`Vicious' Vivian Harris has made one significant change leading up to his second world title defence.
The World Boxing Association junior welterweight champion has sacked longtime trainer Lennox Blackmoore and has opted for father, Herman Harris.
In an exclusive interview with Stabroek Sport, Harris said that Blackmoore has taken him as far as he could and the time is now ripe for a change.
"I don't have anything against Lennox Blackmoore. In fact I thank him for all that he shown me but there comes a time when you have to move on. I'm moving on," the WBA champion told Stabroek Sport in an interview from his Miami home.
Harris will defend his title against Oktay Urkal on April 17 in Berlin, Germany.
The 25-year-old parted company with Blackmoore in late December, the same month he was shot at by several persons in Brooklyn. Blackmoore, who works out of the world famous Gleason's Gym in New York, worked with Harris since his amateur days.
"This is something that I was thinking about for some time. I said that this is my career and I have to take hold of it. I respect Blackmoore but I have to move to bigger things," Harris said.
His father will leave for Miami shortly. The elder Harris said that he is not surprised by the move. "I have been in the fraternity for a number of years. I have taken several boxers to fight internationally. I trained Vivian's elder brother Wayne for 75 per cent of his fights and those are the ones he won.
"I bring a kaleidoscope of things to Vivian's corner. In this business the boxer has to be comfortable in every department or else he would not perform to his true potential. I am prepared to employ all the necessary principles for his betterment," Harris said.
The Harris/Urkay bout will be the main event on the card and is expected to be televised live in Europe. The Guyanese is scheduled to have a hefty pay day for the defence.
"I am quite comfortable with the purse. You see I was pressured into taking this fight in Germany. I didn't want to take it but Main Events pressured me to take it. Basically I just want to get it out of the way and get on with my career. Vivian Harris is a professional and if that is what it takes to get to the other side of the bridge I will do it," Harris said. The power-hitter will make $US300,000 for the defence.