Vivian Harris, now the sole WBA titlist at 140 lbs., told Fightnews.com today that nobody wants to fight him except Oktay Urkal, whom he defeated by majority decision in his last fight. "We don't have any problems in fighting anybody," says Harris. They don't want to fight. We have to go back to Germany because there are no fights here. Nobody wants to fight." Harris and his promoter, Kathy Duva of Main Events, have named unbeaten Ricky Hatton as #1 on their hit list, but thus far, negotiations have gone nowhere. Fightnews spoke to Harris and Duva Friday.
How does it feel to be the one and only WBA Champion? [WBA super champion Kostya Tszyu was stripped earlier this week.]
Vivian Harris: It feels great. I feel that I am the undisputed champion.
What's on the table for Vivian now?
Kathy Duva: At the moment we are in negotiations with the folks from Germany to fight a rematch with [Oktay] Urkal. There's also the hope that we can make a fight with Floyd Mayweather but his people don't seem to be anxious to be having a fight anytime real soon. They haven't, as far as I know, had any conversation with HBO. So the opportunity is there on the table for Urkal and that may be where Vivian goes next.
Vivian what do you think about a rematch with Urkal?
Vivian Harris: I don't have a problem with a rematch with him. If there's nobody else that wants to fight Vivian Harris then that's a reason to go back and fight. That's the only man who's willing to stand up and fight Vivian Harris right now. You know me. I have no problem going back there [to Germany] and it's not going to be the same thing. It's going to be far more bigger difference because this time I'm going to knock him out. He has a big heart. I give him a lot of respect because he has more heart than others. To take a rematch after that fight we had, it was a very tough fight for him and yet he still wants a rematch? I give him a lot of respect for that. The other guys didn't want to fight. Ricky Hatton's scared. They don't want to fight. Floyd Mayweather...they're all scared.
Kathy Duva: Part of the reason it's a good move for Vivian to go to Germany to fight is to establish himself as a true world champion in other parts of the world like the old fighters going all the way back to the days when we started in the business. Certainly I remember guys like Eusebio Pedroza, Salvador Sanchez, great fighters who would come into the other guy's home town and fight. That was kind of the way you made the most money because that's where the most money was. Vivian has expressed the desire to do that and I give him all the credit in the world for that. I think that is what makes somebody a great champion and he has been willing to go wherever he needed to go to fight.
[Vivian] is in one of the few classes where you truly have world champion, but Kostya Tszyu has run from him and has given up his title rather than fight him in mandatories. This goes back a while that we've been chasing Kostya Tszyu. I read an article in one of these British papers where Ricky Hatton's promoter was talking about how Vivian was one of two opponents under consideration. That just isn't true. As I said, they came and had this kind of show meeting with us. They weren't serious. So we feel if Vivian is willing to go into the home town of the opponent and prove that he is the best junior welterweight in the world, then God bless him. He's going to go and do it. Maybe that will draw more attention to Vivian Harris and people like Ricky Hatton will come out and fight him.
So you want to fight Ricky Hatton?
Vivian Harris: Yeah that's my all time interest. Since I won my title I've had an interest in fighting him.
What do you think of him as a fighter?
Vivian Harris: I wouldn't say that he's a tough (opponent) because he hasn't beaten anybody like Vivian Harris. When he comes against someone like me then I will think he's tough, but right now I don't think that he's tough because he hasn't fought nobody like Vivian Harris, as yet. He's only fought fighters on the way out and fighters that came up from lightweight. He hasn't fought a strong solid junior welterweight like Vivian Harris.
Is that a fight that can be made?
Kathy Duva: I sure would like to think so. We think it would be great if Ricky Hatton came to the United States and showed himself here. Also Vivian said that he wouldn't be afraid, as he's demonstrated in the past, to go into his home country and fight him there, but obviously he's the champion and needs to be compensated for doing a thing like that. We've had a kind of a prefunctory negotiation with some fellows that Frank Warren had sent. Frank couldn't make the time to make the meeting himself to talk about doing a fight. The meeting was kind of a joke and they weren't the slightest bit serious about it. I don't even know why they had the meeting. But we think the fight could and should be made. It would be an exciting and interesting fight and we really don't know why Ricky Hatton doesn't want to fight somebody of Vivian's stature because clearly he's made a name for himself in England and in Europe. The question is whether he's willing to make a name for himself in the United States.
Would you will be willing to go into Manchester and fight him in his home turf?
Vivian Harris: Exactly, I mean I told him that before I don't have any problems in England. I will fight him. I don't have problems fighting anybody on their home turf. I'm going to show the world that I'm a true champion.
Kathy Duva: The problem with the meeting we had with them, [they said] 'We want to know if Vivian Harris is available. We want options on Vivian Harris if he wins.' I never heard the challenger ask for an option on a champion. I never heard anything like this. I just started laughing. And then they said they basically said they wanted Hatton to get 80-90% of the money. Clearly if you're going to the other guy's hometown he's selling the tickets, he's doing something, obviously he's doing more than we would get if he was an ordinary challenger. On the other hand the champion is willing to come to your home turf, that's just the way it is. As I said if they seriously wanted to make a fight with Vivian Harris, we could do it tomorrow.
Is there any chance getting Kostya Tszyu?
Kathy Duva: Kostya Tszyu's people have gone so far out of their way to not fight Vivian Harris. I don't know what it will take to get them to do it. Vivian has expressed repeatedly his willingness to fight absolutely anyone, so the ball is in all of their courts. We're out there saying, 'Hey Vivian's ready and willing to fight. What's wrong with all you guys? Why don't you want to fight him?' By the way, he makes good, exciting, interesting fights and it's a shame there's so many guys out there that would make interesting fights with him but they just don't want any part of him. They're running from him.
Any thoughts on Sharmba Mitchell?
Vivian Harris: I want to tell Sharmba Mitchell that I think he should retire because if he beats Kostya Tszyu he's still not going to be the undisputed champion. He's the next one running too. He called my name out and after I beat Urkal I called him and he never answered back. Tell him he should retire. If he wants to be undisputed champion he's going to have to fight me. (Fightnews)