World Boxing Association (WBA) junior welterweight champion `Vicious' Vivian Harris is considering giving up his five-month old title for a possible lucrative date with former champion Zab Judah.
Harris is scheduled to meet mandatory challenger Frenchman Souleyman Mbaye in the first defence of the belt he won last October.
But, Harris, who destroyed previous titlle holder Cuban defector Diobelys Hurtado in two rounds, disclosed that he has been approached with an offer from television network HBO to fight one-time sparring partner Judah.
"They (HBO) want me to clash with Judah and I'm thinking about it. If I accept, I would have to give up my title. No one knows this French guy and I would not be able to make the kind of money fighting him as I would, fighting Judah," Harris said from Brooklyn yesterday.
Mbaye is ranked number one by the WBA. Promoter Don King won the purse bid and the right to stage the fight on February 13 in Miami.
Don King Productions submitted a bid of US$185,012 against US$165,000 submitted by Main Events Promotions.
King had 15 days from the date of the purse bid to submit official communication to the WBA saying what the definite venue and date of the bout will be but, according to Harris, he has not done so.
The title bout has to take place no later than 90 days from the date of the purse bid.
"It is quite frustrating. Don King is trying a set of bull... and up to now he has said nothing about a date to fight Mbaye. HBO made the offer for me to fight Judah and I said yes in principle, once the money is right." Harris, who also holds the International Boxing Association (IBA) junior welterweight title also revealed that his take would have to be close to one million dollars if he is to face Judah.
"It has to be US$800,000 or more. I would give up my belt to fight for that kind of money," the Guyanese said. Should he fight Mbaye he will only make a shade over US$100,000.
Both Harris and the lightning-quick Judah are from Brooklyn and are close friends.
"I can whip Judah or the Frenchman it's just that with Judah, I'll make much more money. It's just like Vernon Forrest did with Shane Mosley. He (Forrest) gave up his title to fight Mosley," Harris added.
He assured that a decision would be made by Friday.
"By fighting Judah it would be better for me. I think that after I get rid of him it would be easier for me to get a crack at undisputed Kostya Tszyu."
The `Vicious' one became the youngest fighter representing Guyana to win a world title when he dispatched then champion Hurtardo inside two rounds in Texas in October. He was 24-years-old.
Judah, the former International Boxing Federation champion, who is one year older than Harris, lost his title in November of 2001 via a second round knockout at the hands of Tszyu. He has only fought once since the lone defeat.
Meanwhile, boxing promoter and politician Odinga Lumumba, MP, is advising Harris to fight Judah for any purse over US$500,000.
In an invited comment yesterday Lumumba, who carried the late Andrew Murray, and Anthony `The Pearl' Andrews to world title bouts in 1995 said that Harris needs to make an economic decision.
"In boxing you need to make economic decisions. Boxing is about economics. I would say that once he gets anything above US$500,000 to fight Judah he should take it.
When a boxer fights for $100,000 he usually ends up with about $70,000," Lumumba said.
He argued that if the 75-25 percent (75 percent to champion and 25 to the challenger) rule is implemented then Harris would only stand to make approximately US$140,000.
"If I were Harris I would take the Judah fight once the price is right," Lumumba said.