Maurice Harris
Encyclopedia
Wilbur Maurice Harris nicknamed "Sugar Moe", is the former United States Boxing Association heavyweight champion.
In 1992, Harris lost a 12 round decision in his first attempt to win the vacant United States Boxing Association (USBA) heavyweight title against future world heavyweight champion Chris Byrd
.
In 1997 he lost a disputed split decision to former champion Larry Holmes
. He followed the Holmes bout with a seven fight winning streak in 1998-99. This included defeating former number one heavyweight contender Jeremy Williams, and culminated in a fight on HBO with Derrick Jefferson. In what was labeled as the 1999 Ring Magazine knockout of the year
, Harris was devastatingly knocked out by a vicious shot.
In 1998 Harris was the chief sparring partner for heavyweight world champion Lennox Lewis
and maintained this position for several years.
In 2002, Harris knocked out future heavyweight champion 19-0 Serguei Lyakhovich in the 9th round. Later that year, Harris won the Thunderbox Heavyweight Tournament
"Fistful of Dollars" in Atlantic City, NJ. The round-robin exhibition event consisted of eight heavyweights doing battle in three, three-minute rounds. Harris outpointed Gerald Nobles, future number one contender Tony Thompson and Israel Garcia in the same evening to win the $100,000 purse.
. On July 16, 2011, Harris defended his USBA heavyweight title in Atlantic City, New Jersey
on July 16, 2011, with a 12th round knockout over challenger Derric Rossy
.
Pro career
Maurice Harris turned pro at 16 as a light heavyweight in 1992, and faced many up-and-coming prospects and comebacking champions. In his early professional years, he lost to future number one contender Vaughn Bean, and defeated 18-0-0 David Izon.In 1992, Harris lost a 12 round decision in his first attempt to win the vacant United States Boxing Association (USBA) heavyweight title against future world heavyweight champion Chris Byrd
Chris Byrd
Chris Cornelius Byrd is a retired and former professional boxer. He is the former WBO and IBF heavyweight champion. His nickname is "Rapid Fire".- Early life :...
.
In 1997 he lost a disputed split decision to former champion Larry Holmes
Larry Holmes
Larry Holmes is a former professional boxer. He grew up in Easton, Pennsylvania, which gave birth to his boxing nickname, The Easton Assassin....
. He followed the Holmes bout with a seven fight winning streak in 1998-99. This included defeating former number one heavyweight contender Jeremy Williams, and culminated in a fight on HBO with Derrick Jefferson. In what was labeled as the 1999 Ring Magazine knockout of the year
Ring Magazine knockouts of the year
Ring Magazine was established in 1922. Since 1989, it has named a knockout as Knockout of the Year based on the magazine's writers' criteria. Here is a list of Ring Magazines knockouts of the year:-1990s:...
, Harris was devastatingly knocked out by a vicious shot.
In 1998 Harris was the chief sparring partner for heavyweight world champion Lennox Lewis
Lennox Lewis
Lennox Claudius Lewis, CM, CBE is a retired boxer and the most recent British undisputed world heavyweight champion. He holds dual British and Canadian citizenship...
and maintained this position for several years.
In 2002, Harris knocked out future heavyweight champion 19-0 Serguei Lyakhovich in the 9th round. Later that year, Harris won the Thunderbox Heavyweight Tournament
Thunderbox Heavyweight Tournament
The Thunderbox Heavyweight Tournament was a heavyweight boxing elimination tournament, held on 30 November 2002 by Cedric Kushner at the Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort in Atlantic City, New Jersey...
"Fistful of Dollars" in Atlantic City, NJ. The round-robin exhibition event consisted of eight heavyweights doing battle in three, three-minute rounds. Harris outpointed Gerald Nobles, future number one contender Tony Thompson and Israel Garcia in the same evening to win the $100,000 purse.
Comeback
After a three year layoff, Harris made a comeback in 2010 in the heavyweight division. Under the guidance of promoter Mario Yagobi of Boxing360, Harris returned to the ring. Harris won the vacant United States Boxing Association heavyweight title in his second opportunity with a 12 round unanimous decision over Nagy Aguilera at the Grand Casino in Hinckley, Minnesota. However, on May 27, 2011, Harris lost an eliminator bout for the IBF # 2 position at Reno Events Center in Reno, NevadaReno, Nevada
Reno is the county seat of Washoe County, Nevada, United States. The city has a population of about 220,500 and is the most populous Nevada city outside of the Las Vegas metropolitan area...
. On July 16, 2011, Harris defended his USBA heavyweight title in Atlantic City, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
on July 16, 2011, with a 12th round knockout over challenger Derric Rossy
Derric Rossy
Derric Rossy is a professional American heavyweight boxer of Puerto Rican and Italian descent and the former defensive end at Boston College. He enrolled in the Lynch School of Education with a major in human development....
.
External links
- Maurice Harris - Boxing360 Biography, BoxingBoxingBoxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
- USBA Heavyweight Champion Maurice Harris on Brink of Living his Dream, April 28, 2011