Audley Harrison has apologised for his performance against WBA Heavyweight champion David Haye.
Harrison was knocked out by David Haye in the third round at the M.E.N Arena on Saturday night. Harrison only hit David Haye once throughout the two and a half rounds of boxing and many fans are suggesting that they feel short changed with Harrison's performance and feel he just wanted a pay-day rather than fighting for the title.
Audley Harrison has today released a statement. He said, "To my family, my team and the fans who got behind me on this journey to overthrow David Haye and become heavyweight champion, I'm sorry I was unable to walk through the door and fulfil my destiny."
"I can promise I cut no corners in training and did all I could do in getting myself ready both physically and mentally for Saturday's fight.
"Ultimately, I didn't get going and my game plan to take over the fight in the later rounds was extinguished by the power and speed of David Haye who caught me clean around my guard.
"If I wanted an easy way out, I would have stayed down from the knockdown, but I rose and the referee's intervention saved me from a potentially bad knockout as David is a good finisher, but I would have gladly left the ring on a stretcher as I wanted to work my way through it.
"I make no excuses and I'm not sure where I go from here in boxing, but I'll lick my wounds, take some time out with my family and see what I want to do."
David Haye insists he is ready to go to war with one-time friend and now fierce rival Audley Harrison, as fight night approaches Haye is gathering momentum knowing that the whole British sporting nation will be watching and David will want to show what he can do. On the other hand he feels due to the magnitude of the fight, Harrison will fall short on the night.
David Haye flew into Manchester arriving by helicopter on Tuesday ahead of the fight on Saturday 13th November and with millions watching the fight live on Sky Box Office Pay-Per-View from 9pm, Haye is determined to win by knockout.
"I think this has far surpassed the hype and anticipation for the Value fight, for the simple fact that although Nikolai Valuev was a seven-foot beast. no-one really new his story, no-one really knew who he was," he told Sky Sports News.
"This time I'm fighting Audley Harrison and for the last 10 years, Audley has been banging on and banging on about he's going to be heavyweight champion of the world and this is it. This is his chance.
In just under two weeks, David Haye faces Audley Harrison. This fight has been billed as the greatest all British title fight for two decades. David Haye's WBA title fight against Audley Harrison squares off at the MEN Arena in Manchester on 13th November from 9pm.
The two fighters were once good friends, but that turned sour after Audley accused Haye of not repaying the favour of having Harrison on his undercards, which Audley claims he did when Haye was an up and coming boxer. Since then Haye and Harrison have traded copious verbal abuse at each other when given the opportunity.
Haye is the favourite considering his path to this fight: in his last three bouts the WBA champ has beaten the likes of Monte Barrett, Nikolai Valuev and John Ruiz. Whereas most people see that Audley struggled in his last fight against Michael Sprott, which went to the last round until Audley found his bomb of a punch which knocked Sprott out.
"I am a man on a mission. It has taken me longer than I planned for but people have got to realise that all great achievements take time," said Harrison.
"It has taken me time to learn my craft. At 39 years of age I am ready."
"It took me four years to win the Olympics and when I turned professional I said I would be a world champion before I retire."
"He is a guy I groomed," added Harrison. "I have tasted his punches and power and he never hurt me in a training session."
"This is my destiny - on 13 November Audley Harrison will be champion of the world and of that there is no doubt. "If David Haye thinks I've taken this fight strictly for a payday, he is in for a rude awakening."
"David Haye will be in the fight of his life. Every second, ever minute, every round I will be in his face."
"He will have to break my spirit and break my heart. Trust me. It is my destiny to be a world champion."
While the WBA champion added, "The fight will be a public execution," added Haye. "His resume is not as good as that of the last five people I have fought."
"Everybody feels passionately that they want me to finally close the curtain on the joke that is the Audley Harrison show."
"Audley has known me for years, he knows how devastating I am in the ring. He knows it first hand from sparring sessions. I'm no joke."
"I'm the most devastating fighter on the planet. This is the time your career gets well and truly finished."
Boxing pundit Steve Bunce has given his view on the outcome, saying, "This fight has happened because the Klitschko brothers, who hold the other versions of the world title, demanded too much of David and offered too little.
"So David did the sensible thing - he's a businessman after all and he can't fight in deficit. He found a fight that was going to provide him with a major platform and a lot of money. It's also happening because David says Audley doesn't deserve this fight but he says the public have demanded it.
"There are a few hundred people inside boxing circles who are saying this fight is terrible. Garbage. There have been fights like this since boxing started. This fits in with tradition. This is a popular fight. It will sell out. It will break records on Sky Box Office and it will break records on BBC Radio 5 live on the night."
From what the two boxers are saying - if their words are anything to go by - this will be a grudge match to remember.
David Haye says he will end Audley Harrison's "crappy career"
Audley Harrison explains why he'll beat David Haye
