Rogan lands Harrison bout
12 June 2008 – by Mark Doyle
As expected, Prizefighter winner Martin Rogan has been handed a shot at 2000 Olympic champion Audley Harrison.
The pair will clash at the Aston Villa Events Centre in Birmingham on Saturday, July 19 in a make-or-break fight for both men.
Unsurprisingly, Rogan is thrilled by this opportunity to build on his Prizefighter success and is vowing to end Harrisons hopes of ever winning a world title once and for all.
“I’m delighted to get a fight against a big name like Audley Harrison,” the Northern Irishman stated.
“He probably wouldn’t know me if he passed me on the street, but he’s going to know all about me when I land a big right hander on that porcelain chin of his.
” Harrison wants me because he thinks I will be an easy touch, but this is his last chance and will be finished if he losses.
“He will have to come and fight me because I don’t do tip-tap, fancy boxing. I’m a big guy and so is he so let’s just stand toe-to-toe, slug it out, and see who has the best heart and chin.
“It is very fitting that we are coming up to the second Olympic Games since Harrison won gold in Sydney and on that anniversary he will have his career ended by Martin Rogan.”
As for Harrison, he knows that nothing less than victory will suffice at this stage in his career.
“This is it for me, Harrison admitted. I’m in a position where I have to beat Rogan and everybody else put in front of me from now on.
“I’ve got another chance with Frank to achieve the dream of winning the world title and it starts against Rogan on July 19.
“Rogan looks like a tough guy with plenty of heart and he wants to have a ‘W’ next to my name on his career record, but he’s going up against a guy with everything to lose so that will make me a very, very dangerous man on the night.
“I said from the beginning that I am going to win a world title. I’ve had my ups and downs on the way but I’m still here fighting away and I know that a loss at this stage is fatal but I’m re-focused and know in my heart that I will win a world title.
