I Was One Of The Greatest Fighters Ever

But Maurice Harris explains to James Slater why he had a hard time proving it.

- James Slater

THE previous pages focused on how fighters cope with knockout defeats, and heavyweight Maurice Harris made a career out of it. Turning pro as a light-heavyweight in 1992, after an amateur career that barely scratched the surface, “Mo Bettah” was thrown in deep.

In his first 20 pro bouts, the first of which he lost via four-round decision, Harris was knocked out five times but showed his potential against name heavyweights Vaughn Bean, David Izon, Jimmy Thunder and, in July of 1997, Larry Holmes.

Exiting the Holmes fight with a 9-9-2 record, Harris could not take too much comfort from the fact that almost everyone who saw his fight with the former world champion felt he had clearly deserved the decision that went Holmes’ way.

Harris battled on until 2015, retiring with a 26-21-3 (11) ledger, during which he was stopped some 14 times – most famously at the hands of Derrick Jefferson, who almost took Harris’ head clean off in round six.

You were just 16 when you went pro?