ADAM HARRIS, NOT GIVING UP
By Michael Parente
Photo By: Emily Harney

Through the trials and tribulations of empty promises and incarceration, Adam Harris never considered giving up on the sport he loves.
“There were times when it got me aggravated,” said Classic Entertainment & Sports’ newest cruiserweight prospect, “but I’m not one to quit that easily.”
Thankfully, Harris stuck around long enough to link up with CES president Jimmy Burchfield, who is offering the Worcester, Mass., native a second chance to fulfill his dream of winning a world title.
One of three new fighters recently added to Burchfield’s power-packed stable, Harris (10-0, 7 KOs) hasn’t stepped foot in the ring since November of 2007, but he’ll shake off the rust Feb. 6 when he makes his CES debut on the undercard of the “February Frenzy” show at Twin River against David Williams.
“Hopefully, we can get enough of it off by the 6th so I can look dominant and show New England the fighter I really am,” Harris said.
After turning pro in 1994, Harris soon realized the road to success isn’t always a smooth ride. He’s seen and dealt with enough in his 13-year career to coax even the most dedicating fighter into hanging up his gloves for good.
Various prison terms and probation restrictions during his troubled past led to long layoffs. He made his pro debut as a 19-year-old prospect, but fought only once between ’95 and 2001. Another legal setback kept him on the shelf from June of ’02 to March of ’06.
Fearing he’d worn out his welcome in Worcester, Harris moved to the fighting city of Philadelphia to resume his career. Following a brief, yet unsatisfying, partnership with legendary trainer Lou Duva, Harris signed a four-year deal with promoter Mike Fingerman in 2007 with the promise of big fights and even bigger paydays. When a proposed bout against Elieser Castillo – the first 12-rounder of Harris’ career – fell through after Castillo broke his hand, Harris said Fingerman suddenly “lost interest” in boxing.
The promising cruiserweight ultimately freed himself from Fingerman’s control – “I was really thinking about bringing him
to court,” Harris said – and hooked up with former welterweight Kippy Diggs in Cape Cod, only to find himself without a place to train after Diggs lost his gym.
With so many broken dreams and setbacks, Harris has fought only 10 matches in 13 years, but he’s ready to pick up where he left off in 2007 and rebuild his reputation as a legitimate prospect at the age of 33. Though he wishes he never left Worcester, he admits he was apprehensive about coming back.
“My name is not that good in Worcester for past things, so I was always skeptical,” he said, “but I made a change. I made a big change 10 years ago. I wasn’t sure if Worcester was ready to accept that I had made that change or not, but now it’s years and years later so I know they accepted that change and I can do what I’ve got to do now with them behind me.”
He’s also got the right people in the his corner, including Burchfield, trainer Bruce Alston and his brother, Bobby Harris, who was one of Worcester’s most decorated heavyweights during the ‘90s. The elder Harris will be inducted into the CES Hall Of Fame the same night his younger brother makes his long-awaited return.
“With Bruce, we have our training regimen everyday,” Harris said, “and my brother is basically on the outside looking in and, of course, he brings other things to the table that he used to deal with that I need to learn to do and it brings a whole new workout when he brings what he knows to the table.”
The more voices the better.
“It can only help strengthen and condition me more,” Harris said.
The bond with Burchfield began years ago when Harris gained experience sparring with fellow cruiserweight Matt Godfrey – a CES veteran and the No. 2 ranked fighter in the World Boxing Council (WBC). His brother, Bobby, and Alston are also close friends with Burchfield, making this partnership an easy decision for both parties despite Harris’ horrific experiences with past promoters.
“Mr. Burchfield has so many fighters and I’m always seeing CES signs up at boxing shows and I’m watching fights,” Harris said, “so I felt comfortable with his words [and] what he was telling me and what the team was telling me and I just feel confident he’ll do what he says he’s supposed to do – what a promoter does. I haven’t heard any complaints from any of his fighters so far.
“He believes in me and I believe in him.”
He can take a major step toward making believers out of the city of Worcester again with a big victory at “February Frenzy” in his highly-anticipated CES debut.
“I’m here to make a statement,” Harris said. “My brother is in my corner as my second for the first time. I’m going to fulfill the steps he once walked and bring the cruiserweight title to Worcester.”