IF Vivian Harris didn’t have a reason for thrashing Diobelys Hurtardo in their championship bout tonight then one was presented to him soon after the two fighters weighed in Houston Texas yesterday afternoon.
Harris’ forehead was greeted by saliva, hurled from the mouth of Hurtardo which resulted in a “bar brawl” between the two camps, trainer Lennox Blackmoore said yesterday.
Blackmoore said that the incident occurred after Harris accused the champion of being afraid of him.
“Vivian was trying on the gloves and Hurtardo’s trainer, Felix Pintor, told him to put it back. Vivian then said that Hurtardo was afraid of him and with that Hurtardo spat on Vivian. It caught him on the forehead,” Blackmoore said from Texas yesterday.
“All hell broke loose and we kicked the shit out of them. We beat the heck out of them,” Blackmoore disclosed. According to Blackmoore, Harris was prevented from getting into the brawl which included Hurtardo.
“I didn’t want Vivian to get into the brawl but to keep his hands for tomorrow (tonight). So my second held him back. We whipped them real good,” said Blackmoore.
The former Commonwealth lightweight champion could not say if anyone from the opposing camp was injured during the brawl but assured that the issue has not negatively affected young Guyanese. “It has only made him more vicious.”
Harris agreed: “Somebody is going to get murdered tomorrow night (tonight) and it ain’t gonna be me. He was trying to get me out of focus but has failed. I have been there before and I promise, I’ll get the job done,” Harris said.
Hurtardo defends his World Boxing Council (WBC) and International Boxing Association (IBA) junior welterweight titles in Houston Texas this evening. The fight will be televised live on Showtime.
Harris tipped the scales at 139 pounds yesterday, one quarter of a pound lighter than his opponent.
“Basically I think that Hurtardo starved himself to make the weight. He was training up to the time of the weigh in,” Blackmoore observed.
“This one will have no ifs or buts, this is going to be a very big win for Guyana. I want every one there to watch as I become the new world champion,” Harris concluded.
The 24-year-old Harris will attempt to become the third Guyanese fighting under the Golden Arrowhead to win a world title following in the footsteps of Andrew `Six Head’ Lewis and Wayne `Big Truck’ Harris.