I was KO’d by Deontay Wilder and David Haye, but ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ hit me harder than anyone
Audley Harrison felt his fair share of heavyweight power during his boxing career where he lost seven of his 38 fights.
The Sydney 2000 Olympic gold medallist turned professional with a great deal of hope and expectation behind him, but infamously proved unable to win a world title.
3
Harrison started strongly, putting together a record of 19-0 from his first fight in the pro ranks against Mike Middleton at Wembley Arena in 2001.
However, after losing to Danny Williams by split decision in 2005, his career never properly recovered.
Additional points losses to Dominick Guinn and Martin Rogan followed, and then came the knockouts.
Michael Sprott was first to KO Harrison - a crushing defeat in 2007.
READ MORE BOXING
To his credit, A-force worked hard to rebuild and bounced back by returning the favour in 2010, knocking out Sprott to win the European title.
This set up a world title shot against David Haye, who had the WBA belt at the time.
Despite a big build-up, Harrison barely through a punch and was wiped out inside three rounds.
In the years that followed, he was also KO'd by rising prospects at the time David Price and Deontay Wilder.
Most read in Boxing
3
3
He opted to retire after his one-round evisceration at the hands of the American future world champion.
At the end of it all though, Harrison remarkably reflects by insisting that none of these heavyweights hit him harder than Samuel Peter, who he boxed in the amateurs.
Frank Warren describes Deontay Wilder as a 'shot fighter' and does not see him ever fighting Anthony Joshua
The 'Nigerian Nightmare' did not achieve great amateur success, but was a top contender as a professional in the 2000s, and even briefly held the WBC world title in 2008.
“I always say the hardest puncher I ever faced in my career was Samuel Peter - the 'Nigerian Nightmare’," Harrison told Mega Casino.
“I boxed him in a pre-Olympic tournament, with a headguard on, he hit me on the top of the head and it sent shockwaves all the way through my body.
“The thing with David Price, I went to sleep when he knocked me out. When you’re knocked unconscious like that, you don’t know too much about it.
“Deontay hit me and then he threw 100 punches after that, so it was just all a blur.
"I just took the Samuel Peter shot and the headguard probably stopped me from getting knocked out.
“But, I know that was the hardest shot I faced because it put me on Q**** Street.
"The David Price and Michael Sprott knockouts put me to sleep.
“I woke up and wanted to start fighting again, but my corner told me ‘Audley, the fight has been over for 30 seconds'.”
Peter twice lost to Wladimir Klitschko and was also beaten once by his brother Vitali.
He retired with a record of 38-9 (31 KOs).
Boxing WhatsApp channel
Get the latest fight news, reaction and the best opinion from talkSPORT pundits in our
Follow our Boxing channel
Topics