Gary Mason
Encyclopedia
Gary Mason was a British
boxer
who was based in Chatham, Kent. He was born in Jamaica
.
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.
when he challenged for the Europe
an title in 1991. Mason gave Lewis his hardest fight up to that point in his career.
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.
matches for the London Crusaders (now Harlequins Rugby League) reserve team, scoring a try in his first game although ending up on the losing side against Scarborough Pirates.
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.
, South London whilst cycling. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Moments after his death was announced boxing promoter Frank Maloney told LBC 97.3fm radio in London "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."
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
boxer
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
who was based in Chatham, Kent. He was born in Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
.
Mason fought at the heavyweight
Heavyweight
Heavyweight is a division, or weight class, in boxing. Fighters who weigh over 200 pounds are considered heavyweights by the major professional boxing organizations: the International Boxing Federation, the World Boxing Association, the World Boxing Council, and the World Boxing...
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 LewisLennox Lewis
Lennox Claudius Lewis, CM, CBE is a retired boxer and the most recent British undisputed world heavyweight champion. He holds dual British and Canadian citizenship...
when he challenged for the Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an title in 1991. Mason gave Lewis his hardest fight up to that point in his career.
Mason defeated a number of well known heavyweights, including Tyrell Biggs
Tyrell Biggs
Tyrell Biggs , is an American heavyweight boxer. He won the gold medal at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, CA in boxing at the Superheavyweight division, after gaining bronze the previous year at the 1983 Pan American Games....
, James Tillis, Lorenzo Boyd, Alfonzo Ratliff, Ricky Parkey, Donnie Long
Donnie Long
Donnie Long is an American heavyweight boxer from Columbus, Ohio.- Boxing career :Donnie Long started off his career strong, with a second round knockout of Tim Johnson. His star rose with 11 more wins, but was defeated by James Broad. Afterwards, it seemed he was no longer the same. He started...
, James Pritchard
James Pritchard (boxer)
James Pritchard, , was a heavyweight professional boxer who won the USBA heavyweight title and challenged for the IBF world title.-Amateur:...
, Mark Wills
Mark Wills
Daryl Mark Williams is an American country music artist, best known professionally as Mark Wills. Signed to Mercury Records between 1996 and 2003, he released five studio albums for the label — Mark Wills, Wish You Were Here, Permanently, Loving Every Minute and And the Crowd Goes Wild — as well...
, Everett Martin
Everett Martin
Everett Wayne Martin , also known as Bigfoot Martin is a former professional boxer. He is a journeyman heavyweight best known for his performances against more notable contenders.-Pro Boxing Career:...
, Louis Pergaud
Louis Pergaud
Louis Pergaud was a French writer and soldier, whose principal works were known as "Animal Stories" due to their rooting in the flora and fauna of the Franche-Comté. His most famous work was the novel La Guerre des boutons , written in 1912...
, Hughroy Currie, Terry Armstrong, David Jaco
David Jaco
David Jaco is a retired heavyweight boxer. He spent his career as a journeyman fighting boxers to build up their career records. He retired in 1994 with 24 wins , 25 losses , and 1 draw.-Career:...
and Jess Harding.
He suffered a detached retina in a bout with Everett Martin
Everett Martin
Everett Wayne Martin , also known as Bigfoot Martin is a former professional boxer. He is a journeyman heavyweight best known for his performances against more notable contenders.-Pro Boxing Career:...
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.
Rugby career
Mason played three rugby leagueRugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
matches for the London Crusaders (now Harlequins Rugby League) reserve team, scoring a try in his first game although ending up on the losing side against Scarborough Pirates.
Television appearances
Mason appeared in a special celebrity show of Gladiators that raised money for charity in 1993 which John FashanuJohn Fashanu
John "Fash" Fashanu is a British television presenter and ex-footballer of Nigerian and Guyanese descent. In his former career, he was a centre-forward, who scored 134 league goals in a career lasting 17 years...
won. Mason also appeared on the panel of the ITV show You Bet!, and the second episode of the first series of GamesMaster
GamesMaster
GamesMaster was a British television show, screened on Channel 4 from 1992 to 1998, and was the first ever UK television show dedicated to computer and video games.-Origins:...
in 1992 playing Sonic Blast Man arcade. Mason's home was also one of those featured on the panel show Through the Keyhole
Through the Keyhole
Through the Keyhole was a British panel game, hosted by Sir David Frost where panellists are given a video tour of a mystery famous guest's property and attempt to identify them. As of 1996, it is produced by David Frost's own production company, Paradine Productions at The Leeds Studios , and has...
. 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, WallingtonWallington, London
Wallington is a town in the London Borough of Sutton situated south south-west of Charing Cross. Prior to the merger of the Municipal Borough of Beddington and Wallington into the London Borough of Sutton, it was part of the county of Surrey.- History :...
, South London whilst cycling. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Moments after his death was announced boxing promoter Frank Maloney told LBC 97.3fm radio in London "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."