Maurice Harris
Wilbur Maurice Harris (born February 21, 1976), nicknamed "Sugar Moe", is the former United States Boxing Association heavyweight champion. A professional competitor since 1992, he holds notable victories over Siarhei Liakhovich, David Izon, James Thunder, and Jeremy Williams. As a professional, Harris also faced world champions and contenders Larry Holmes, Vaughn Bean, Derrick Jefferson, Chris Byrd, Henry Akinwande, Fres Oquendo, Tony Thompson, Kubrat Pulev, Amir Mansour, Alexander Ustinov, and Albert Sosnowski.
| Maurice Harris | |
|---|---|
 Maurice "Sugar Moe" Harris | |
| Statistics | |
| Real name | Wilbur Maurice Harris |
| Nickname(s) | Mo Bettah |
| Weight(s) | Heavyweight Cruiserweight Light Heavyweight |
| Height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) |
| Reach | 80 in (203 cm) |
| Nationality |  United States |
| Born | February 21, 1976 East Orange, New Jersey |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Boxing record | |
| Total fights | 52 |
| Wins | 26 |
| Wins by KO | 11 |
| Losses | 22 |
| Draws | 3 |
| No contests | 1 |
Professional career
Maurice Harris turned pro at 16 as a light heavyweight in 1992, and faced many up-and-coming prospects and comebacking champions. In his early professional years, he lost to future number one contender Vaughn Bean, and defeated 18-0-0 David Izon.
In 1992, Harris lost a 12-round decision in his first attempt to win the vacant United States Boxing Association (USBA) heavyweight title against future world heavyweight champion Chris Byrd.
In 1997 he lost a disputed split decision to former champion Larry Holmes. He followed the Holmes bout with a seven fight winning streak in 1998-99. This included defeating former number one heavyweight contender Jeremy Williams, and culminated in a fight on HBO with Derrick Jefferson. In what was labeled as the 1999 Ring Magazine knockout of the year, Harris was brutally knocked out by a vicious left hook.
In 1998 Harris was the chief sparring partner for heavyweight world champion Lennox Lewis and maintained this position for several years.
In 2002, Harris knocked out future heavyweight champion 19-0 Siarhei Liakhovich in the 9th round. Later that year, Harris won the Thunderbox Heavyweight Tournament "Fistful of Dollars" in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The round-robin exhibition event consisted of eight heavyweights doing battle in three, three-minute rounds. Harris outpointed Gerald Nobles, future number one contender Tony Thompson and Israel Garcia in the same evening to win the $100,000 purse.[1]
Comeback
After a three-year layoff, Harris made a comeback in 2010 in the heavyweight division. Under the guidance of promoter Mario Yagobi of Boxing360, Harris returned to the ring. Harris won the vacant United States Boxing Association heavyweight title in his second opportunity with a 12-round unanimous decision over Nagy Aguilera at the Grand Casino in Hinckley, Minnesota. However, on May 27, 2011, Harris lost an eliminator bout for the IBF # 2 position at Reno Events Center in Reno, Nevada. On July 16, 2011, Harris defended his USBA heavyweight title in Atlantic City, New Jersey on July 16, 2011, with a 12th-round knockout over challenger Derric Rossy.
Professional boxing record
| 52 fights | 26 wins | 22 losses |
|---|---|---|
| By knockout | 11 | 15 |
| By decision | 14 | 7 |
| By disqualification | 1 | 0 |
| Draws | 3 | |
| No contests | 1 | |
| Result | Record | Opponent | Type | Round, time | Date | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 26–22–3 (1) |  Ivan Dychko |
KO | 1 (8), 1:39 | 06/07/2018 | Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Hollywood FL |
|
| Loss | 26–21–3 (1) |  Kubrat Pulev |
KO | 1 (8), 1:59 | 05/12/2015 |  Inselparkhalle, Wilhelmsburg, Hamburg |
|
| Loss | 26–20–3 (1) |  Alexander Ustinov |
KO | 1 (10) | 10/10/2015 |  El Poliedro, Caracas, Venezuela |
|
| Draw | 26–19–3 (1) | Grover Young |
SD | 8 | 05/09/2015 | Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Hollywood |
|
| Loss | 26–19–2 (1) | Andrey Fedosov |
KO | 2 (8) | 18/04/2014 | Horseshoe Casino, Hammond, Indiana |
|
| Loss | 26–18–2 (1) | Amir Mansour |
UD | 12 | 23/08/2013 | Dover Downs Hotel & Casino, Dover, Delaware |
For vacant USBA heavyweight and World Boxing Federation Intercontinental heavyweight title |
| Win | 26–17–2 (1) | Jason Bergman |
SD | 6 | 03/05/2013 | University of California of PA Convocation Center, California, Pennsylvania |
|
| Loss | 25–17–2 (1) |  Albert Sosnowski |
SD | 3 | 20/06/2012 |  London, England |
|
| Loss | 25–16–2 (1) | Edmund Gerber |
UD | 8 | 05/05/2012 | Erfurt, Germany |
|
| Win | 25–15–2 (1) | Derric Rossy |
TKO | 12 | 16/07/2011 | Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States |
USBA Heavyweight Title. Referee stopped the bout at 1:35 of the 12th round. |
| Loss | 24–15–2 (1) | Tony Thompson |
TKO | 3 | 27/05/2011 | Reno, Nevada, United States |
|
| Win | 24–14–2 (1) |  Nagy Aguilera |
UD | 12 | 06/08/2010 | Hinckley, Minnesota, United States |
USBA Heavyweight Title. |
| Win | 23–14–2 (1) | Robert Hawkins |
UD | 8 | 15/04/2010 | New York City, United States |
|
| Win | 22–14–2 (1) | Julius Long |
UD | 6 | 26/03/2010 | Chicago, Illinois, United States |
|
| Win | 21–14–2 (1) | Billy Zumbrun |
UD | 6 | 29/01/2010 | Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States |
|
| NC | 20–14–2 (1) | Rodney Wallace |
NC | 4 | 17/11/2007 | Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States |
|
| Loss | 20-14-2 | Tye Fields |
RTD | 4 | 14/07/2006 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States |
|
| Win | 20-13-2 | Franklin Edmondson |
UD | 8 | 26/01/2006 | Charleston, South Carolina, United States |
|
| Loss | 19-13-2 | Fres Oquendo |
KO | 10 | 01/03/2003 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States |
|
| Win | 19-12-2 |  Sergei Liakhovich |
KO | 9 | 01/06/2002 | Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States |
|
| Loss | 18-12-2 | Henry Akinwande |
KO | 1 | 16/06/2001 | Cincinnati, Ohio, United States |
|
| Loss | 18-11-2 | Chris Byrd |
UD | 12 | 12/05/2001 | New York City, United States |
USBA Heavyweight Title. |
| Win | 18-10-2 | Harold Sconiers |
UD | 8 | 16/12/2000 | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States |
|
| Win | 17-10-2 | Bradley Rone |
UD | 8 | 05/08/2000 | Madison, Wisconsin, United States |
|
| Loss | 16-10-2 | Derrick Jefferson |
KO | 6 | 06/11/1999 | Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States |
|
| Win | 16-9-2 | Israel Cole |
UD | 10 | 11/09/1999 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States |
|
| Win | 15-9-2 | Jeremy Williams |
UD | 10 | 19/06/1999 | New York City, United States |
|
| Win | 14-9-2 | Louis Monaco |
TKO | 1 | 22/05/1999 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States |
|
| Win | 13-9-2 | Artis Pendergrass |
TKO | 4 | 19/12/1998 | Miami, Florida, United States |
|
| Win | 12-9-2 | Orion Sistrunk |
KO | 1 | 01/10/1998 | Newark, New Jersey, United States |
|
| Win | 11-9-2 | Danny Wofford |
DQ | 6 | 27/06/1998 | Alexandria, Virginia, United States |
|
| Win | 10-9-2 | Rashid Latif |
KO | 1 | 18/04/1998 | Alexandria, Virginia, United States |
|
| Loss | 9-9-2 | Larry Holmes |
SD | 10 | 29/07/1997 | New York City, United States |
|
| Win | 9-8-2 |  Jimmy Thunder |
KO | 7 | 20/05/1997 | Lyndhurst, New Jersey, United States |
Thunder knocked out at 2:44 of the seventh round. |
| Win | 8-8-2 | Sam Hampton |
TKO | 4 | 26/04/1997 | Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States |
|
| Loss | 7-8-2 | Gerald Nobles |
KO | 3 | 30/07/1996 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States |
Harris knocked out at 1:20 of the third round. |
| Win | 7-7-2 | Terrell Nelson |
UD | 6 | 16/07/1996 | Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States |
|
| Loss | 6-7-2 | Dayton Wheeler |
MD | 6 | 19/06/1996 | Newark, New Jersey, United States |
|
| Win | 6-6-2 |  David Izon |
UD | 8 | 15/03/1996 | Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States |
|
| Loss | 5-6-2 | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Dale Brown |
KO | 3 | 16/08/1995 | Newark, New Jersey, United States |
|
| Loss | 5-5-2 | Vaughn Bean |
KO | 3 | 29/10/1994 | Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States |
|
| Loss | 5-4-2 | John Andrade |
TKO | 6 | 27/06/1994 | Providence, Rhode Island, United States |
|
| Draw | 5-3-2 | Zuri Lawrence |
PTS | 4 | 21/06/1994 | Boston, Massachusetts, United States |
|
| Win | 5-3-1 |  Richie Brown |
UD | 4 | 23/04/1994 | Schenectady, New York, United States |
|
| Win | 4-3-1 | Ettol Windham |
UD | 4 | 22/03/1994 | Pensacola, Florida, United States |
|
| Draw | 3-3-1 | Richie Brown |
PTS | 4 | 21/01/1994 | New York City, United States |
|
| Win | 3-3 | Tom Murray |
TKO | 1 | 01/10/1993 | New York City, United States |
|
| Loss | 2-3 | Scott Lopeck |
KO | 3 | 07/05/1993 | New York City, United States |
|
| Loss | 2-2 | Richard Frazier |
TKO | 4 | 20/03/1993 | New York City, United States |
|
| Win | 2-1 | Michael Taylor |
TKO | 1 | 27/02/1993 | Bushkill, Pennsylvania, United States |
|
| Win | 1-1 | Anthony Harris |
TKO | 1 | 12/02/1993 | Bushkill, Pennsylvania, United States |
|
| Loss | 0-1 | Joe Kenna |
UD | 4 | 04/12/1992 | Bushkill, Pennsylvania, United States |
External links
- Boxing record for Maurice Harris from BoxRec (registration required)
- Maurice Harris - Boxing360 Biography, Boxing
- USBA Heavyweight Champion Maurice Harris on Brink of Living his Dream, April 28, 2011
References
- "FOR Fe'ROZ--No Manny, No Floyd: Maurice Harris is Back!". Archived from the original on 2010-03-26. Retrieved 2010-08-08.