Scott Harrison v Michael Brodie
Scott Harrison v Michael Brodie
Harrison came up with a perfect left body shot 46 seconds into the round to leave Brodie crumpled on the canvas where he was counted out by referee Mickey Vann, enabling Harrison to retain his WBO featherweight title.
The sudden end came as a shock despite three exciting opening rounds in which Brodie had been wobbled under the champion’s assaults and at one stage appeared unlikely to meet the bell to end round one.
Harrison, who had spent the first nine minutes clubbing away with big right hands, switched suddenly to Brodie’s body which had been battered by too many years chasing an elusive world title.
Brodie’s fourth bid was his last and he wore a resigned look on his face as he was helped back to his corner while jubilant Harrison celebrated with his sizeable contingent of supporters in the cavernous arena.
Minutes after the fight Brodie confirmed he was calling it a day.
“I’ve had a good career and done well but I think it’s time here,” he told Sky Sports.
“I’ve had my best shots. That’s the end of it now, finished.”
Harrison’s manager Frank Maloney was understandably delighted with his fighter’s performance, saying: “Preparations went right and that is Scott at his best. The guy came for a world title fight and that is what we needed.”
Harrison badly needed a big performance after looking highly fortunate to hold onto his title via a draw with Victor Polo in Glasgow in June, and continued unwanted publicity over his private life.
He had shut himself away back up in the Highlands for his bout with Brodie and soon showed that the extra weight he had piled back on since boiling down for the nine-stone weigh-in would make the difference.
Brodie was always going to react bravely to Harrison’s assaults but it was clear his two recent wars against kamikaze Korean Injin Chi had drained much of the fight from his 31-year-old body.
Harrison had immediately set about stalking Brodie around the ring hoping to test the challenger’s resolve after his two wars with Chi.
And his accurate right hand immediately made an impression as he was able to push the home favourite back with apparent ease from the centre of the ring.
Midway through the opening round Harrison swung a big right hand which wobbled Brodie backwards towards his own corner and the Scot waded forward to land another fine hook.
At that point Brodie must have known deep down that his best days were behind him and his fourth bid for a world title was destined to end in heartache.
Indeed it was feared he may become too brave for his own good as he ploughed back with right hands of his own but they lacked the snap of the much heavier man and the visitor was well in command.
A right uppercut in the final seconds had the challenger clinging on but again he hit back, reacting angrily when Harrison landed a shot after the bell to end a torrid opening round.
Harrison waded out for more of the same in the second but Brodie began to have more success behind a tighter guard and landed a couple of right-hand haymakers which made the champion think twice about a quick finish.
There was too little snap in Brodie’s punches however and Harrison was clearly biding his time before the big finish which would reconfirm his status at the top of his sport and possibly open doors to a unification with with Juan Manuel Marquez.
Harrison switched in dramatic style to the body and the end, both to the fight and Brodie’s 11-year bid to cap his career with a world title, arrived.
