Dennis Andries, WBC world light heavyweight champion, defended his title against Jeff Harding

Date: June 24, 1989

Venue: Trump Plaza, Atlantic City

Andries stance: orthodox

Harding stance: orthodox

It's a timeless cliche that boxers have a tough childhood, and take to boxing to escape poverty, violence and the prospect of a life of crime. Dennis Andries exemplified the harsh upbringing so typical of many fighters. He moved from his native Guyana to London as a boy, and endured periods of such extreme poverty and neglect that he was homeless and reduced to sleeping rough when he couldn't find shelter. Boxing was an obvious way out, so Andries turned pro in 1978. He was relatively short for a light heavyweight, with a thickly muscled torso that led more than one opponent to underestimate his slightly unorthodox boxing skills.

When he fought for the WBC title for the first time, he had amassed a fairly modest record of 26 wins, 6 losses and 2 draws, with no big names on his resume. Nevertheless, he managed a split decision win. His second defence was against Thomas Hearns, and the champion suffered a brutal tenth round stoppage. Andries bounced back from this loss by winning five fights in the space of a year and challenging Tony Willis for the WBC title. This time, Andries won inside five rounds. His first defence was against Australia's Jeff Harding.

Harding had only been a pro for two and a half years when he challenged Andries in his 15th fight. He was unbeaten, but his best wins to date were points wins against Art Jimmerson and Nestor Giovannini, and he had never boxed as a pro outside Australia. Apparently, Harding took this opportunity at just three weeks notice, so this was a case of a young novice against a seasoned veteran.

For an in depth look at their respective records, visit:

Dennis Andries - https://boxrec.com/en/proboxer/000331

Jeff Harding - https://boxrec.com/en/proboxer/001846