By Sean McDaniel: Former boxing great Barry McGuigan thinks that Audley Harrison (27-4, 20 KO’s) has a puncher’s chance of beating World Boxing Association heavyweight champion David Haye (24-1, 22 KO’s) if they meet up next. McGuigan isn’t giving the 38-year-old Harrison a good chance mind you, but he thinks that he’s got the power to stop Haye if he would only use it. In an article at the Mirror, McGuigan says “You can’t say he [Harrison] hasn’t got a chance. On the strength of the punch that knocked out [Michael] Sprott, he has a chance against any.”

Harrison stopped Sprott in the 12th round of their bout in April in a come from behind win. It was a sensational win, but it’s unclear whether Harrison could duplicate those efforts against a big puncher like Haye. Harrison would be meeting much more resistance against Haye than he did in his fight with Sprott, and if Harrison got way behind like he did in that fight, Haye would likely knock him out.

For Harrison to win, he would have to fight much more aggressively than he did in the Sprott fight. Harrison would have to go after Haye from the get go and try to take him out before Haye could land his own shots. At the same time, it would require that Haye fight as timidly as he did against Nikolay Valuev. Haye fought almost exactly how Harrison usually fights, except Haye looked even more timid than Harrison.

Haye has a chin problem just like Harrison, and this fight could come down to whoever lands the biggest punch first. It’s not forgone conclusion that Haye beats Harrison because he’s a lot shorter than Harrison and hasn’t faced any big punchers like him at the heavyweight level. This fight could be a real problem for Haye if Harrison starts bombarding him early.

Haye was already dropped once at the heavyweight level by Monte Barrett, who put Haye on the canvas with a left to the head. Haye needed a considerable amount of time to get up from that knockdown, and even though the English referee ruled it a slip, I saw it as an authentic knockdown. McGuigan thinks that Harrison is “gun shy” for a reason, saying “he has no confidence in his chin.”

That seemed to be the case in the Sprott fight where Harrison had problems when he was hit hard by Sprott. Harrison would likely be even more timid in a fight against Haye. However, if he wants to win this fight, Harrison would have to come out guns blazing and throw everything he can at Haye in the first three rounds. Haye will obviously be moving a lot and looking to land one big shot at a time.

But if Harrison can jab him constantly while leaning back, he could soften up the eyes and face of Haye until he’s ready to be pole axed with a big left hand to the head. Harrison would need a trainer that can teach him how to throw a jab with conviction instead of pawing with it the way he normally fights. Since this could be the last hurrah for Harrison, would highly advise him to get Emanuel Steward to train him for this fight and have him teach Harrison how to fight like a big man. Steward specializes in training tall fighters like Lennox Lewis, Wladimir Klitschko and Tommy Hearns. I think he could really help Harrison if Audley was willing to listen and follow Steward’s instructions to the letter.