Olympic champ, 53, who David Haye brutally KO’d returns to boxing with emotional statement about ‘facing my demons’
AUDLEY HARRISON has announced he is returning to boxing.
Harrison became Team GB’s first Olympic boxing champion since 1968 when he returned from Sydney in 2000 with the gold.
But he could not recreate the same success in the professional ranks, infamously losing by third-round knockout to David Haye in 2010.
Harrison retired in 2013 but has now revealed plans to return as a manager after having his licence approved.
He posted on social media: “I walked away from boxing for many years … partly because I didn’t want to tell my story, as I didn’t want to face my demons of my past, but life doesn’t work like that, so I’m ready to lift the lid, but not now.
“All that knowledge & experience I have hasn’t gone, its been sitting dormant, waiting for me to return to guide that fighter who’s fallen and needs my support to help him rise.
“Ready like Freddy – its’ time to go. Cheers to me.”
Harrison turned pro a year after his Olympic heroics and breezed past his first 19 fights.
But the cracks started to appear after suffering consecutive losses to Danny Williams and then Dominick Guinn.
Williams lost Commonwealth, European and British heavyweight title fights before challenging for Haye’s world heavyweight championship.
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But Harrison only landed ONE single punch the whole bout and his career was left in tatters in the aftermath.
The heavyweight boxed six times after defeat to Haye, losing for the final time against future champ Deontay Wilder.
In retirement, Harrison, 53, featured on TV shows such as Strictly Come Dancing, Celebrity Big Brother and MasterChef while becoming a poker player.