Mark Breland
Encyclopedia
Mark Anthony Breland (born May 11, 1963 in Brooklyn, New York) is a former world champion boxer
, who won five New York Golden Gloves
Titles and a gold medal at the 1984 Olympics
. He is also an actor
with a wide range of movie and television credits, having made his debut in The Lords of Discipline
.
World Welterweight Championship. He lost it in his first defense to Marlon Starling
. In 1989, Breland again won the vacant WBA Welterweight Title. He made three successful title defenses before losing it to Aaron Davis
in a thrilling 9-round contest that was nearly called off twice because of injuries to Davis' eye before Breland was knocked out in round 9.
In 1997, Breland retired with a professional record of 35–3–1 (25 KOs).
Breland is currently a boxing trainer, having trained Vernon Forrest
among other notable boxers.
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 won five New York Golden Gloves
Golden Gloves
The Golden Gloves is the name given to annual competitions for amateur boxing in the United States. The Golden Gloves is often the term used to refer to the National Golden Gloves competition, but it also can represent several other amateur tournaments, including regional golden gloves...
Titles and a gold medal at the 1984 Olympics
1984 Summer Olympics
The 1984 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held in Los Angeles, California, United States in 1984...
. He is also an actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
with a wide range of movie and television credits, having made his debut in The Lords of Discipline
The Lords of Discipline (film)
The Lords of Discipline is a 1983 film based on the novel by Pat Conroy and directed by Franc Roddam. The film stars David Keith, Robert Prosky, Judge Reinhold, Bill Paxton, William Hope, Michael Biehn, and Olympic boxer Mark Breland...
.
Amateur Boxing Career
Breland compiled an impressive amateur record of 110–1. Highlights of which were:- Five-Time New York Golden Gloves Champion (1980–84), his record in this competition was 21–0 (19 KO's), with 14 knockouts coming in the 1st round.
- 1981 – United States Amateur Welterweight competition, lost to Darryl Anthony on points. This would be Breland's only loss as an amateur.
- 1981 – won Intercity Golden GlovesGolden GlovesThe Golden Gloves is the name given to annual competitions for amateur boxing in the United States. The Golden Gloves is often the term used to refer to the National Golden Gloves competition, but it also can represent several other amateur tournaments, including regional golden gloves...
in the welterweight division, stopped Efrain Bennett in the first. - 1982 – United States Amateur Welterweight Champion
- 1982 – Gold Medal (Welterweight) at the World Championships1982 World Amateur Boxing ChampionshipsThe Men's 1982 World Amateur Boxing Championships were held in Munich, West Germany from May 4 to 15. The third edition of this competition, held two years before the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, California, was organised by the world governing body for amateur boxing AIBA.- Medal winners...
in MunichMunichMunich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
, West GermanyWest GermanyWest Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
- Defeated Vesa Koskela (SWE)
- Defeated Mihai Ciubotaru (ROM)
- Defeated Manfred ZielonkaManfred ZielonkaManfred Zielonka is a retired boxer from West Germany. At the 1984 Summer Olympics he won the bronze medal in the men's light middleweight division . In the semifinals he was beaten by eventual winner Frank Tate of the United States...
(FRG) - Defeated Serik KonakbayevSerik KonakbayevSerik Kerimbekovich Konakbaev is a retired Kazakh boxer, who represented the USSR at the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, Soviet Union. There he won the silver medal in the light welterweight division , after being defeated in the final by Patrizio Oliva of Italy...
(URS)
- 1983 – United States Amateur Welterweight Champion
- Defeated Bill HarringtonBill HarringtonWilliam "Bill" T. Harrington was an American sportscaster, children's television host, and news reporter for WHDH and TV and WCVB-TV in Boston.-Sportscasting:...
TKO 3 - Defeated Tony Golden TKO 2
- Defeated Alton Rice on points
- Defeated James MitchellJames Mitchell-Arts, entertainment, and sports :*James Mitchell , American actor who played Palmer Cortlandt on All My Children*James Mitchell , American athlete who competed in the 1904 Summer Olympics...
TKO 2
- Defeated Bill Harrington
- 1984 – Qualified as a Welterweight at the 1984 Olympic Trials in Fort Worth, TexasFort Worth, TexasFort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...
- Defeated Louis Howard on points
- Defeated Mylon WatkinsMylon Watkins-Amateur career:Known as "Kid USA", Watkins had an outstanding amateur career, and was the upset winner of the 1984 National Golden Gloves Welterweight Championship and the 1985 and 1986 National Golden Gloves Light middleweight Champion.-Professional career:...
TKO 1 - Defeated Davey Gutierrez on points
- Defeated Louis Howard on points, at the Olympic Box-Offs in Las Vegas.
- 1984 – Gold Medal (Welterweight) at the 1984 Summer Olympics1984 Summer OlympicsThe 1984 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held in Los Angeles, California, United States in 1984...
in Los Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
- Defeated Wayne Gordon (CAN) on points
- Defeated Carlos Reyes (PUR) TKO 3
- Defeated Rudel Obreja (ROM) on points
- Defeated Genaro LeonGenaro LéonGenaro Léon is a former professional boxer. He fought at Welterweight.-Amateur career:León represented Mexico at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games, as a Welterweight...
(MEX) KO 1 - Defeated Luciano BrunoLuciano BrunoLuciano Bruno was an Italian boxer, who won a Welterweight Bronze medal at the 1984 Summer Olympics.-Olympic results:*1st round bye*Defeated Georges Bosco 5-0*Defeated Peter Okumu 4-1...
(ITA) on points - Defeated Yong-Su Ahn (KOR) on points
Professional Boxing Career
Breland turned professional in 1984. In 1987, Breland won the vacant WBAWorld Boxing Association
The World Boxing Association is a boxing organization that sanctions official matches, and awards the WBA world championship title at the professional level. It was previously known as the National Boxing Association before changing its name in 1962...
World Welterweight Championship. He lost it in his first defense to Marlon Starling
Marlon Starling
Marlon "Magic Man" Starling was a two-time US world champion boxer.Starling was born in Hartford, CT in 1959. He turned professional in 1979. After 25 straight wins, he lost his first fight. He lost a 12 round decision to Donald Curry in 1982. Starling had a rematch with Curry in 1984, challenging...
. In 1989, Breland again won the vacant WBA Welterweight Title. He made three successful title defenses before losing it to Aaron Davis
Aaron Davis
Aaron Davis was a professional boxer in the welterweight division.- Professional career :...
in a thrilling 9-round contest that was nearly called off twice because of injuries to Davis' eye before Breland was knocked out in round 9.
In 1997, Breland retired with a professional record of 35–3–1 (25 KOs).
Breland is currently a boxing trainer, having trained Vernon Forrest
Vernon Forrest
Vernon Forrest, nicknamed "The Viper", was an American professional boxer who became a world champion in the welterweight and light middleweight divisions and noted for his two victories over Shane Mosley and upset losses to Ricardo Mayorga.- Early years and amateur career :Forrest began boxing at...
among other notable boxers.