The scenery has changed, as has his outlook on boxing – and both for the better. But one thing remains the same – “Vicious” Vivian Harris just can’t seem to catch a break.

Harris was hit with the news on Wednesday night that “Mighty” Mike Arnaoutis will no longer be his opponent for the July 29 HBO Boxing After Dark main event. Arnaoutis was forced off of the card after suffering a cut during a late afternoon sparring session.

Promoter Gary Shaw and manager Jose Nunez have spent the past few days scurrying for a replacement opponent, while Harris is forced to sit on his hands, hoping that someone will show up at all.

This would be a bigger deal had it occurred at any other point in his career. But Harris’ re-discovered love for the sport keeps him in good spirits, regardless of whom he winds up fighting next.

“I’m a little bit disappointed, I’m not going to lie,” admits Harris (26-2-1, 17KO). “I’ve been preparing for a particular style, against someone that talked a lot, and then pull out two weeks before the fight. But there’s nothing I can do about it, except focus on July 29. I wish for him to get better.”

Reports suggest that Arnaoutis will be on the shelf for five weeks after receiving three stitches. While he’s healing, the hunt is on for a replacement. Names such as Lovemore N’Dou, Demetrius Hopkins and Ricardo Torres have all been tossed around, though none solidified.

A fight against any of those names presents Harris with something other than what he was training for  - a fight against a southpaw.

Harris insists it doesn’t matter.

“I’m honestly in the best shape of my life. It makes no difference (training for a southpaw). Once you’re in good condition and good shape, it doesn’t make any difference.

“It’s not even important about who I beat. My main thing is getting in good shape, and putting on the best show possible that night.”

Such is why he has properly mapped out his training camp – which includes knowing when to go full throttle and at what point to begin exuding caution.

“ I look out for certain things and don’t get caught up in any nonsense. I don’t want to get tangled up, get caught up in a war in the gym, especially the last two weeks of a fight. You never know what can happen in training, you want to be cautious to protect your fight. It’s not always about going to war. That’s just how we work.

“You know what might happen, and then prepare to avoid the worst. That’s how I do it. I wasn’t in a position to be that close where someone can cut me from a clinch, but not everybody trains the same. I can’t knock him for what happened. I just wish him a good and quick recovery.”

In a way, the recent chain of events mirrors what occurred prior to his title-losing effort against Carlos Maussa last June.

Harris was originally slated to face Arturo Morua, pending the outcome of the Mexican’s elimination bout against Jung Bum Kim. Morua won the fight, but suffered a cut during the twelve-round affair. After further consideration, Morua’s handlers opted to pass on the challenge for Harris’ WBA super lightweight title.

Enter Maussa - and disaster soon thereafter.

It was widely rumored at the time that Harris had over trained and also failed to mentally get in shape for a fight that would be on the biggest stage of his career – a co-feature slot to the PPV battle between Floyd Mayweather, Jr. and Arturo Gatti. The rumors came about after Harris weighed in at a reported 134 – one pound under the lightweight limit – and then having seemingly fought while running on empty as early as the third round.

Harris would eventually succumb early in the seventh round. He had hoped for an immediate rematch, on the strength of getting hit while laid out on the canvas. Also, because he thought it was the sportsman’s thing to do, as he had given Maussa the opportunity to fight for his title.

Instead, he was left out in the cold, and eventually released from Main Events, with whom he never enjoyed a stable relationship.

The loss was disastrous on the surface, but one year later Harris recognizes it as a blessing in disguise. It led to a new Team Harris, and also offered him a reason to remain optimistic about boxing.

“I’m saying, things happen for a reason. That’s the way God intended for it to happen, and it’s what I have to accept. I miss being champion of the world, but I know that I can get back there. But I look at this way: if I didn’t lose that fight, then I wouldn’t have Gary Shaw as my promoter right now. Instead of fighting with Main Events all of the time, I now have a promoter who fights for me.”

Part of Shaw’s fight was getting Harris in position to reclaim championship status sooner than later. He was able to secure an HBO date and the Arnaoutis fight, with the winner to receive a shot at either Miguel Cotto or the WBO title should Cotto vacate and bolt to welterweight.

The hard part is keeping those plans intact. A major part of the fight serving as an eliminator had to do with Arnaoutis’ number-two ranking in the WBO.

An alternate solution has been to secure Lovemore N’Dou as a replacement. N’Dou and Harris represent the two highest rated available challengers among the IBF ratings, #3 and 5 respectively. Separating the two is Naoufel Ben Rabah, who had just fought two weeks ago in a controversial points loss to Juan Urango for the vacant title.

The motivation for an N’Dou fight would be for the winner to earn the mandatory slot amongst the IBF ratings, currently occupied by “Not Rated.”

Harris’ motivation is to just keep winning.

“The fight for Arnaoutis was supposed to lead to a title shot, but I can’t stress over stuff like that. Right now, my main focus is winning. I’m just thankful to be fighting on HBO. I’ll greatly appreciate whatever Gary can do for me beyond that. I just want to fight often. That’s all I wanted to do - keep busy, and not only fight once a year. I’m getting that now and want to keep it going.”

It also gives him a mental edge when heading into training camp, something that has previously served as a roadblock. Rather than solely focusing on his upcoming fight, Harris instead had to stress over who was taking care of the little things outside the ropes, and admits to reading his own press clippings a little too much.

“The difference between now and last year, or really at any point in my career - you need to be focused. There’s more to it than just getting your body in good shape, which is all I was really doing in the past.

“After the Maussa loss, I had to put everything together before I was able to move forward. After I figured out everything that went wrong with that fight, I was able to say to myself, ‘OK now I can move forward.’

“For this camp, I’m away from my family my friends – I have a real training camp and not worrying about who’s saying what about me. In the past, I got carried away by all of the hype. I’ve learned that I’m fighting for me and for my family, not for the hype or for anyone else.”

Rather than stay home, which is how he spent far too many training camps, Harris has instead traveled west to Las Vegas. It was a decision he agreed to with new manager and longtime friend Jose Nunez, and one he firmly believes will produce the best Vivian Harris to date.

“Anytime I train on the West Coast period, the best Vivian Harris comes out. I trained in Las Vegas before. I trained in California two years ago for the (Oktay) Urkal rematch. It’s more relaxed out here on the West Coast. Back home, everyone’s calling me all of the time and I don’t like to leave anybody behind. I’ve always felt obligated to please everyone. Out here it’s easier.”

What isn’t easy at the moment is figuring out for whom he needs to train in two weeks. In similar situations, most camps will seek out the lowest risk and then attempt to make up for lost time down the road.

All Harris wants is whatever will lead him back toward the top.

“I was never like that (seeking soft opposition) and I never will be like that. I am a firm believer that you have to beat whoever’s ahead of you in order to move forward. My mind and body are right, everything’s ready and I’m ready for anyone. This is the path that God has led me to. I’m confident that he will lead me to the promise land.”