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VIVIAN HARRIS: "I'M HERE TO GIVE THE FANS GOOD FIGHTS"

By Mike Juhas | August 28, 2009
VIVIAN HARRIS:

"I'm always willing to fight whomever.  Whoever Golden Boy brings to me, that's who I want to fight.  But my dream fights are Juan Diaz and Nate Campbell to get back to the championship fights.  A win over either of those two guys would put me in line for a championship.  Victor Ortiz, I was supposed to fight him, but it didn't happen.  Any fight that's going to put me where I belong, I want it to happen," stated former jr. welterweight champion Vivian Harris as he talked about his future plans and his desire to face Juan Diaz, Nate Campbell or anyone that can put him back in line for a title shot. Check it out!

MJ:  How are you doing after your last fight?

VH:  I'm doing great man, thank God.  I'm feeling better; I'm feeling stronger.  I feel good.  It was a freaky accident.

MJ:  Can you give us your thoughts about the last fight?

VH:  I think the fight was going great until the headbutt happened.  Other than that, I think it was going great.  I was doing what my corner wanted me to do in the first round and during the second.   If the headbutt had not happened, it would have been a great fight and a great win for me. But things happen in fights and I ended up in that situation with the accidental headbutt.

MJ:  I know what you mean, Vivian.  That was a really bad break.

VH:  Yeah it was.  But I went to my neurologist and everything came out good and I'm able to fight again.

MJ: We're glad to hear that, for sure.

VH:  I'll keep proving myself.  I'm happy that I turned out okay; I can't ask God for anything more than that.

MJ: We all want to know about your plans for the future.  Are you still going to stay at 140?

VH:  My goal is that I want to fight the fighters out there in the 140-pound division, man.  I know I am still a top fighter in the 140-pound division.  I'm there so I want to make fights happen.  I don't have a problem making the weight; I don't know why people think I have a problem making the weight.  I train hard, I eat well and I have a new strength trainer.  I have a new nutrition guy that's helping me eat right, even better than I used to eat.  Before, I was eating one meal a day hoping I was going to lose the weight, but it was doing nothing; just getting me weaker.  Now, I'm eating 3-4 times per day and getting stronger while making the weight.  I'm working hard.

MJ:  If you could pick a dream fight now, whom would you choose to get in the ring?

VH:  I'd definitely like to get Juan Diaz.  You saw the fight with Paul Malignaggi.  He wants to fight the top fighters at 140; I'd like to get that fight.  I'd like to get a Nate Campbell fight.  After that, I'd like to get a championship fight.  Now that I've signed with Golden Boy, I'll leave it in their hands, but those are the fights I'm ready to fight.

MJ:  What about you vs Paulie or even Zab Judah in New York? 

VH:  With Paulie, that's a good fight, but we're very very good friends.  The money would have to be right for that.  As far as Zab, we're good friends, but that would be a great fight for New York.  Either one of those fights, it is what it is.  I'm always willing to fight whomever.  Whoever Golden Boy brings to me, that's who I want to fight.  But my dream fights are Juan Diaz and Nate Campbell to get back to the championship fights.  A win over either of those two guys would put me in line for a championship.  Victor Ortiz, I was supposed to fight him, but it didn't happen.  Any fight that's going to put me where I belong, I want it to happen. 

MJ:  How did you feel about the decision in the Juan Diaz–Paulie fight?

VH:  Everyone knows it was a bad decision. I thought he won the fight, but what can I say?  I really can't talk about it because they did what they did.  I know what I have to do to win a fight.  I think Paulie knew what he had to do to win the fight and he did what he did to win the fight and he didn't get it.  He's just got to hope to get a rematch or move on to something bigger.

MJ:  Is everything good with Golden Boy?  Are you happy there?

VH:  Yeah, definitely.  I'm definitely happy with them because they're former fighters and they know what it is to be in the ring and they know what it is to work hard for two or three months for a fight and stay away from your family.  They know what it's like for your kids to watch your fights and all of that.  That's why I'm happy and I know they are going to do the right thing by me.  These guys know.  I'm very happy and I'm very good friends with those guys. I remember having the opportunity to spar with Shane Mosley for four or five [rounds] when he was fighting Vernon Forrest.  I'm comfortable with them and I'm happy to be a part of it.

MJ:  How do you think the Mayweather-Marquez fight will go?

VH:  To me, Mayweather is a great boxer.  The only concern I have with Mayweather against Marquez is he's been off for two years.  I don't know if we'll be able to tell the difference with him; you could tell the difference with me when I fought my fight with Octavio and you could tell the difference with Margarito when he fought the fight with Clottey.  You can't take layoffs like that.   But we're all different style fighters.  Mayweather's a laid back boxer, so maybe it's not a big part of him.  He's laid back and waits for you to make mistakes and then goes to work.  We go for it; that's the difference.  I give it to him; I think he's got what it takes.  The one thing that concerns me is the two year layoff he's had.  Marquez has been active and he had that great win against Diaz, but Diaz is just a straight-forward fighter and any great boxer with punching power is going to beat Diaz. 

MJ:  Do you think Ricky Hatton should fight again?

VH:  Yes, definitely.  He lost to Pacquiao, but yes, I think he should fight again.  I still think he's one of the top guys at 140.  Once he has the health and his people know he can fight, then he can fight again.  But only Ricky Hatton knows himself; we don't know Ricky Hatton.  Only he knows how hard he'll prepare and come back for his next fight.  I definitely think he can, but only he will know what he can do.

MJ:  Would you want a rematch with any of those guys from the past?

VH:  The fighters that I've lost to, they're not going anywhere.  They beat me and they end up losing again, so I don't think that would be a fight that would get me to where I want to go.  But I had lost and I've come back and I'm winning my fights.  Junior Witter just lost two fights in a row, so I don't see the sense in it, but if that's who Golden Boy wanted, that's what it is.  Whoever they bring to me to fight, if the deal is good and everything is good, we're going to get it on.  I'm here to give the fans good fights; that's my goal. 

MJ:  When watching Witter's last fight, I thought about how you'd match up with Devon Alexander.

VH:  Styles make fights.  Maybe I had the wrong gameplan for Junior Witter; maybe I was weak, I don't know.  I think with Alexander, I'd have the ability to fight like that.  He's not an awkward fighter like Witter.  It shouldn't be as hard to prepare for a fight like that.  Remember, he got Witter when he was 37 years old; we don't know how much he wanted it and how hard he trained for it and then he came here to fight.  When I fought Junior Witter, it was in his hometown. There are situations and circumstances that go with that, but that's old stuff. I just want the fights to get me where I want to go. 

MJ:  Which champion would you like to target once you get through Juan Diaz or Nate Campbell? 

VH:  I want the kid from England [Amir Khan] that has my WBA belt because I didn't get beat for my WBA belt; it was taken from me.  I want my WBA belt. I was the only one that defended it a long time.  Since I got that belt, I defended it three times.

MJ:  Would you be willing to go to England?

VH:  I would definitely be willing to go to England.  The boxing world should know I'm willing to go, under good circumstances, anywhere and fight.  That's me; I'm a true champion and I'm going wherever my fans want me to go.  I'm not scared to fight.

MJ:  That's what the fans like to hear.

VH:  The incentives have to be good and I've got to be treated respectably as a fighter and as a former champion.    You're supposed to be treated with respect and I wasn't treated like that in England, but that's an old story.  That fight would be the second one I'd want, definitely.

MJ:  Is there anything else you'd like to say to the fans before we go?

VH:  Vivian Harris wants to thank the fans and everybody that supports Vivian Harris: my trainers, my managers and Golden Boy for having the faith in me to sign with them.  Thanks to everybody that believes in me. Vivian Harris will get the championship back.  Since I lost my championship belt, it's been going all around the world, but it's going to end up right back in Vivian Harris' hands.  I want these fights to prove to the world that I'm in line for my belt. 

MJ:  Great talking with you.

VH:  Thank you.

[Editor's Note: FightHype would like to welcome Mike Juhas to the team.]

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