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.
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.
On May 12, 2001, 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.
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
ResultRecordOpponentTypeRound, timeDateLocationNotesLoss26–22–3 Ivan DychkoKO06/07/2018Loss26–21–3 Kubrat PulevKO05/12/2015Loss26–20–3 Alexander UstinovKO1 (10)10/10/2015 El Poliedro, Caracas, VenezuelaDraw26–19–3 Grover YoungSD805/09/2015 Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, HollywoodLoss26–19–2 Andrey FedosovKO2 (8)18/04/2014 Horseshoe Casino, Hammond, IndianaLoss26–18–2 Amir MansourUD1223/08/2013 Dover Downs Hotel & Casino, Dover, DelawareWin26–17–2 Jason BergmanSD603/05/2013 University of California of PA Convocation Center, California, PennsylvaniaLoss25–17–2 Albert SosnowskiSD320/06/2012 London, EnglandLoss25–16–2 Edmund GerberUD805/05/2012 Erfurt, GermanyWin25–15–2 Derric RossyTKO1216/07/2011 Atlantic City, New Jersey, United StatesLoss24–15–2 Tony ThompsonTKO327/05/2011 Reno, Nevada, United StatesWin24–14–2 Nagy AguileraUD1206/08/2010 Hinckley, Minnesota, United StatesWin23–14–2 Robert HawkinsUD815/04/2010 New York City, United StatesWin22–14–2 Julius LongUD626/03/2010 Chicago, Illinois, United StatesWin21–14–2 Billy ZumbrunUD629/01/2010 Albuquerque, New Mexico, United StatesNC20–14–2 Rodney WallaceNC417/11/2007 Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United StatesLoss20-14-2 Tye FieldsRTD414/07/2006 Las Vegas, Nevada, United StatesWin20-13-2 Franklin EdmondsonUD826/01/2006 Charleston, South Carolina, United StatesLoss19-13-2 Fres OquendoKO10Mar 1, 2003 Las Vegas, Nevada, United StatesWin19-12-2 Sergei LiakhovichKO901/06/2002 Atlantic City, New Jersey, United StatesLoss18-12-2 Henry AkinwandeKO116/06/2001 Cincinnati, Ohio, United StatesLoss18-11-2 Chris ByrdUD1212/05/2001 New York City, United StatesWin18-10-2 Harold SconiersUD816/12/2000 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United StatesWin17-10-2 Bradley RoneUD805/08/2000 Madison, Wisconsin, United StatesLoss16-10-2 Derrick JeffersonKO606/11/1999 Atlantic City, New Jersey, United StatesWin16-9-2 Israel ColeUD1011/09/1999 Las Vegas, Nevada, United StatesWin15-9-2 Jeremy WilliamsUD1019/06/1999 New York City, United StatesWin14-9-2 Louis MonacoTKO1May 22, 1999 Las Vegas, Nevada, United StatesWin13-9-2 Artis PendergrassTKO4Dec 19, 1998 Miami, Florida, United StatesWin12-9-2 Orion SistrunkKO101/10/1998 Newark, New Jersey, United StatesWin11-9-2 Danny WoffordDQ627/06/1998 Alexandria, Virginia, United StatesWin10-9-2 Rashid LatifKO118/04/1998 Alexandria, Virginia, United StatesLoss9-9-2 Larry HolmesSD1029/07/1997 New York City, United StatesWin9-8-2 Jimmy ThunderKO720/05/1997 Lyndhurst, New Jersey, United StatesWin8-8-2 Sam HamptonTKO426/04/1997 Atlantic City, New Jersey, United StatesLoss7-8-2 Gerald NoblesKO330/07/1996 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United StatesWin7-7-2 Terrell NelsonUD616/07/1996 Atlantic City, New Jersey, United StatesLoss6-7-2 Dayton WheelerMD619/06/1996 Newark, New Jersey, United StatesWin6-6-2 David IzonUD815/03/1996 Atlantic City, New Jersey, United StatesLoss5-6-2 Dale BrownKO316/08/1995 Newark, New Jersey, United StatesLoss5-5-2 Vaughn BeanKO329/10/1994 Atlantic City, New Jersey, United StatesLoss5-4-2 John AndradeTKO627/06/1994 Providence, Rhode Island, United StatesDraw5-3-2 Zuri LawrencePTS421/06/1994 Boston, Massachusetts, United StatesWin5-3-1 Richie BrownUD423/04/1994 Schenectady, New York, United StatesWin4-3-1 Ettol WindhamUD422/03/1994 Pensacola, Florida, United StatesDraw3-3-1 Richie BrownPTS421/01/1994 New York City, United StatesWin3-3 Tom MurrayTKO101/10/1993 New York City, United StatesLoss2-3 Scott LopeckKO307/05/1993 New York City, United StatesLoss2-2 Richard FrazierTKO420/03/1993 New York City, United StatesWin2-1 Michael TaylorTKO127/02/1993 Bushkill, Pennsylvania, United StatesWin1-1 Anthony HarrisTKO112/02/1993 Bushkill, Pennsylvania, United StatesLoss0-1 Joe KennaUD404/12/1992 Bushkill, Pennsylvania, United States
References
External links
Maurice Harris - Boxing360 Biography, Boxing USBA Heavyweight Champion Maurice Harris on Brink of Living his Dream, April 28, 2011