Matty Harris, the heavyweight hopeful, felt a surge of motivation this week, all thanks to a nod from none other than Anthony Joshua. This Friday, Harris jumps back into the fray, aiming to dust off the cobwebs of his first-ever defeat, at the Telford International Centre under the bright lights of the Wasserman Boxing extravaganza.
Last summer, in Edinburgh, Harris faced an unexpected setback when Kostiantyn Dovbyshchenko brought his undefeated streak to a screeching halt. Now, at 24, the Leamington Spa native is rolling up his sleeves, joining forces with the legendary Peter Fury, setting his sights on clawing his way back into the heavyweight scene’s forefront.
This week, ‘Magic’ Harris is slated to go toe-to-toe with Amine Boucetta from Belgium over a brisk four rounds. Prepping for his comeback, Harris has been trading blows in the ring with some of the heaviest hitters around, including Francis Ngannou, UFC’s top dog Tom Aspinall, and Hughie Fury.
A chorus of British heavyweight luminaries, like Dereck Chisora, Frazer Clarke, and Joshua, who’s gearing up for a showdown with Ngannou, have thrown their support behind Harris. Reflecting on the encouragement, Harris shared, “It’s heartening, really. Getting a pat on the back from folks like AJ means a lot. It tells me they see something in me, especially after that stumble last summer. It’s all the fuel I need to set things straight.”
Harris recounted his sparring sessions with Ngannou, the former UFC behemoth now stepping into the boxing ring, noting the sheer force of Ngannou’s punches and his brute strength. Yet, Harris was taken aback by Ngannou’s performance against Tyson Fury, boldly predicting, “AJ’s going to breeze through him come March 8.”
On the topic of sparring with UFC’s interim heavyweight champ Aspinall, Harris was all praises, “The guy’s got a knack for boxing, could’ve made a splash in the sport for sure. He’s nimble, moves like a dream, and it’s all thanks to Peter’s coaching.”
Diving into his training regime with Peter Fury, Harris didn’t mince words, “It’s no walk in the park, but it’s the grind I need to level up. Peter’s a fountain of knowledge, with a tried-and-true, old-school approach. His mantra? Hard graft, no shortcuts, no matter how rough the day. And I’m all in, ready to put in the work.”