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Scott Harrison regains WBO title 2003

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Back in May 1980, a Scottish pro lightweight boxer called Harrison outpointed an English opponent from Brighton called Maloney - Tim Maloney - at Glasgow's St Andrew's Sporting Club. The Scottish boxer was Peter Harrison, father and chief coach and cornerman of current WBO featherweight champion, Scott Harrison, now managed by another Englishman called Maloney - Frank - from London.

The above coincidence underlines that Scott Harrison has solid boxing genes. His dad Peter was a top class amateur with the Glasgow Transport Club off Glasgow's London Road, in the 1960s and '70s, before fighting in the pro ranks where he won a Scottish lightweight title by outpointing Airdrie's Willie Booth in the early 1980s.

Dad Peter went on to work with Tommy Gilmour stable of boxers such as WBO mini-flyweight champion Paul Weir, Edinburgh flyweight Danny Flynn, Tranent middleweight Willie 'Mighty' Quinn and many others before eventually striking out on his own as a much respected boxing coach, both amateur and professional.

Meanwhile, while it does not automatically follow that offspring of famous boxers can imitate their celebrated boxing dads, Scott Harrison clearly did, even exceeding his father's amateur achievements by winning a gold medal for Scotland in Hungary in a European tournament in 1993. Equally, as a pro boxer Scott Harrison has made a habit of breaking Scottish boxing records.

When Scott blew away American-based Samuel Kebede on 29 October 2004 at Braehead Arena in less than a minute, he broke the 61-year-old record set up by Glasgow-based Ayrshire flyweight world champion Jackie Paterson. In June 1943 Paterson knocked out England's Peter Kane in only 90 seconds.

Equally, in 29 November 2003, by beating previous ring conqueror, Mexican Manuel Medina by stoppage in 11 rounds in the same Braehead ring where Medina had suprisingly defeated him and grabbed his WBO featherweight title, Harrison became the only Scottish boxer to regain a world title which he had previously lost.

Similarly, the 20-year-old record established by Glasgow's Jim Watt of making the most successful world title defences by a Caledonian fighter (four) was also exceeded by Scott Harrison.

Harrison's highly controversial and disputed points win over Colombian Victor Polo on 28 January 2005 at Braehead Arena, when Cambuslang fighter was adjudged a points victor over Polo to notch up a record sixth world title fight win by a Scottish boxer, meant he had beaten Jim Watt's prior title defence record by one bout.

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Scott Harrison is nevertheless a quality fighter on his day when he is fully focused. For example, early in his career at New York's Madison Square Garden in 29 April 2000 he impressively outpointed Tracey Harris Paterson, adopted son of American world heavyweight champion (1956-59 + 1960-62) Floyd Paterson, a win that was hailed by American boxing insiders at ringside.

At his peak Scott Harrison is incredibly fit and aggressive, swarming all over his ring rivals with fast, sharp and hurtful combinations of jabs, hooks and uppercuts. He also has a big heart and excellent punch resistance. But, the downside, performance-wise, is that Scott has proved inconsistent.

For example, the Scott Harrison who took apart Irish former WBC world super-bantamweight champion Wayne McCullough so ruthlessly in Glasgow in March 2003 is hard to square with the Harrison who lost to Manuel Medina.

And the ferocious tiger Harrison who, in 2004, destroyed William Abelyan (TKO RD3) and Walter Estrada in Glasgow is hard to square with the Scott Harrison who failed to impress totally when pitted against Colombian Victor Polo in his last WBO title defence in January 2005.

On that occasion, most Scottish press men at ringside, including myself, thought that a far-from-impressive Harrison had lost his title by around three rounds to the cagey Colombian challenger, Polo.

But arguably such inconsistency comes with the territory as far as Scott Harrison is concerned.
After all, Scott lost an early bout by cut eye stoppage to very ordinary journeyman fighter Miguel Mathews only to hugely impress by outscoring American ex-world champion Tom Johnson over 12 rounds in 2000 in London.

As his impressive array of Scottish fight game records show, Scott Harrison, the real Scott Harrison, when he is on song and in tune with his undoubted ring talents, is a formidable
operator.

However, there are some who will say that until he goes to the USA and defeats an Erik Morales or Marco Antonio Barrera, the jury is out on his true standing among the world's fistic elite.

Incidentally, Scott Harrison is an accomplished artist, painting in oils. He once painted a view of one of his own Scottish ring hero's (Ken Buchanan) Sparta amateur boxing gym in Edinburgh's McDonald Road.

Written by: Brian Donald