Scott Harrison Hangs On To Title Thanks To Draw Decision

When Victor Polo challenged Julio Pablo Chacón for the WBO Featherweight crown three years ago at London's York Hall, Scott Harrison was at ringside. It was Polo's third world title attempt and if a slip on a towel hadn't been judged as a knockdown, Victor Polo would have been victorious that night.

Harrison of course went on to beat Chacón later that year to claim the WBO belt himself. Had things been different, Harrison may well have been challenging Victor Polo that October, but the boxers' paths eventually crossed last night at the Braehead Arena.

For Scott Harrison it was a chance to show the world that he was truly a top five Featherweight, more than deserving of a "super fight" against the likes of Marco Antonio Barrera. For Victor Polo at the age of 34 it was almost definitely the last chance of world title glory.

Harrison's manager, Frank Maloney, had wanted the WBO champion to defend his title against a lesser opponent, but neither Scott or the Scottish boxing public were wearing that one. So Victor Polo, the WBO's number one challenger, was selected.

Maloney warned that it would be the hardest fight of his career, but that was ticket selling talk. He also said Scott would stop Polo inside 12 rounds. If he'd known just how hard a fight this was going to be, he wouldn't have touched Polo with a bargepole.

The contest started evenly enough with the two boxers trading opening salvos, with Polo looking the sharper of the two boxers. But disaster struck before the end of the first round when a cut opened up above Harrison's left eye.

It obviously troubled Harrison throughout the fight - by the final bell his left eye was completely closed and his face covered in the blood that was weeping from his battle wounds. But in his normal dogged fashion, he continued to go after Polo who was content to jab and move, jab and move, for the first three rounds.

In the fourth it looked like Scott Harrison was finally catching up with Polo and in the fifth a big right hand obviously troubled the Columbian challenger. But these were the only two rounds that saw the Scot box anywhere close to his usual standards. Don't for one minute think this was vintage Harrison, but he was ahead at this opoint in the fight.

Rather than continue to hunt down his opponent however, Harrison allowed Polo back into the fight in the sixth and seventh. Another cut opened up, this time on Harrison's nose, and the champion was looking tired and short of ideas while Polo was being allowed to take control of the fight.

In the ninth both boxers landed big punches, but it was the challenger who looked the better of the two fighters. By now Harrison was looking totally out of sorts, his left eye closed and unable to get inside Polo to do any real damage to the challenger. He was still coming forward, but with little to show for his determination and bravery.

For his part, it now looked like Polo couldn't miss as he took maximum advantage of Harrison's lack of vision.

In the eleventh, Polo was equally dominant - if he had been a bigger puncher the fight might well have ended there and then. Only Harrison's bravery carried him into the 12th and final round, but once again Polo looked to have snatched the round, picking off the champion while Harrison's attempts to score a late knockout ended up missing their intended target.

When John Simpson lost to Dazzo Williams in a British title fight last year it had robbery written all over it. We are naturally biased towards Scottish fighters, but boxing's all about opinions and few disagreed with us that night.

When the final bell went at the Braehead Arena last night you were hard pressed to find anyone who thought Scott Harrison had retained his title. Victor Polo had managed to do a number on a one eyed Scott Harrison who never boxed close to his best.

But once again the Gods weren't looking down favourably upon Victor Polo. The three judges scored the contest a draw, with one favouring Harrison 115-113, one favouring Polo 116-113 and the other scoring it 114-114.

Afterwards Harrison said he thought he'd done enough to win the fight by two rounds, but the truth was that if there was a winner it was Victor Polo. And for the second time, the Columbian will go home from a WBO title fight without the belt after looking like he'd done enough to win.

The Harrison knockers will be quick to say this proves that he doesn't deserve to be in with the likes of Barrera, that he has reached his level. They said much the same after the first Manuel Medina fight.

But one fight does not a boxer make or break as Barrera himself will tell you. He has lost four times and was written off by all and sundry following his last defeat against Manny Pacquiao.

What's more that wasn't Harrison at his best tonight - without that first round cut it might have been a completely different story.

And remember, Harrison is still the champion, and just like he did after the first fight against Medina, he'll bounce back from this one. Maybe finally making the anticipated move up to Super Featherweight to do so. Let's just hope his isn't led down the same road as other "champions" now with a succession of meaningless defences against nobody opponents.

As for Victor Polo. If he had been given the verdict, we would have had no complaints.

Posted by scottish-boxing at January 29, 2005 05:09 PM