Gary Mason killed in road accident

[damianhucker1]

Really sorry to hear this

RIP

[Lenny]

Real shame, RIP

[Scrap]

One lovely Man RIP Mate, you will be missed.

[d]

Such terrible news. RIP Gary.

[My T Sharp]

RIP Gary

[StevenB]

Horrible news - RIP Gary

[King Tubby]

RIP. Terrible news, met him a few times, had a couple of shops round here. Lovely fella.

punch n jewellery?

That's it.

[pyenest77]

A true gent.

RIP

[Chambers2]

Terrible news, RIP Gary

[Gaz_73]

Sad news.

RIP Gary.

[el_grande_mauro_mina]

R.I.P Gary. A good fighter.

[Baboon]

Saw the thread that popped up last night, was hoping it was just a mis-informed rumour. Damn shame. Cracking fighter, remember watching him a lot when I was growing up, good to watch. RIP.

[ttornado]

RIP Gary

[bennie]

Former British heavyweight champion Gary Mason was tragically killed in a road accident yesterday morning in London as he was riding his bike. He was just 48.
The big, beaming Mason always came across as approachable and natural - a man wholly comfortable in his own skin - when he had every reason to be bitter at the cards dealt to him. Gary missed out on the little bit of luck all top fighters need on their way to the top, suffering a serious eye injury at a time in his career when he looked set for big things and then running into Lennox Lewis on a desperate comeback.
Mason shared the same Canning Town gym as Frank Bruno and Horace Notice in his early fighting days and was held back at championship level despite amassing a staggering number of knockouts over men of the calibre of James "Quick" Tillis, Rickey Parkey and Alfonzo Ratliff. By 1989 Gary's record read 28-0 (27) and his break came when Notice, cruel irony of cruel ironies, had to retire with eye problems; Mason flattened Hughroy Currie in four rounds for the vacant British title.
Gary really could whack and blasted Jess Harding in two sickening rounds in defence of the title, before proving his stamina, which had been in question, with gruelling wins over Americans Tyrell Biggs and Mark Wills. However, he suffered a detached retina in his right eye in punching out a 10-round decision over Everett "Big Foot" Martin in March 1990. The eye required surgery and came through a comeback fight with James Pritchard later in the year but Lewis exposed an inevitable weakness there at Wembley in 1991 as the eye swelled up quickly and alarmingly. The memory of Gary trying to nail Lewis, half-blinded, shows you that he was all fighter - still on his feet when referee Larry O'Connell called a halt in the seventh round.
That was essentially that. Gary won a couple of nothing fights in the States, barred from fighting here, before fading away like a true old soldier with a record of 37-1 (34). Make no mistake about it, Gary could punch and could take a punch. He was just unlucky.

[Daveyswan]

R.I.P Gary

[dondada]

http://news.boxrec.com/news/2011/obitua ... -1962-2011

What a character. What a shame.

[Dioufy]

God damn shame. I hope you RIP, big man.

[Scottrf]

Nice piece, what a shame it had to be written.

[dazzer]

RIP champ

[magnus]

Tragic news. RIP champ.

[Glyn Leach]

A funny, pleasant man and an underrated fighter. RIP mate.

[$wifty]

Absolutely terrible news, RIP x

[el_grande_mauro_mina]

Good write up that Ian.

[warmachine]

Truly sad news. By all accounts was a really nice guy. Really feel for his family.

[Baboon]

Nice piece, what a shame it had to be written.

Couldn't agree more on both counts