‘This is my time,’
- says Vivian Harris
“As for now we aren’t looking past Vivain Harris ....”
By Sean Devers in St. Lucia
Stabroek News
September 4, 2002
Some world champions prefer to make an easy defence after a winning a world title. But, WBA jr welterweight champion Diosbelys Hurtado, a former Cuban amateur star who defected to the United States in 1994 to pursue a professional boxing career, has never been one to do things the easy way.
He puts his title on the line for the first time against 21-1-1 Vivian Harris on October 19 at The Pavilion at Reliant Park in Houston, Texas.
“Without a doubt, I feel that I’m the best jr welterweight out there,” Hurtado recently told Fightnews. “I like giving guys like Vivian a shot at my title to prove that I can beat the best out there.”
After this fight, Hurtado (35-2-1, 23 KOs) says he’ll be gunning for the fighters at or near his weight class. “As for now we aren’t looking past Vivian Harris October 19, but after that we are looking at some of the bigger names out there. Maybe a rematch with Kostya Tszyu or even a fight against Vernon Forrest.
We know that we have to take one fight at a time.”
Harris, however, doesn’t plan to be so accomodating.
“I’m going to win these belts,” promised Harris, who plans to claim Hurtado’s WBA belt and his IBA belt, both of which will be up for grabs. “I remember one time I was supposed to fight Antonio Diaz for the IBA title but I lost to Ray Olivera, so that let me know that wasn’t the right time for me. So for me right now, I think this is the time for me to win both of the belts.”
Harris (21-1-1, 15 KOs) suffered his only loss in February 2000 when he was outhustled over ten rounds by Ray Oliveira in Oliveira’s backyard of Cranston, Rhode Island. Later that year, Harris won on all three judges scorecards against Ivan Robinson, but came away with a draw due to New Jersey’s now abandoned consensus scoring system
He told Fightnews he learned a lot that will help him in his loss to Oliveira. “I’m coming up against a fighter who reminds me of Olivera in how he moves around the ring, bobs, and stays active in the ring.” He said he’ll come this time with a different game plan.
Hurtado’s only losses came in previous world title shots. In 1997, he dropped WBC welter champ Pernell Whitaker twice and was leading on all cards when a desperate “Sweet Pea” went for broke and scored a spectacular eleventh round KO.
The following year, Hurtado had IBF jr welter champ Kostya Tszyu on the deck twice, but eventually succumbed to Tszyu’s vicious body attack in round five.
The champion says his fights with Whitaker and Tszyu give him a mental edge.
“I’ve been there with the tougher competition and have had set backs that have prepared me for this fight.”
The bout will be televised nationally by Showtime.
Also on the card, which is promoted by Main Events in association with Sugar Ray Leonard Boxing, will be almost all of Main Events’ hot young stars, incuding the return of jr welter Francisco “Panchito” Bojado, unbeaten featherweight 2000 Olympian Silver Medalist Rocky Juarez, unbeaten lightweight Juan Diaz, and unbeaten heavyweights Dominick Guinn and Malik Scott.