PRIMM, NEVADA — Former world champion Vivian Harris remained on his stool after a rough first-round against Jessie Vargas Friday night at the Buffalo Bill’s Resort & Casino. When referee Joe Cortez made his way into the corner, Harris informed the official he was not continuing in the bout. Moments after the loss, his third in a row, Harris announced he was hanging up the gloves on his Facebook page.
“Just lost my fight [and] I am done with boxing because I [can’t] get a fight at the weight I want to,” said Harris, referring to his desire to fight at 147-pounds. “Boxing gave me a lot, thanks to all my fans.”
Harris’ post came roughly 45 minutes after he had left the ring. Harris (29-6-1, 19 KOs) of Brooklyn, New York by way of Georgetown, Guyana had told 15rounds.com prior to Thursday’s weigh-in that he had been planning to fight at welterweight, but all his offers came in for light welterweight opposition. “I want to go up to 147, because making 140 was definitely a hard thing for me to do,” admitted Harris Thursday. “But I have to take the fight because I have a family to feed and I can’t just sit at home or at the gym training. I have to pay the bills and I have a mortgage to pay and stuff like that. That’s why when the fights come at 140 I have to take it.”
Harris claimed the WBA Light Welterweight title in 2002 with an eye-opening second round stoppage over Diosbelys Hurtado. Harris would make three defenses before a shocking knockout loss to Carlos Maussa, who had replaced Arturo Morua on short notice, in 2005. Though he notched a couple victories on the comeback trail, Harris never regained the career momentum he had heading into the Maussa bout.
Harris would be stopped by Junior Witter in a failed attempt at the WBC version of the 140-pound title, a fight that the Guyana-born former champion had been the favorite among boxing insiders. Two fights later, Harris collapsed in the ring after a second-round headbutt against Noe Bolanos in Tucson, Arizona. In his three fights since, Harris has been stopped inside the distance each time.
While retirements made in the immediate aftermath of a tough loss rarely stick, this writer hopes Harris is one of the exceptions to the rule. The former champion made a good run and one can only hope that he finds life outside the ring to be just as rewarding as his time as a champion.
Photo by Mark Ortega
Mario Ortega Jr. can be reached at ortega15rds@lycos.com.
