Harding turned pro in 1991 and was undefeated in his first 20 fights. These wins included a fight in which he defeated future champion Montell Griffin by split decision to win the NABF light heavyweight title on Nov 13, 1998, and a unanimous decision over then undefeated contender Antonio Tarver on June 23, 2000.
His streak came to an end when he fought Roy Jones Jr. for the WBC, WBA, & IBF light heavyweight titles on Sept. 9, 2000. He lost by technical knockout (the fight was stopped after the 10th round by the ringside doctor due to Harding suffering from a torn bicepsmuscle), but after the fight Jones Jr. said it was his most difficult fight to date.[1]
On Feb. 11, 2005 he defeated David Telesco to claim the vacant USBA light heavyweight title, but lost the title the following year to Chad Dawson by decision, despite dropping Dawson in the 1st round.
