`VICIOUS’ Vivian Harris and retirement from the sport of boxing seem to be on a collision course. This became more evident after the 37-year-old Guyanese was stopped in the fourth round by Puerto Rican Prichard Colon in Toronto, Canada Friday Night.
Referee Dave Dunbar called a halt to the scheduled eight-round junior middleweight contest at one minute three seconds of the round, after the 22-year-old Colon floored the ageing Guyanese warrior with an unanswered six-punch combination.
A game Harris lifted himself from the canvas with the count at eight but was on wobbled legs causing the referee to wave it off and hand Colon his 16th victory from as many fights.
Since 2010, Harris has lost eight of 12 fights. Six of the defeats came through the knock-out route.
Friday’s bout was the first this year for the Guyanese former World Boxing Association (WBA) junior welterweight champion, who was coming off a seventh-round KO at the hands of Mexican Ramon Alvarez, last November. Harris was crowned WBA champion in October 2002 following a second-round technical knockout (TKO) of champion Diosbelys Hurtado.
He had three successful defences but was then dethroned in June 2005 by wild-punching Colombian Carlos Maussa via seventh round knockout. The talented Guyanese then secured three victories before unsuccessfully challenging Junior Witter of England for the WBC junior welterweight title.
Thereafter Vicious’ career plunged into a tailspin with him losing six of the next nine fights over a four-year period. He returned to winners’ row in 2013 and had a three-fight victory streak before meeting Alvarez.