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