Gary Mason (boxer)
| Gary Mason | |
|---|---|
| Statistics | |
| Real name | Gary Michael Mason |
| Rated at | Heavyweight |
| Nationality |
Jamaican British |
| Born |
15 December 1962 Jamaica |
| Died |
6 January 2011 (aged 48) Wallington, London, England |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Boxing record | |
| Total fights | 38 |
| Wins | 37 |
| Wins by KO | 34 |
| Losses | 1 |
| Draws | 0 |
| No contests | 0 |
Gary Mason (15 December 1962 – 6 January 2011) was a British boxer who was based in Chatham, Kent, England. He was born in Jamaica.[1] Mason fought at the heavyweight level and became the British heavyweight champion in 1989. Mason was a top ten contender, his main strengths being his punching power, heart and physical strength.
Mason died on 6 January 2011 in a cycling accident in South London.
Pro boxing career
Mason fought 38 times as a professional in a career that spanned 10 years from 1984 to 1994, with 37 wins (34 by knockout) and only one loss, that being to Lennox Lewis when he challenged for the European title in 1991. Mason gave Lewis his hardest fight up to that point in his career.[2]
Mason defeated a number of well known heavyweights, including Tyrell Biggs, James Tillis, Lorenzo Boyd, Alfonzo Ratliff, Ricky Parkey, Donnie Long, James Pritchard, Mark Wills, Everett Martin, Louis Pergaud, Hughroy Currie, Terry Armstrong, David Jaco and Jess Harding.
He suffered a detached retina in a bout with Everett Martin in 1990. After a short retirement he staged a comeback, which ended with a TKO loss to Lennox Lewis, which aggravated Mason's eye injury. He came back once again, but after winning two fights in the U.S. he retired for good.
Professional boxing record
| 37 Wins (34 knockouts, 3 decisions), 1 Loss (1 knockout, 0 decisions) | |||||||
| Result | Record | Opponent | Type | Round | Date | Location | Notes |
| style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win | 37-1 |  Martin "Bananas" Foster |
TKO | 3 | 10/09/1994 | Laughlin, Nevada, United States |
|
| style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win | 36-1 | Kevin P Porter |
TKO | 2 | 29/01/1994 | Grand Forks, North Dakota, United States |
Referee stopped the bout at 2:58 of the second round. |
| style="background: #ffdddd; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="table-no2" |Loss | 35-1 |  Lennox "The Lion" Lewis |
TKO | 7 | 06/03/1991 | Wembley, London, United Kingdom |
BBBofC British/EBU Heavyweight Titles. Referee stopped the bout at 0:44 of the seventh round. |
| style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win | 35-0 | James Pritchard |
TKO | 9 | 12/12/1990 | Kensington, London, United Kingdom |
Referee stopped the bout at 2:09 of the ninth round. |
| style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win | 34-0 | Everett "Bigfoot" Martin |
PTS | 10 | 14/03/1990 | Kensington, London, United Kingdom |
98.5-97. |
| style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win | 33-0 | Mark Anthony Wills |
PTS | 10 | 06/12/1989 | Wembley, London, United Kingdom |
98.5-97. |
| style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win | 32-0 | Tyrell Biggs |
KO | 7 | 04/10/1989 | Kensington, London, United Kingdom |
|
| style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win | 31-0 | Jess Harding |
TKO | 2 | 28/06/1989 | Brentwood, Essex, United Kingdom |
BBBofC British Heavyweight Title. |
| style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win | 30-0 | "Scary" Terry Armstrong |
TKO | 3 | 29/03/1989 | Wembley, London, United Kingdom |
|
| style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win | 29-0 | Hughroy Currie |
KO | 4 | 18/01/1989 | Kensington, London, United Kingdom |
BBBofC British Heavyweight Title. Currie knocked out at 3:00 of the fourth round. |
| style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win | 28-0 | James "Quick" Tillis |
TKO | 5 | 30/11/1988 | Southwark, London, United Kingdom |
Referee stopped the bout at 1:50 of the fifth round. |
| style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win | 27-0 | David Jaco |
TKO | 4 | 24/10/1988 | Windsor, Berkshire, United Kingdom |
Referee stopped the bout at 2:52 of the fourth round. |
| style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win | 26-0 |  Manoel "Clay" De Almeida |
TKO | 7 | 13/04/1988 | Bethnal Green, London, United Kingdom |
|
| style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win | 25-0 | Ricky Parkey |
TKO | 1 | 09/03/1988 | Wembley, London, United Kingdom |
|
| style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win | 24-0 | Alfonzo Ratliff |
TKO | 6 | 03/02/1988 | Wembley, London, United Kingdom |
Referee stopped the bout at 1:17 of the sixth round. |
| style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win | 23-0 | "Slammin" Sammy Scaff |
TKO | 2 | 03/12/1987 | Southend, Essex, United Kingdom |
|
| style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win | 22-0 | Andrew Gerrard |
TKO | 6 | 24/10/1987 | Tottenham, London, United Kingdom |
|
| style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win | 21-0 |  Andre van den Oetelaar |
TKO | 2 | 25/09/1987 | Southend, Essex, United Kingdom |
|
| style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win | 20-0 | "Fast" Eddie Richardson |
TKO | 7 | 30/08/1987 |  Marbella, Andalucia, Spain |
|
| style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win | 19-0 | Billy Joe Thomas |
KO | 1 | 26/05/1987 | Wembley, London, United Kingdom |
|
| style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win | 18-0 | Woody Clark |
TKO | 2 | 18/04/1987 | Kensington, London, United Kingdom |
Referee stopped the bout at 2:39 of the second round. |
| style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win | 17-0 | Richard Earl Scott |
TKO | 1 | 24/03/1987 | Wembley, London, United Kingdom |
Referee stopped the bout at 1:27 of the first round. |
| style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win | 16-0 | Rodney "King" Smith |
TKO | 1 | 22/02/1987 | Wembley, London, United Kingdom |
Referee stopped the bout at 1:04 of the first round. |
| style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win | 15-0 | Oscar Holman |
PTS | 8 | 26/11/1986 | Wolverhampton, West Midlands, United Kingdom |
79.5-76.5. |
| style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win | 14-0 | Donnie "Master of Disaster" Long |
KO | 1 | 04/11/1986 | Wembley, London, United Kingdom |
Long knocked out at 1:31 of the first round. |
| style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win | 13-0 | Lorenzo Boyd |
KO | 2 | 17/09/1986 | Kensington, London, United Kingdom |
|
| style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win | 12-0 | Mark "The Storm" Young |
TKO | 5 | 19/07/1986 | Wembley, London, United Kingdom |
|
| style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win | 11-0 | "Poison" Ivy Brown |
KO | 2 | 20/05/1986 | Wembley, London, United Kingdom |
|
| style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win | 10-0 |  Maurice Gomis |
TKO | 3 | 24/04/1986 | Bethnal Green, London, United Kingdom |
|
| style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win | 9-0 |  "King" Louis Pergaud |
TKO | 4 | 09/04/1986 | Kensington, London, United Kingdom |
|
| style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win | 8-0 | Charles "Tuffy" Hostetter |
TKO | 1 | 04/03/1986 | Wembley, London, United Kingdom |
Referee stopped the bout at 2:35 of the first round. |
| style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win | 7-0 | Denroy Bryan |
KO | 1 | 19/02/1986 | Kensington, London, United Kingdom |
Bryan knocked out at 1:20 of the first round. |
| style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win | 6-0 | Steve Gee |
TKO | 5 | 04/12/1985 | Kensington, London, United Kingdom |
Referee stopped the bout at 1:25 of the fifth round. |
| style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win | 5-0 | Steve Gee |
TKO | 5 | 05/11/1985 | Wembley, London, United Kingdom |
Referee stopped the bout at 1:38 of the fifth round. |
| style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win | 4-0 | .svg.png){kind=small} Luc Goossens |
KO | 1 | 06/03/1985 | Kensington, London, United Kingdom |
Luc knocked out at 2:33 of the first round. |
| style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win | 3-0 | Frank "The Tank" Robinson |
KO | 1 | 18/01/1985 | Bethnal Green, London, United Kingdom |
|
| style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win | 2-0 | Al Malcolm |
TKO | 2 | 14/12/1984 | Wembley, London, United Kingdom |
Referee stopped the bout at 0:20 of the second round. |
| style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win | 1-0 | Al Malcolm |
KO | 1 | 16/10/1984 | Kensington, London, United Kingdom |
|
Rugby career
Mason played three rugby league matches for the London Crusaders (now London Broncos Rugby League) reserve team, scoring a try in his first game although ending up on the losing side against Scarborough Pirates.[3]
Television appearances
Mason appeared in a special celebrity show of Gladiators that raised money for charity in 1993 which John Fashanu won. Mason also appeared on the panel of the ITV show You Bet!, and the second episode of the first series of GamesMaster in 1992 playing Sonic Blast Man arcade. Mason's home was also one of those featured on the panel show Through the Keyhole. Though the panel were able to ascertain that the property was home to a British boxer, they plumped for its being Lennox Lewis's abode.
Death
On the morning of 6 January 2011 Mason died after being hit by a van in Sandy Lane South, Wallington, South London whilst cycling. He was pronounced dead at the scene.[4]
Moments after his death was announced, boxing promoter Frank Maloney told LBC 97.3 radio in London that "Everyone had the greatest of respect for Gary. When times were bad Gary always had a smile on his face. He's going to be sadly missed by a lot of people. He did a lot of great work for charity... he'd always turn up if you phoned him for a charity event. That's the sort of guy he was."[citation needed]
References
- ↑ "boxer: Gary Mason". boxrec.com. 2011-01-07. Retrieved 2011-01-07.
- ↑ "Lennox Lewis joins 1,000-strong crowd in paying tribute at boxer Gary Mason's funeral". Daily Mail (London). 12 February 2011.
- ↑ Scott, Brough (21 April 2001). "Boxing: Mason still on the canvas". The Daily Telegraph (London).
- ↑ "Boxer Gary Mason dies in cycling collision in London". BBC News. 2011-01-07. Retrieved 2011-01-07.
External links
| Achievements | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Horace Notice Retired |
British Heavyweight Champion 18 January 1989 – 6 March 1991 |
Succeeded by Lennox Lewis |