SCOTT HARRISON, the former two-time world featherweight champion from Cambuslang, has secured one final chance to resurrect his fragmented career at the age of 37.
Harrison has been cleared by the Malta Boxing Commission to fight despite the British Boxing Board of Control suspending his licence pending the outcome of his appeal against extradition to Spain to serve a four-year jail term after he was found guilty of assault following an incident in 2007.
The Malta Boxing Commission's decision to licence Harrison means that the former WBO title-holder is free to contest any titles sanctioned by organisations affiliated to the MBC.
Under European Union free trade and anti-monopoly laws, national boxing federations are entitled to operate in other EU countries.
The MBC has licensed around a dozen British promoters and is also expected to sanction approximately 20 events in the UK this year, largely against the will of the BBBofC.
A source close to Harrison said: "There is nothing illegal in this. The Malta Boxing Commission has affiliations with several recognised sanctioning bodies."
It has been suggested that Harrison will box on a show at Aintree in Liverpool this summer, but the source revealed that he is more likely to have his first fight for more than two years in Scotland in July.
"Nothing has been decided yet, but Scott views this as a great opportunity to resurrect his career," the source added.
Harrison has fought only three times since the last of his 10 world title bouts in November 2005, when he won a unanimous points decision against Australian Nedal Hussein.
His life spiralled out of control after that and he was absent from the ring for more than six-and-a-half years before making a surprise return, defeating Hungarian Gyorgy Mizsei and Englishman Joe Elfidi, in June and September 2012.
Harrison has fought only once since, in April 2013, when he lost on points to Liam Walsh for the WBO European lightweight title at Wembley.
But Harrison - just two months short of his 38th birthday - announced last November that he was making a third comeback, on a Paisley show the following month after signing a deal with Saltire Promotions and the St Andrew's Sporting Club.
He said at the time: "People will see the Scott Harrison of old - if not even better. I'm in great shape and I've no doubt I can fight for a world title again."
Incredibly, given the well-documented sequence of events that have gone before, Harrison may yet realise that ambition, it would seem.
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