By Scoop Malinowski

WBA Junior Welterweight king Vivian Harris, one of the most formidable and intriguing champions in the business today took time to answer your email questions. Let’s get right to it with the “Vicious” one who most curiously saw three different WBA mandatories - Floyd Mayweather, Miguel Cotto and Ricky Hatton - all turn down title shot opportunities. Strange coincidence? Or is Harris that dangerous of a fighter? Read on for the always-interesting perspective of one of boxing’s best kept secrets and decide for yourself:

Question: Hi are you? pretty sure you can stand mayweather? becausethe guy has sharp reflexes, possess powerful punches, and exuberant energy, don’t you think its too early to meet him? please i believe a few more fight will get you set to meet him but for now sorry am scared.

kind regards,
Wisdom Klu

Vivian Harris: That’s a Floyd fan. And he has the right to see it that way for Floyd. But I think that Floyd is not ready for me. I’ve been in more tougher fights than Floyd’s been in. Floyd just handpicks opponents, Vivian Harris is getting thown to the dogs and I win all might fights. And I definitely think I’m ready for Floyd. He’s too small for me. And that’s why he don’t want to fight me.

Question: Hi Champ! I read that you used to spar a lot with Gatti. How did those spar sessions go? Do you think Main Events is reluctant to risk Gatti against you? What are the strengths and weaknesses of Gatti and how do you think a fight against him would play out?
-Chris Shaefer Barrie, Ontario

Vivian Harris: Gatti is a great fighter, a great champion. But he had his time, Gatti’s over the hill right now. When I used to spar with him, I always got the better of him. Because he bruises fast and he swells up and cuts fast. I hit too hard for Gatti. My punches are fast. That’s why I got the better of him in sparring. And I think Main Events is definitely keeping him away from me….I would knock out Gatti in four rounds.

Question: Dear Vivian Harris; You looked gigantic bro when you was towering over Tszyu after the Mitchell fight. Were you surprised how small he is? Was that the first time you were inperson with Tszyu? What were your observations of Tszyu being with him so close? Were you impressed by how he destroyed Mitchell. All the best champ!
roadeagle1@hotmail.com

Vivian Harris: Yes, Tszyu is a great champion and I was impressed. That’s not the first time me and Kostya Tszyu met. The first time was in Connecticut when he beat Urkal. And I was there. And Tszyu looked really bad against Urkal. And I told Tszyu right there that I would beat him. Right in front of his face I told him right there that I would beat you, I would love to fight you. But I wasn’t even champion yet. I told him when he was walking out of the ring. He’s a great hampion, a great fighter, but he can’t mess with me.

Question: What was the hardest fight of your career? Hardest puncher? What fight took you to the highest level where you’re at now?

Vivian Harris: The fight that took me to this highest level? I’d say the fight with Jose Juarez in Mexico. I fought him and it was a good fight, a crazy fight, a good ten rounds. I got hurt, I got dropped, I got back up and I won the fight. And I know nobody’s gonna beat me in my division. I had a little taste of becoming champion and staying champion. Yeah, that was the toughest fight of my career. The hardest puncher, yep.

Question:Were you impressed by the performance of Kostya Tszyu against Mitchell? Why do you think you will be able to beat him?

Vivian Harris: Yes, I was impressed with the performance. And I definitely believe I will beat him because Tszyu doesn’t have no defense. And he can’t take a punch. And I know he can’t take a punch because he’s been knocked out before. Once a fighter got knocked out before, he can get knocked out again. And I’ll definitely be able to have the great right hand and I got the great punches to knock him out. And I definitely won’t be scared because Sharmba Mitchell was scared. And that’s why he knocked Sharmba Mitchell out. Mitchell wasn’t even trying to fight his way out. He wasn’t even trying to like let Tszyu know that I’m here, I’m here with you. I’m a man just like you. I’m not scared of you. He wasn’t even trying to hit Tszyu with no solid punches. To keep Tszyu off of him. I definitely wouldn’t even have Tszyu coming to me, I would take the fight to Tszyu, like I always do to any one of my opponents.

Question: Do you enjoy boxing? WHat is your favorite part of boxing? What is your least favorite part of boxing?

Vivian Harris: My favorite part of boxing is after winning the fight and going to spend time with my family, my kids. The part of boxing I don’t understand is what’s going on in boxing right now. The sport is corrupted and it’s getting more corrupted every day…I love fighting. My whole family was fighters, my father, my brothers. I grew up fighting so I love it. I love being inside the ring. I love training. I just love it. I love what I’m doing. I love my job.

Question: What adjustments did you make with Emanuel Steward in the Urkal rematch than permitted you win it a little easier this time? Do you train together with the Klitschko brothers? What is that like? Would you give any advice for Wladimir? Do you think they both will make the dream come true and both win titles? Thanks and best luck to you, Andrei Marusenko

Vivian Harris:The adjustment that we made was working on a lot more counterpunches. And like anytime I hit him in the first fight, when I hit him he would lean on me and I was just leading him to lean on me. This fight, when I hit him and he leaned on me, I stepped back and counter him and that’s how I knocked him out…I did train with the Klitschkos. It was great, they’re great people, they work hard. And I love being around people that work hard. And it was just a great experience being around them. Just watching them train. And I was just thinking, This is the way Urkal trained because I know he’s from there. And that was making me train harder and harder. (Advice for Wladimir?) Just to stay strong and stay focused and don’t worry about the fans. And stop fighting for the fans, start fighting for himself. Like I told Emanuel, there is nobody and I definitely think the Klitschko brothers can take it over. But since he lost that fight, he’s like more worried about the crowd and what people will have to say. And he don’t have to worry about that. All he has to do is train hard and work on what make him lose the last fight. And just go out and do what he has to do. Because he’s a very hard worker. Don’t worry about the crowd. I think he worries about the crowd. If you get hit, don’t worry if the crowd is booing. Just do what you got to do. It don’t matter how you win that fight, just that you get that win. He don’t have to go in there to prove anything to the crowd.

Question: Dear Vivian Harris; Hey great win last month. You made a real statement in the division. I heard you might fight on the Gatti-Leija undercard in Jan. true? Who is it looking like could be next for you? Gatti and Mayweather NEVER mention your name do you think they are afraid?

Vivian Harris: That’s what they (Main Events) want me to do, but the price ($200,000 to defend against Abdullaev on January 29th on the Gatti-Leija bill) wasn’t right for me. I just got back from Germany fighting for $450,000. I want to thank HBO for putting me on Jan. 29th but the offer by Main Events wasn’t right. (What’s next then?) I don’t know, right now I’m back in the gym training. I want to fight Floyd Mayweather, Arturo Gatti, Kostya Tszyu or Miguel Cotto. I want to start unifying the belts. Floyd Mayweather is scared of me. He makes it seem like he’s not scared of me. He’s scared of me. I saw Roy Jones and we talked a little bit. And I respect these guys because those guys step up to the plate and they give everybody a shot. If they lose, they lose. If they win, they win. So (Floyd) wants to stay on the top by fighting N’Dou? But what is that? You can’t call yourself a pound-for-pound to fight a guy that just lost two fights straight. Trinidad came back after two years. He didn’t have to fight a tough guy like Mayorga. He could have taken easy fights. But he’s a true champion. Trinidad just wants to show the world. He wants to show the world he is one of the best. Floyd don’t want to do that. Floyd fought Chop Chop who just lost, allright we’ll give him that, we’ll give him one easy one. Then after, he talks like he’s pound-for-pound. Then he’s offered to fight Vivian Harris. He could get more money than me. (The deal was) if he beats me, he gets 50-50 with Gatti/Leija winner. And he turned it down. He’d rather face N’Dou because he don’t want to fight Vivian Harris. Remember, Floyd was my mandatory at one time. Floyd dropped out, that’s how Urkal became my mandatory for the second time. My inside source told me Floyd turned me down three times. All the greats in boxing want to stay on top, they want to prove they are the best by fighting the best. Floyd wants to fight N’dou. The boxing world needs to talk about that. The boxing world needs to tell Floyd to step up. Step up and fight the best, not some guy who just lost two fights.”