Memories of Gary Mason

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Cracking KO percentage over 140 odd rounds and only 1 loss to Lennox.

Shame he had eye trouble.

I'll always remember him being a Huge Puncher with a solid chin.

Gary Mason - Boxer

[erics44]

sad news

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Obituary - Gary Mason (1962-2011)

Gary Mason (37-1, 34 KOs) was a very talented, underrated heavyweight. A carpenter's son from Clapham, Jamaica-born Mason made his debut in October 1984 with a first round knockout of Al Malcolm.
Malcolm, coincidentally, was also the debut opponent of Lennox Lewis, against whom Mason was to suffer his only defeat. In the mid-eighties the British domestic scene was often held up to ridicule but Mason was a cut above the vast majority of his peers.

He went 28 unbeaten (including wins against Alfonzo Ratliff, Ricky Parkey and James Tillis) before securing his first shot at a title in January 1989. He stopped Hughroy Currie in the fourth round for the British title which had been vacated by Horace Notice. The heat was slowly turned up for Mason who was given a big challenge in October '89 in the shape of Tyrell Biggs. At the time, Biggs only had two losses on his log - against Mike Tyson and Francesco Damiani. Mason stopped him in seven rounds at the Royal Albert Hall.

At the same venue in March 1990, Mason boxed Everett Martin. Although he knocked the American down in the first, Martin was a very tough character and it went to points, Mason prevailing 98 1/2 to 97. However, the victor suffered a detached retina in his right eye which required surgery. He retired for a short time.

After a comeback win against James Pritchard, he faced Lennox Lewis (then 14-0) for the British and European titles in March 1991. It's often forgotten that Big Gary had a better world ranking than Lewis at the time and was many people's favourite to win. Mason, as always, gave it his all. "He got Lewis on the ropes beside us," cornerman Dennie Mancini recalled, "and hit him so hard with a left hook to the body that Lennox's leg came up in the air. You rarely see that. Gary could bang but his eye was bad early."
Lewis dominated but Mason hung around and the future world champion began to tire and look a little uncomfortable though wasn't hugely troubled by Mason's regular forays forward. The challenger's eyes began to close and I vividly remember him shipping a heavy shot early in the seventh, and what proved to be final, round. Mason grimaced, obviously in great pain. One could see the agony written across his face. Bravely, rather than quitting (which no one would have blamed him for, already half-blind and carrying a detached retina), Mason gritted his teeth for one last assault. Larry O'Connell brought an end to his pain at 0:44.

"I don't think I really blew it on the night," he said. "But I had let myself get very hyped up and I was too light, had lost some of my power. Mickey Duff had this idea that I should come in under 17st. I went to Florida and worked hard. It looked good but what I needed to do was to get in close to Lewis and have all my weight to bust him up around the body."

Three years later, Mason briefly resumed his career with a couple of early wins in the States but finally retired after his last win in September 1994.
In a Daily Telegraph article in 2001, it was reported that '(Mason) does not have a bank account. In fact, he does not have a house, a home, a job or anything else but loyal friends, a big smile and an intelligent, ever-engaging, optimistic personality.'
"It has been worse than this," observed Mason at the time. "Last year I was really on the floor. I was like a fighter who had just got used to being battered about. My last promotion in Tooting had lost money, my father had died in America and when I went over to his funeral I wondered about coming back. But as they say, I do love London so."
Mason didn't have a huge amount of luck but was always prepared to dabble here and there. When he was on the up as a pro, he had a jeweller's shop called `Punch 'n' Jewellery'.

Like so many other articulate, engaging ex-athletes, Mason gave the media circus a try. Unfortunately, whilst working for Sky he used the 'f' word and his time there was, as a result, short-lived. That was a great shame as he was one of the best former fighters they've ever used. I remember him, within the first few seconds of Holyfield v Douglas, saying that Douglas was shot. Easy to see now but not then - and you certainly wouldn't get an analyst sticking his neck out on Sky Sports like that these days.
Mason also played three matches for rugby league side London Broncos, claiming to score a try on his debut. An arm wrestling tournament failed. Hilariously, he lost a job as a security guard at Carshalton Hospital because he was too busy chatting up the nurses.
A marriage also failed and Mason's party lifestyle probably helped in that regard. After his Thursday night television duties he would apparently go socialising and not return home until the following week.

As a boxer, he'll always be remembered for his brave-in-defeat showing against Lewis. "We both knew the real prize [the purse was only £276,000] was the ladder to the world title. It should have been very depressing afterwards but the public gave me so much support that made things better. It still does. I am a people person."
After an interview over coffee with Brough Scott ten years ago, the journalist observed: 'in the middle of the road Mason suddenly bends down and picks up a tiny coin which gleams bronze in the palm of an enormous hand. "A penny for luck," he says with a final `ho, ho'. You have to wish it.'

Mason, by all accounts a very nice, good humoured man, just didn't get the luck he deserved.

Obituary - Gary Mason (1962-2011) | BoxRecNews

[BIG H]

Wow, just heard this

I remember him as having supidly quick hands for a guy of his size.

R.I.P Gary

[Mattyhitman]

Very sad news

The one and only time i met Gary was at a sports shop in Middlesbrough. At the time he was sponsored by Troop ( it was because of him i bought a pair of Troop trainers ) and he was doing the usual meet the fans and signing photo's of himself. An extremley gracious and humble man, who left a good imperssion on all that met him that day.

Tragic way for him to go, not that the is a good way to go mind !!

[ICB]

R.I.P to Gary Mason such a shame, i was shocked when i heard. Everyone's already pretty much mentioned everything about him, but does anyone remember a fight he had when KO'ed some fighter with an uppercut lifting him off his feet ?

[Master]

Whilst I did not rate Mason as a boxer he was a funny and truthful commentator for Sky.

The jewelry shop I think went bust.

He was a very good European level fighter and had a solid chin, his eyes were his problem and Lennox aimed for them in that fight.