Liam Harrison has taken to Instagram to deny reports that he has agreed to fight Floyd Mayweather next month. Earlier this morning the boxer went ahead and announced that the two men would be facing off in an exhibition boxing match in London.
The news was particularly surprising given that Harrison recently suffered a serious knee injury. But while Mayweather’s team were confident enough to announce a date and venue for the fight it appears they have jumped the gun in spectacular style.
Harrison makes it clear in an Instagram post that he would love to fight Mayweather but hasn’t signed a fight contract, doesn’t have permission from ONE Championship and isn’t fit enough to train and spar let alone step into the ring with one of the best boxers of all time:
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Serious injury
Harrison has never competed in a sanctioned boxing match although he has plenty of Muay Thai experience. But the Englishman suffered a serious knee injury after being on the receiving end of some devastating low kicks from Nong-O Gaiyanghadao in his last fight.
So while it is clear that Harrison would love to face Mayweather in an exhibition boxing match he makes it clear that there is absolutely no prospect of this happening next month,
Devastatingly, my knee just won’t allow it. Discussions about the fight started a few days ago with the Mayweather team and I honestly thought I would be ok in a boxing fight, even with needing surgery on my knee.
I upped my training as soon as discussions started and had some hard sparring and pads but almost immediately my knee had ballooned up and I can’t walk. Hitting pads is fine but the movement and agility needed to spar and especially fight just isn’t possible.
My surgeon is in agreement that this won’t be possible and I am absolutely heart broken. This fight and everything that would have come with it would have changed my life.
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Jumping the gun
Harrison has clearly being trying to get his boxing up to speed but it seems he needs more time to rest and recover. The 37 year old’s knee injury was not the only thing preventing him from fighting Mayweather he also has an exclusive contract with ONE Championship.
Harrison admits that negotiations with his employer never even got off the ground,
Furthermore, no contract for this had been received or signed. I’m exclusively contracted to ONE and I had approached them for permission and sign off. Without receipt of the contract and ONE’s review and approval of this, nothing was confirmed.
So it seems Mayweather went ahead and announced the fight despite the fact that his opponent wasn’t fit and hadn’t been offered a contract, let alone signed one. An extended period of rehabilitation awaits the Englishman while the American will have to move quickly if he wants to find another opponent to face him in London on February 25th.
