World Boxing Association and International Boxing Association junior welterweight champion Vivian Harris has been advised to continue to train hard if he wants to remain at the top.
The timely advice came from five-timer world champion now promoter Sugar Ray Leonard shortly after Harris dropped Diobelys Hurtardo in Houston, Texas two Saturdays ago to snatch the two titles.
"He told me that I'll have to work much harder now that I have won the title since a lot of people will want my crown," Harris said from New York yesterday.
Leonard was seen in intense conversation with the champion moments after he was declared champion. "He said that I gave a good performance but claimed that I'll have to remain focused and train very hard." "You have what many people want," Harris said he was told.
Meanwhile, Harris disclosed that he has signed a three-fight promotional contract with Leonard. The champion explained that he had signed the contract in order to get a shot at Hurtardo.
Leonard, a gold medalist at the 1976 Montreal Olympics, won the WBC welterweight title with a 15 round decision over Wilfredo Benitez in November of 1979. He lost the title to Roberto Duran in June of the following year but bounced back to reclaim in five months later in the famous `No mas' bout.
Leonard defeated Thomas `Hit Man' Hearns, Ayub Kalule, Marvin Hagler among others in a career that saw him win world titles in the welterweight, junior middleweight, middleweight, super middleweight and light heavyweight divisions.