Former Olympic champion Audley Harrison's career is in tatters after an emphatic defeat by American heavyweight Dominick Guinn sounded the death knell to his faded world title ambitions.
Briton Harrison, 34, needed an impressive win in California to resurrect his professional career after his capitulation against domestic rival Danny Williams before Christmas.
But the lacklustre heavyweight was comprehensively beaten by Guinn - who had won only one of his previous five fights - at Rancho Mirage in the United States.
The southpaw, nicknamed 'A-Force', was typically pedestrian throughout most of the 10-round contest, being out-worked and out-thought by 30-year-old Guinn. Guinn was able to land shots to the body and head at will when he got inside, clearly winnings rounds with little resistance as the fight failed to ignite.
Harrison did manage to rally in the final round but it was far too late as the judges awarded the decision to Guinn by scores of 98-92 and 97-93 twice.
Harrison, who won gold at the Sydney Olympics in 2000, has long been derided in England for his slow progress and padded record in the five and a half years since he turned professional.
Defeat by Williams in December seemed to confirm the widely-held belief that his world title aspirations were hugely optimistic.
The showdown with Guinn, also a former hot prospect in need of victory in this genuine 'make or break' fight, was his last chance of placing himself anywhere near the heavyweight elite.
Instead it is Guinn who can still nurture hopes of a world title hope while Harrison must return to facing journeymen or finally admit defeat and retire from the sport.