Audley : I'm retiring

Around the time great Olympians like Cassius Clay (Muhammad Ali), Floyd Mayweather and our very own Amir Khan were starting their Olympic journey and winning their medals. I was just getting serious with life – lacing on a pair of boxing gloves for the 1st time age 19. I was a young tear away, expelled from two schools, had no qualifications and was just released from a young offenders institution.

If you told me then I would be a 2x national champion, Commonwealth Games Gold Medalist, Olympic Games Gold Medalist, B.Sc. University Graduate. M.B.E, European Heavyweight Champion, married, and a parent, I would likely have said that’s just stupid talk. In the rough neighborhoods where I grew up, it’s hard to make dreams come true.

There are only so many times you can fall before it becomes foolhardy to continue. I’ve fallen a lot, but winning the heavyweight title was a destination I really wanted to get to. Coming back from adversity has been synonymous with my life.

I’ve done well to turn my life around, but sadly my dream to be a legitimate world champion will be unrealised.

I believed if I was mentally and physically right, I could figure these young guns out. Saturday was my final chance to prove it. The thing that pulled me up was pride, so I wanted a chance to continue and go out on my shield. It was not to be…

The rematch win over Danny Williams, avenging my loss to Michael Sprott to win the European title with a torn pec, plus winning the WBF title at Wembley Arena with Lennox Lewis in attendance were proud moments. I was also elated to win Prizefighter for the second time, putting in three good performances.

I’d like to thank the trainers, support staff and medical professionals I’ve worked with over the years. You have helped me greatly in the gyms, boardrooms and operating tables over the years, and I’m grateful to you all. Special mention to Kelvyn Travis.

Through boxing, I have been blessed to have travelled the world, socialized and mixed in circles I could have only dreamt about as a child. Receiving the M.B.E. from HRH and meeting so many of my boxing idols like Muhammad Ali and Marvin Haglar have been high points.

To Raychel my wife, thanks for your unconditional love and support…I look forward to the imminent arrival of our little boy to join our princess Ariella.

Our life is a one time deal, no rehearsals, so the regrets I have, I live with and accept…I got focused a little late in life, so I’ve had to learn some tough lessons along the way.

My brothers and family members have had to share in the roller coaster of my public life over the years and defending the family name after I lose has been a burden for you all. Thank you for the love and support over the years. I intend to lead a normal existence from here guys.

Finally, thank you to my dad for your efforts in raising us together under the same roof. Wish I could have achieved my goal for you.

Big up, look up and get up!

One love…

Audley A Force Harrison

http://www.audleyharrison.com/index.php/audley-statement-im-retiring/#more-891

Not a surprise. I wish him a long and happy retirement, but will put the boot in the moment he starts up with any come back nonsense!!

Shades of Keats in there with a touch of Wilde.........

Wonder who wrote it for him...??

Good riddance..

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:Shades of Keats in there with a touch of Wilde.........

Wonder who wrote it for him...??

Good riddance..

Why can't you believe he wrote it, the guy is quite articulate when he wants to be, regardless of what you think of him as a fighter

It's a press release.......Sportsman tend to sign their name to these things..

Audley retiring and Union making a rare appearance back on the boards, a double cause for joy.

Glad to see he is finally retiring and I only hope for his sake it is for good. He retires with plenty of money in the bank and with all of his senses in tact (well as in tact as they can be given his grand delusions).

He was a very strange enigma indeed and will forever be one of the most talked about British Heavyweights although for all the wrong reasons. By the time his biggest fight came around against Haye he quite possibly was the most disliked British fighter of all time. Three years later and having been knocked out twice more he seemingly won over many people who suddenly began to enjoy the fact you just couldn't get rid of him. No one can question his urge to reach the top nor his heart given the amount of times he kept getting into the ring..and he at least turned up in great physical shape, something not many heavyweights do.

The problem was he was just never good enough in the Pro game. Strange as coming out of the Olympics in 2000 he seemed to have all the tools to make it to the top. Quite why he didn't probably he only knows...but I feel that his guaranteed earnings (huge at that) so early in his career somewhat took away any real love and probably blinded him a little as to just how good he was.

He will go down as a bit of a laughing stock who made far more than his talent probably deserved, however it should not be forgotten that he did wonders for British Boxing at amateur level during a time when it was slowly slipping off the map and in danger of losing almost all of it's funding. His Gold Medal at the Olympics gave it the much needed boost which sees it thriving today. Fair enough other people i.e. Khan, DeGale etc have taken it on since then but without Harrison there is a huge question mark as to whether any of them would have got the opportunity to shine at subsequent games.

Never made it to the top and probably wasted what talent he had...but he got up and tried to come again despite a level of abuse which would have caused many a fighter to slink away and become depressed and reliant on alcohol and drugs!! He gave the amateur sport in this country a much needed shot in the arm and for that he should be applauded...even those pro's who laugh at his pro career, to this day hold him in high esteem for what he did at Sydney.

Enjoy the retirement and family life....just please do not go making any comebacks!!

He'll be back. It's his destiny.

Let's not go over the top here Owen.........Unless It's me and your Wife.....

We have a guy who routinely ripped off the public with his performances....A guy who basically traded on a gold medal won against stiffs (won none-the -less though)...........A guy who traded on beating chaff in the prizefighter so he could flatter to deceive again....for a decent cheque!

A guy who earned big money under false pretences while good men like Scrap iron Ryan and the like who gave there all ...have to probably work shifts....

Let's get real.

Not married...although regardless not sure there is much need for that, but hey ho each to their own.

I don't think I went over the top at all. I said that he failed to make the most of the tools he seemingly had coming out of the Sydney Olympics and I also stated that he made more than his eventual talent actually deserved.

He is not the only person who will have made more than people from the past who actually deserve it did, but that is the sign of the times of the 'Olympic era' where medals get a quicker route to the top and paycheck's far above the normal station. Although thankfully this isn't as much the case now.

As for the money he made against the likes of Haye and Price i'm afraid that those who chose to watch the fights and line his pockets deserve no sympathy at all and I am not going to berate the guy for taking the fight!

As a pro he was a waste of space whose overall performances didn't deserve the money he was receiving. As an amateur he gave the sport in this country a much needed shot in the arm both in terms of exposure and finances...which subsequently changed the way amateur boxing is run and has led to the likes of Khan, DeGale, Campbell, Joshua etc coming through....that is a fact...and one which the likes of Khan, Froch and others have supported!

Not berating the guy for taking the fights...Merely suggesting he doesn't warrant the war and peace style send of you're giving him...

More deserving out there..

Your girlfriend will do..

If he had the boxing talent to match his ability with promoting himself and making money he would have been a multi world champ.

How am I giving him the war and peace style send off?..

All I said is that he has turned many people's perception of him around, rightly or wrongly, towards the latter end of his career. He was universally disliked where as heading into the Wilder fight I saw many posts hoping he won the fight either to put Wilder down a peg..but more so because people began to like the fact he wouldn't get dissuaded from his 'career goal'.

There is more deserving people out there....but as has always been the case in boxing some people don't get the recognition or financial security they deserve whilst others make far more than their status deserves.

Just because the guy failed well below world level...shouldn't mean he shouldn't enjoy his time out of the ring with his family!

There's elements of but also coupled with oodles of

Anyway, he's laced 'em up and climbed through those ropes...I haven't so fair play to him.

Hope he remains retired and without wishing to be too uncharitable, hope he doesn't try to return as either a promotor or trainer as I think I'd be tempted to lace 'em up and give him a slap.

Best of luck to him though. A man with bags of character, sadly not all of it, the right kind (but then who of us does?)

owen10ozzy wrote:How am I giving him the war and peace style send off?..

All I said is that he has turned many people's perception of him around, rightly or wrongly, towards the latter end of his career. He was universally disliked where as heading into the Wilder fight I saw many posts hoping he won the fight either to put Wilder down a peg..but more so because people began to like the fact he wouldn't get dissuaded from his 'career goal'.

There is more deserving people out there....but as has always been the case in boxing some people don't get the recognition or financial security they deserve whilst others make far more than their status deserves.

Just because the guy failed well below world level...shouldn't mean he shouldn't enjoy his time out of the ring with his family!

Don't recall mentioning his girlfriend and time out of the ring............

Recall mentioning that I think there are much more deserving fighters out there whether it be money wise and send off wise..........than this Boxing-fraudster.

A lot of drawing board salesmen out of pocket now

Look I don't mind guys failing at the top level...I love a trier.....

Just have a problem with a garbage talker who bottles it against anyone decent that keeps resurrecting his career on stiffs on prizefighter...

Making tons of money whilst good men are penniless with more talent, dignity and class.

MBE?!

Il Gialloblu wrote:MBE?!

Monumentally Big Ego

Reborn-DeeMcK-Reborn wrote:A lot of drawing board salesmen out of pocket now

Don't be so sure, if Amir keeps fighting like he has been, there may be a rush order of diamond studded drawing boards

I've never really understood this idea that Audley should be given extra applause for showing this 'determination' and 'belief' that people talk about; he never, ever showed any of it in the ring which, when you're a prize fighter, is where it matters most. Ok, he plugged away and pulled it out against Sprott, he can have that one.

That aside, I really see no reason to commend or particularly celebrate his career as a professional at all. I'm sure most other similarly useless professionals would have shown 'guts' and 'mental strength' to keep climing through the ropes in the anticipation of getting a tanning off any half-decent operator if they were on the same kind of wage as Audley. Traffic wardens, bus drivers and PCSOs get jeered and verbally ridiculed on a relatively regular basis in their working life, too, but I don't see anyone telling us how brave and determined they are.

If Audley really did possess this inner belief and mental fortitude that his fans speak of, he wouldn't have put in such a pathetic display against Haye, and wouldn't have succumbed so meekly to the likes of Martin Rogan (a fight in which he seemed totally unconcerned that the win was slipping away from him). Audley gets painted as a 'trier', but the truth is he wasn't. He also gets painted as an enigma who underachieved despite being blessed with high talent - personally, I think there's nothing enigmatic about him at all, and that he simply just wasn't much cop in the paid ranks and never would have been even if he'd have allied what small gifts he did have with a braver attitude in the ring. At least then, however, he'd have been able to hold his head high in his defeats.

Wonderful amateur achievements which I don't wish to degrade at all. As a professional? Good riddance. He deserves no eulogies - even modest ones - and, now that he's hung them up, I genuinely hope he disappears from boxing in all capacities for good. He's had his time, and it's been a dozen years of big talk, no follow through, too much money for minimal effort when it mattered, running jokes, novelty appearances and stinking out halls.

DAVE667 wrote:

Reborn-DeeMcK-Reborn wrote:A lot of drawing board salesmen out of pocket now

Don't be so sure, if Amir keeps fighting like he has been, there may be a rush order of diamond studded drawing boards

After he loses his next fight, He'll probably blame the drawing board for spraining his wrist while writing up a gameplan

88Chris05 wrote:I've never really understood this idea that Audley should be given extra applause for showing this 'determination' and 'belief' that people talk about; he never, ever showed any of it in the ring which, when you're a prize fighter, is where it matters most. Ok, he plugged away and pulled it out against Sprott, he can have that one.

That aside, I really see no reason to commend or particularly celebrate his career as a professional at all. I'm sure most other similarly useless professionals would have shown 'guts' and 'mental strength' to keep climing through the ropes in the anticipation of getting a tanning off any half-decent operator if they were on the same kind of wage as Audley. Traffic wardens, bus drivers and PCSOs get jeered and verbally ridiculed on a relatively regular basis in their working life, too, but I don't see anyone telling us how brave and determined they are.

If Audley really did possess this inner belief and mental fortitude that his fans speak of, he wouldn't have put in such a pathetic display against Haye, and wouldn't have succumbed so meekly to the likes of Martin Rogan (a fight in which he seemed totally unconcerned that the win was slipping away from him). Audley gets painted as a 'trier', but the truth is he wasn't. He also gets painted as an enigma who underachieved despite being blessed with high talent - personally, I think there's nothing enigmatic about him at all, and that he simply just wasn't much cop in the paid ranks and never would have been even if he'd have allied what small gifts he did have with a braver attitude in the ring. At least then, however, he'd have been able to hold his head high in his defeats.

Wonderful amateur achievements which I don't wish to degrade at all. As a professional? Good riddance. He deserves no eulogies - even modest ones - and, now that he's hung them up, I genuinely hope he disappears from boxing in all capacities for good. He's had his time, and it's been a dozen years of big talk, no follow through, too much money for minimal effort when it mattered, running jokes, novelty appearances and stinking out halls.

Excellent stuff..

He tried and thats all we can ask.

TRUSS will never understand this because he has NEVER fought in the ring before, he does not know or understand what fighters actually go through so he ridicules Harrison.

I feel suitably chastened.......

I'll never forget you A-Force.

Only kidding TRUSS

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:I feel suitably chastened.......

Good.

Mind the windows Tino. wrote:

Il Gialloblu wrote:MBE?!

Monumentally Big Ego

Massive Bell End (obviously Audley not you Tina)

Rowley wrote:

Mind the windows Tino. wrote:

Il Gialloblu wrote:MBE?!

Monumentally Big Ego

Massive Bell End (obviously Audley not you Tina)

The second part went without saying, Jeff.

Didn't it?

Glad he got out before he got seriously hurt.

I don't think there's a single reason or factor on which you can pin the fact that it went so wrong for Audley, but the reality is that about 80% of his career levelled out somewhere between disappointment and outright disaster.

Maybe you have to go back to the beginning and ask why the idea of turning pro never appealed to Audley prior to winning in Sydney. He was 29 years old when he made his professional debut and probably fell into a golden opportunity to set himself for life almost by accident.

I don't blame him for playing hardball with the BBC when the opportunity arose. Ultimately it's your money and mine, but nobody put a gun the head of whoever offered Harrison a life-changing sum of money.

Expectation didn't help - Lennox was in the autumn of his career and boxing fans over here wanted to believe there would be a natural successor. As an olympic gold medalist, Harrison fit the bill nicely.

Being a professional boxer requires the 'switching off' of some rational senses. All of us know that fighters can be permanently injured or even killed by sustained punishment in the ring. It's perfectly rational for most of us to think 'no way' to the idea of risking our own health and observe the sport as fans from the sidelines.

I say that as someone who trained and sparred, but when the thought of actually fighting came up, decided not to bother. It's a totally sensible and rational thought process to follow.

When I re-watch Harrison's surrenders to Haye, Price and then Wilder, I come to the conclusion that his uppermost thought was getting out of there in one piece, relatively unscathed and banking the cheque.

The sport he was madly in love with was amateur boxing.

That gold medal was both the best and the worst thing ever to happen to him IMO.

Just a part of the story, but a notable part...

I prefer Trussy's retirement announcements..........more heart felt.

Strongback wrote:I prefer Trussy's retirement announcements..........more heart felt.

Let's just hope Audley's lasts longer

Seanusarrilius wrote:

Strongback wrote:I prefer Trussy's retirement announcements..........more heart felt.

Let's just hope Audley's lasts longer

Boxing fans are quite funny sometimes..

Many told him to quit, he came back and won prize fighter, many still said quit and he then became Euro champ, he then had the chance to fight for a world title and got spanked. Many said he should quit, but he came back and won international prize fighter...

All in all he has done things many boxers would LOVE to have achieved even outside of his amateur success and people regard him as a failure just because he was not a world class pro who would not give up.

his recent fights have simply shown his age. at 41 you do not show your best... and you don't go up against the hardest punchers around to test it.

I got nothing against Audley and think he is a good character, I hope he gets into promotion as he is certainly a world class talker.

How about all the things Audley told the fans? If the fans are a funny lot then Audley is certified!

Does he actually say he's retiring in there? He Thanks everybody, says he won't realise his dream. Blah blah. Even if he does say he's retiring, he might just mean he's going to bed. Only saying, don't get your hopes up.

Wonder what he got expelled from school for? Can't have been for punching someone.

milkyboy wrote:Does he actually say he's retiring in there? He Thanks everybody, says he won't realise his dream. Blah blah. Even if he does say he's retiring, he might just mean he's going to bed. Only saying, don't get your hopes up.

Wonder what he got expelled from school for? Can't have been for punching someone.

He got caught talking about beating up a teacher.

Bet after seeing Audley's career.. The teacher is clamoring for a rematch..

He never set out to kid anyone - he just froze and couldn't get rid of a mental block when the event was against a worthy foe. A lot including myself kept believing because his technical skills were right up there - which is why he was head and shoulders above opponents in prizefighter. David Haye in 2010 actually provided the blueprint to beat Audley every time - by overwhelming him, fast. David Price learn't from this and was able to then do it quicker in 2012 , Wilder about the same last week.

Perhaps a hypnotist may have worked, who knows? Audley remains an enigma. Far too good at club and normal domestic journeyman level and pretty much non competitive as a competitor at world level. So odd, that it can only be mind, not body - Olympic golds don't earn themselves!

This isn't the first time I've read people on here saying that he was technically very good. But I really can't agree. Jab - no. Footwork - no. Head movement - no. He only ever looked good against third rate opponents, so I don't know how we can say he had the tools.

I disagree that he was bereft of skills, you simply can not win an Olympic gold without having an excellent skill set as you would not be able to prosper in that system which relies on hitting clean shots whilst avoiding being hit by the same. But i also believe that the sheer battle mindset needed for the pro ranks was not there which countered all the above skills

armchairwarrior wrote:He never set out to kid anyone - he just froze and couldn't get rid of a mental block when the event was against a worthy foe. A lot including myself kept believing because his technical skills were right up there - which is why he was head and shoulders above opponents in prizefighter. David Haye in 2010 actually provided the blueprint to beat Audley every time - by overwhelming him, fast. David Price learn't from this and was able to then do it quicker in 2012 , Wilder about the same last week.

Perhaps a hypnotist may have worked, who knows? Audley remains an enigma. Far too good at club and normal domestic journeyman level and pretty much non competitive as a competitor at world level. So odd, that it can only be mind, not body - Olympic golds don't earn themselves!

Not sure Id agree with that, Haye barely did anything to Audley in the first two rounds of their fight. I think at one stage the ref had to get them both and actually tell them to throw a punch. There was hardly any action. Eventually Haye did attack and that was that. But I wouldn’t say he overwhelmed him fast. Audley just has a tendancy to crumble under attack. Against lighter, less able fighters he can get away with it but genuine big hitters he folded pretty quickly under attack. Even just a decent work rate and chin would trouble Audley who was notoriously ponderous. I don’t think he was actually too good for domestic title level either as he has losses to Williams, Sprott and Rogan there.

The "technically very good" comment is based on other boxers comments, including David Haye. Several boxers have commented on him being very good in sparring. Audley was a very very good amateur ( clearly! ) he had the tools as he showed it then. This is why he disappointed as he promised so much!! Had there been no evidence in the first place and an average showing in the amateurs, none of this fuss would have happened.

He showed glimpses in his pro fights, Williams fight number two and fighting Sprott with one arm, ironically his footwork and positioning even before the KO ( which was not lucky as some throught as he manouvered Sprott into position )was actually very good.

Audley's problem was that he got stage fright in proper fights. Like a musician who can play piano really well in private or amongst friends, then gets on stage in front of lots of people and goes to pieces which doesn't tell the true story of the talent, but shows a temperament ill suited to public performing.

Audley to coach!! - he might make a good teacher. Who knows!

manos de piedra wrote:

armchairwarrior wrote:He never set out to kid anyone - he just froze and couldn't get rid of a mental block when the event was against a worthy foe. A lot including myself kept believing because his technical skills were right up there - which is why he was head and shoulders above opponents in prizefighter. David Haye in 2010 actually provided the blueprint to beat Audley every time - by overwhelming him, fast. David Price learn't from this and was able to then do it quicker in 2012 , Wilder about the same last week.

Perhaps a hypnotist may have worked, who knows? Audley remains an enigma. Far too good at club and normal domestic journeyman level and pretty much non competitive as a competitor at world level. So odd, that it can only be mind, not body - Olympic golds don't earn themselves!

Not sure Id agree with that, Haye barely did anything to Audley in the first two rounds of their fight. I think at one stage the ref had to get them both and actually tell them to throw a punch. There was hardly any action. Eventually Haye did attack and that was that. But I wouldn’t say he overwhelmed him fast. Audley just has a tendancy to crumble under attack. Against lighter, less able fighters he can get away with it but genuine big hitters he folded pretty quickly under attack. Even just a decent work rate and chin would trouble Audley who was notoriously ponderous. I don’t think he was actually too good for domestic title level either as he has losses to Williams, Sprott and Rogan there.

I mean't that when Haye went for it, he did it fast and overwhelmed him - wasn't clear, Sorry, yes, I know he took nearly 3 rounds to do it.

I think he was just about evenish with Williams, Sprott and Rogan as he had wins as well as losses over the former two, and I personally think on another day he could have decisioned Rogan - not a huge amount in that one. Probably just about Domestic level ( not counting a fast up and coming guy like Price )

He obviously did have a good skill set relative to other amateurs at the time - not to mention great physical attributes (height, reach, athleticism). He won the highest prize as an amateur, don't want to take away from that awesome achievement. But that doesn't mean he had the tools to succeed as a pro - the skill set is a little different, and it doesn't always translate.

Williams II - Williams took the fight at the last minute, and didn't train. Sprott II - one of the worst fights I've ever seen, and I certainly don't recall any chess-like manouvering before the KO.

I'm sure stage fright may have played a part at times, but I still don't see the evidence that his skill level was any better than his domestic rivals.

Point I was making is he is about domestic level at best. I am going on results -

Williams v Harrison - One all and Williams didn't fight all that great for the first fight he won.

Sprott v Harrison - One All - Sprott ko'd him after Audley in fact bossed rounds 1 and 2. Fight two - Audley got injured and somehow won the fight as Sprott didn't have the skill to really capitalise

Rogan v Harrison - Rogan never really hurt Audley, and was crudely but effectively aggressive so won on points. This fight showed in truth how badly Audley was suited in the pro ranks as sheer aggression had him befuddled.

Can everyone please leave Audley alone, he never hurt anyone!

He seems to have hurt a few poeple's feelings