Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Harrison vows to regain his title


Harrison goes through his paces at his father's gym

Troubled former world boxing champion Scott Harrison has vowed to regain his title after admitting the last two years had been a "complete waste".

Harrison insisted he had not had a drink for seven weeks and said he would return to the ring by January.

Harrison, 30, has not fought since he successfully defended his WBO belt in November 2005 against Nedal Hussein.

He has suffered with alcohol and depression and has been arrested over incidents in Scotland and Spain.

But after going through a 40-minute work-out at his father Peter's Phoenix gym in the east end of Glasgow, Harrison asked: "Do I look like someone with two years to live?"

The comment was a reference to newspaper allegations claiming heavy drinking had damaged the 30-year-old boxer's health.

I had a bad break-up with my fiancée, my second kid was just born, and everybody goes off the rails

Scott Harrison

Harrison, from Cambuslang, Glasgow, pulled out of a title defence against Gary St Clair in May last year shortly before checking into the Priory clinic.

He then failed to make the weight for his planned bout against Nicky Cook in December after being released from a spell on remand in Spain following his arrest over an alleged assault.

The former WBO featherweight world champion strongly denied claims that he had plunged back into heavy drinking in Spain.

He added: "I had a bad break-up with my fiancée, my second kid was just born, and everybody goes off the rails.

"At the end of the day it was really my own fault. I'm a man to say it, but everyone goes off the rails, I'm not going to be off the rails for the rest of my life.

"You go off the rails and then you go back on the rails. I'm here to stay and I'm looking forward to getting my career back and grabbing back that world title.

"I'll be looking to get back in the ring in December or early January, probably December."

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