TUCSON, Arizona, CMC – Guyana’s former world boxing champion “Vicious” Vivian Harris suffered a scary head injury in an aborted non-title bout Friday night against Mexico’s Noe Bolanos.
Harris was unable to continue after an accidental clash of heads in the second round of the light welterweight main event at the Desert Diamond Casino. The New York-based 31-year-old was taken to UPH Hospital at Kino Campus as a precaution and was reported to be in stable condition.
The fight was declared a no-contest.
Harris, a former World Boxing Association (WBA) light-welterweight champion, took a head butt to the left side of his head 40 seconds into the second, on the temple, as he and Bolanos both came forward looking to land.
He then collapsed in his corner, with his eyes closed, and was unresponsive for a brief period as the ring doctor tended to him for almost 10 minutes.
The first round had been competitive and Harris, in his first outing under new promotion company Golden Boy Promotions, relied on his jab while Bolanos scored some good body shots.
Media reports described as insensitive, pronouncements from the Bolanos camp that Harris was feigning injury to avoid what was shaping up to be a tough night in the ring.
“When he saw the body punch in the first round, he didn’t want to go through,” said the Mexican’s trainer Juan Mendoza.
“That’s the bottom line right there. … My boy’s too strong for that dude,” Mendoza added.
Harris was a heavy favourite to win the ESPN2 televised bout.
With a ring record of 29 wins (19 knockouts) against three losses and one draw, Harris has been trying to revive his career.
He lost his WBA light welterweight title to Colombian Carlos Maussa in June 2005 and also failed in a bid for the World Boxing Council (WBC) belt two years later when he challenged Britain’s Junior Witter.
