In boxing if you blend commitment and dedication with power and a steel chin, the mixture will be combustible.
That mixture could be labelled `Vicious' Vivian Harris.
Serious, committed, dedicated, focused are all ingredients that were stirred into making Harris who, without a worry, travelled to Germany, the land of his challenger Oktay Urkal, to defend his title earlier this month.
The end result was a spilt decision-victory for the Guyanese, whose corners later boasted that it would have been a unanimous decision anywhere else in the world.
And while many were of the opinion that the outspoken Harris should have taken on Urkal on more neutral ground, the champion laughed it off stating that he was a professional and such things underlined the level of his professionalism.
"You know what?" Harris asked in an exclusive interview with Stabroek Sports after retaining his title.
"Me going to Germany and defending my title shows that Vivian Harris has moved to another level. It shows that I have matured. It shows that I'm focused. It says that I'm the man and it says that I'm the very best junior welterweight in the world barring none. Vivian Harris is here to stay and Guyana will have a world champion for a very long time to come," Harris said in the interview conducted in New York.
"Right now I'm the undisputed junior welterweight champion of the world. I don't have to beat Kostya Tzsyu to prove it. Whoever does not share my view, all they have to do is sign up and I'll show them in the ring. Many people didn't think that I could have gone to Germany and win, but I have proven them wrong. When you are a true champion, you are confident, you do things that others may deem crazy. For me, it was all about taking it to another level and creating history."
Harris revealed that his immediate plan is to remain busy which includes trying to get former champion Sharmba Mitchell.
"I wanna get this punk Mitchell in July then I want to fight Miguel Cotto in September. After that it's Kostya Tzsyu. That's why right now I can't think about coming home. I have other things to take care of," Harris said.
The champion disclosed that once he is officially the undisputed junior welterweight champion he would move up to welterweight.
"I have learnt that once you train hard your fight will be easy. The fight against Urkal was a good one but not my toughest. The only time I was hurt was when I got head-butted soon after I sent him to the canvas."
Harris, who in October 2002 became the youngest Guyanese to win a world title, said that he hoped that what he has achieved will influence support for boxing back home.
"I'm always happy to win for Guyana. I'm one proud Guyanese. What I would like to see is that Guyana promote boxing more. Myself and `Big Truck' (Wayne Braithwaite) are promoting it from out here but someone has to make sure that it is done at home so that they will always be more Harris' and Big Trucks."