It was in the mid eighties or there abouts that I first saw Gary Mason box on the telly, as it happens
it was October 1986 to be precise against a certain Donnie ‘master of disaster’ Long who didn’t last that long against the powerful chunkily built Mason who obliterated his American adversary in devastating fashion.
The win’s would pile up for Mason who not particularly a decorated amateur did annex the South East counties championship at heavy back in 84! in the unpaid ranks, possibly Gary’s brawling style was best suited to the pro game though.
Mason would appear again against Lorenzo Boyd and would destroy Boyd in quicker time than that of Mike Tyson who at the time was still a month or so shy of his first title try v Trevor Berbick, Mason lifted Boyd off of the floor ala Foreman-Frazier back in 73!
Still Mason pummeled on all put before him and his reputation was fast growing as a force to be reckon with, one guy who didn’t fall down too easy was Welshman Andy Gerrard who put up a tremendous performance on the Bruno-Bugner show back in October 1987 despite getting stopped by the Londoner, Mason the following year would move up a notch name wise and was fed a couple of former World cruiser champ’s in Rickey Parkey {ko 1} and Alfonzo Ratliff {ko 6} before taking out James ‘Quick’ Tillis who simply wasn’t as Mason caught up with him stopping the durable cowboy in four!
Mason was now in contention for the British title vacated by former stablemate Horace Notice as Gary duly obliged and KO’d Trevor Hughroy Currie in brutal fashion, finally Mason had arrived and was for real it seemed has he was finally stepping away from the shadow of stablemate Frank Bruno.
In Vegas for Bruno’s title attempt at Mike Tyson in Febraury 1989 Mason while being interviewed on tv told of the legendary Floyd Patterson telling himself that he had the style to defeat Tyson……!
Still Mason had to earn such a monumental task and in subsequent fights Gary would dispatch Jess Harding inside of two rounds in an easy defence of the British crown there in Brentwood in Essex before being moved up into World class against the still useful and World rated former Olympic Gold medalist in Tyrell Biggs who himself had only been defeated by World champion Tyson and future W.B.O World champ Francesco Damiani.
Mason was bewildered as he was comprehensively out boxed by the slick Biggs until finding the equalizer and kayoing Biggs in the seventh, many ringsiders at the time were wondering if a punch did land, it did I should know as I was there!
Mason next couple of outings would prove testing, more so the one versus Mark Wills, Wills had stopped former W.B.A boss Greg Page twice and proved a durable opponent for Gary, the following year Mason would defeat former prospects in Everett Martin and James Pritchard, all the while a certain Lennox Lewis had just annexed the European title by defeating French gypsy Jean Maurice Chanet in Crystal Palace the previous October and naturally Mason-Lewis for the combined British and European titles was a natural in the British public’s eyes.
The match was made for March 1991 and Mason put up a brave effort, sadly Mason’s eye’s were almost closing and Lewis put paid to Mason’s reign as the ref stepped in and saved a brave but outgunned British champion in seven rounds…….Mason finished on his feet and throughout his career showed tremendous durability never tasting the canvas and possessed the crippling punching power to make many fold before his brutal fists.
After a short while Mason due to eye trouble had his British license revoked and went to America to box, where he got a win but Gary despite his victory called it a day and became a professional rugby player and opened his own jewelers aptly named ‘punch n Judy’ however Mason wasn’t to be far from the public eye as he also enjoyed success as a tv pundit on Sky’s Ringside show alongside the likes of presenters Richard Keys and Simon Reed {brother of Oliver the famous actor who once himself sparred 60’s heavy Billy Walker}
Strangley enough an old computer game called ‘World championship boxing manager for the Commodore 64 had on the games cover a drawing of Gary Mason holding up the I.B.F World championship belt, it might have been just a bit of artwork for a computer game but if Mason had been around today it surely would have been art imitating life what with today’s limp brigade disguised as the I.B.F heavyweight champion!
I remember the time in 1991 when Mason celebrated his 29th birthday “I’m glad to be here, many don’t make it to this age” he would say in the Sky Sports studio on the show, sadly Gary won’t make it to his forty ninth birthday this year…….
it’s true what they say you know ‘the good die young’….
