Harrison - by those who know him best

Audley Harrison now stands just one fight away from redemption after the announcement that he will challenge David Haye for the WBA heavyweight title at the MEN Arena in Manchester on November 13.

Both men traded insults under the glare of the live television cameras and in the presence of eager journalists, as two people who know Audley better than anyone quietly but proudly looked on.

Harrison, of course, has long born the brunt of many jokes at the hands of boxing journalists upset by his perceived arrogance and his unfulfilled promises, but his wife Raychel and Dad Vincent share none of the negativity towards the 2000 Olympic gold medallist.

Few pundits give Audley a chance against Haye and an early fans' poll weighs heavily in favour of the Hayemaker, with more than 87 per cent backing him to shatter Harrison's dreams once and for all.

But Harrison's dad says that there is good reason to believe an upset is on the cards.

"I'm proud of him and he will do it," beams Vincent. "There is no doubt about him doing it. I'll tell you why.

"Every 10 years Audley does something dramatic. When he was nine years old I was going to give him a good smacking, and I asked him: 'What are you going to do with your life, son?'

"He says to me he's going to be famous, really famous. When he was 19, that's another 10 years, he started boxing - amateur boxing - and 10 years later in 2000 he won the gold medal.

"This year it's 2010 - each time it's 10 years and he's going to win the world title, no doubt.

"I think round five, knockout."

The pattern has been clear enough that it's convinced Vincent to write a book called "Through the eyes of 10."

Harrison's father proudly boasts about his son, as does his wife of five years Raychel, who has lived with Audley through his many lows in recent years.

And it is Harrison's ability to cope through adversity that makes her believe that he will be able to go the distance with Haye come November.

"I've been there through the dark times," she says. "It's been hard. It's been really hard. I think that everybody in life gets hit.

"Life is hard in general. Everybody gets hit with their own adversity and I don't think that you really know people until they get hit with adversity and stand up.

"He's never said: 'I'm thinking of quitting.' He has always been true to himself, he has always been true to what he believed in and his goal and once he puts his mind to something there is no stopping him.

"I think that shows character. He hasn't quit, and he's shown that even during hard times even though you fall, even though you get knocked out, you get back up again and you still keep trying and that's so much bigger and better than somebody who just wins all the time."

Unsurprisingly, Raychel tips her husband to shock the boxing world.

"I have full confidence in him. I love how he thinks."

As has been the case for Harrison throughout much of his professional career, there are not too many in the written boxing world who share those sentiments.