Gary Mason killed in road accident

[MIG]

RIP Champ. Terrible tragedy.

[Twinkle Toes]

Terrible

[TheCobra]

RIP, sad loss, bit before my time but I have watched a few of his fights on You Tube in the last 6 months.

[SweetLikeSugar]

RIP big man.

[Boxingmad]

Such an absolute tragedy, Gary was immensely popular, and the amount of posts here reflect that.

He had a great record, with his only loss coming against one of the modern all-time greats in Lennox Lewis. That speaks volumes about his ability. He learned his craft in tough surroundings, the Royal Oak gym in Canning Town, sharing the ring with the likes of Frank Bruno and gym-space with Jim McDonnell, Lloyd Honeyghan, Mark Kaylor and many others from the Terry Lawless/George Francis stable.

Imagine what he'd have achieved if he's been fighting now? He'd have cleaned up.

RIP Gary.

[nobby_nobbins]

I went to Wembley Arena for his fight with Lewis, it wasn't his best as Lewis' jab stood out that night and gave him loads of trouble, like any tall "boxer" would to be honest but he would have matched up well against any other type.
Would have liked to have seen him fight the returning George Foreman, Ray Mercer, Tim Witherspoon, Tommy Morrison, Axel Schultz. Could have broke into title recognition if matched with one of these.
R.I.P Big Man

Mason was actually offered a fight by Foreman during his comeback in the US, but he turned it down and never fought again. I though he looked pretty good in those two last fights but he felt he didn't have it anymore. As for the Lewis fight, it was always going to be a tough match for him, but I agree with his view that he made a mistake by heeding his manager's advice to slim down. He didn't really gain any speed and seemed to lose some of his physical authority. The eye was obviously a big factor at this stage too so who knows what a proper, fatter Mason, with no retina damage might have done to Lewis? I think he would have lost on points, but maybe there was a chance he could have stopped the inexperienced Olympian late on.

[Mimmy]

It was a shame Gary was a stablemate of Bruno and Notice, maybe things would have been different for him if he was in a different stable. He was in the era when Britain had so many good fighters and guys like him can be overlooked for title shots and certain fights.

I don'y know if Gary colud have beaten Bruno but that would have been a good fight and a great payday for them.

It seemed that Gary was primed for the tetirement of Bruno, but Lennox Lewis was up and coming so Gary never really had a chance to shine and be the one talked about.

Top bloke really nice fella.

[bennie]

RIP Gary.

His fight against James Tillis:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFrjI0hSQn8

Tillis and Biggs both rolled over, sick of the big punches coming their way. Mason's best ever fight came against former world cruiserweight champion Alfonzo Ratliff, whom he tried to finish in the first round, to better Tyson's two-round win over Ratliff. Gary failed but tried again in the second, in order to emulate Tyson, but Ratliff hung in there. All of a sudden Gary was exhausted and fighting for his life. He showed real guts, character and durability to ride out Ratliff's big punches, while waiting for his second wind. It came in the sixth round and he uncorked a big right hand to put Ratliff down, after which it was stopped. Great fight, great performance.
A more typical Mason win came against American journeyman Donnie Long, who Gary nearly decapitated with a right uppercut in the first round.

[TONY T]

This was a cycling accident/collision? I've been wondering if Gary was wearing reflective gear and lights or not. Over the years, especially when making right turns and at certain roundabouts, cyclists without reflective gear and lights often camouflage into the dark night. This happenned at 6.15am, maybe this is the reason why and if not, maybe the drivers at fault but to those that do cycle, make sure you wear as much reflective gear and have good lights as possible.

this is completely true and worth pointing out. I used to do a few miles down the country roads on a weekend as fast as I could. In the end I'd seen enough cars fly round bends toward me doing upward of 60 or 70 miles an hour, and read about enough cyclists in the local paper who'd been victim to such careless fckers, to the point that now I don't bother cycling in the country now.
Likewise in the town, it makes no difference if you know what you're doing. I've hurtled across round-abouts giving it some with right of way, only to find that the fckers don't always stop because the sleepy c*nts are even paying due care and attention.
A horrible modern day evil.

According to todays Sun, it was a head on collision and they are saying that onlookers said Gary was wearing dark clothing! :(

Man that is dangerous even if your a pedestrian and walk into a road without looking first and or even if you do look. I think they need to do adverts on this as people only realise when they have a near miss or a tragedy strikes.

[funso banjo baby]

RIP Gary.

His fight against James Tillis:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFrjI0hSQn8

i saw this at elephant and castle leisure centre

[forcefraser]

Apparently Gary Mason has been killed in a road accident.

Very sad news. Rest in peace big man.

[Ketchel]

RIP Gary. I was rooting for him the night he lost to Lennox but he showed immense bravery that night and never stopped trying until the end. Had to wait his turn in the Duff stable and that may have damaged his potential. I had great respect for he fighter that he was. By all accounts he was great guy and the love for the man shown here on this forum is humbling. My favouite moment involving Gary was on Gladiators when he completely demolished the unbeatable Shadow. I leapt from the sofa that night screaming at the TV! Rest in Peace Big Man.

[Carbo]

Cor, how sad is this?

He seemed like such an ebullient, lovely fella whenever I saw him on TV at the fights or elsewhere.

Also, he was a very underrated fighter in recent British history. I suspect that had he been in his late twenties now, rather than then, he would be trying to unify titles.

Of course, one always remembers one's first favourites, and Mason certainly was that for me. He was one of the first boxers I really followed, and I preferred him to Bruno, who was everyone else's favourite. I really can't remember who he fought -- apart from Lewis, which I remember vividly, but I remember that he had a sledgehammer punch, a good jab, and seemed a more natural fighter than Bruno.

Anyway, rest in peace, I suppose. British boxing has lost one of its sunniest characters. I guess, like the rest of you, I'm thinking of his family and friends now.

[Old bones Ian]

I've uploaded his British Title win here

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EsqksAuA3M0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ez8r8DS1EW0

[reggaereggae]

I like Gary. WHat a shame. He was a good pundit, but dIdn't he get fired for swearing by SKY?

[Quixall]

I will always remember the mason - lewis fight !!

Quite close at one stage.........

Gary could have become an alphabet world heavyweight champion in todays era, but whilst not looking back with rise tinted glasses at the past, the quality at the top end was better than it is today.

Very sad to hear about Gary, lovely bloke

R.I.P

[The Main Event Show]

Very sad news :(

[whicker]

Very sad- I saw that BBC had his fight with lewis up, i didn't realise he was dead - just thought they were putting up some sporting footage- just sawnow on a linked article that he had died, thats sad.

[jessi]

i was lucky to meet gary at an aba finals night in birmingham, a friend of mine stuart saint john won the heavyweight title that year, it must of been 1997 or 1998, anyway when we went to our seats we noticed gary mason was sitting infront of us next to lee evans the comedian, i tapped gary on the shoulder and told him my friend was about to box in the heavyweight final and asked him for his autograph, lee evans was also there to watch my friend as he boxed for the same club as a kid (berry boys, in basildon essex) so after a small conversation gary asked me my name which i replied "ian" he then wrote a short message and signed his name, i said thanks and when my friends looked at what he had wrote they noticed he had accidently wrote "winston" instead of ian, everybody laughed and shouted winston to me in a jamaican accent, at this time gary over heard the banter going on behind him and turned around took the programme back of me, crossed out winston asked my name again and wrote ian next to it, gary looked at me and said i dident think you looked like a winston ( im white by the way ! ) he turned back to face the front and i could hear him laughing to himself. he was a top bloke and very down to earth, my thoughts are with his family and close friends. rest in peace mate.

[Roco]

Does anyone remember Mason on Gladiators?

Always loved Mason as a pundit, he spoke the truth and wasn't afraid to tell it like it is, even if it meant slating someone like Bruno.

Was gutted when he was no longer on sky.

RIP.

[stujones]

Does anyone remember Mason on Gladiators?

Always loved Mason as a pundit, he spoke the truth and wasn't afraid to tell it like it is, even if it meant slating someone like Bruno.

Was gutted when he was no longer on sky.

RIP.

Yes, I remember Mason on Gladiators - generally was poor but smashed Shadow on the Duel. Well, if I remember rightly he officially lost - cause he stepped onto his podium to get him out of there, but they decided to reset it (not for points) because Shadow did get a battering the first time.

Then he made sure of it - I think it was like the first time Shadow lost.

Its funny the things you remember, I can remember Shadow (and I think he was being geniune) calling out Frank Bruno for a fight with those cotton buds things on GMTV. This was when Bruno was world champion.

[Old bones Ian]

It was Gary Mason and Dennis Andries on gladiators.

[bennie]

I watched Gary Mason's first ever distance fight when he came to the Wolverhampton Civic Hall in November 1986 to fight Oscar Holman, a huge American who had served as a Mike Tyson sparring partner (Tyson had just wrecked Berbick), and you began to see why as Holman soaked up heavy burst after heavy burst from Mason, who maintained the pressure impressively for eight rounds and took a landslide decision.

[Jeff Thomas]

What bad luck to run into some idiot white van man when he did. I hope the geezer has nightmares.

That's a bit harsh, mate. The bloke won't have done it on purpose and I'm sure he will have nightmares as a result. To "hope" he does is out of order. Push bikes on the road are accidents waiting to happen, cyclists are so vulnerable it is unreal and at 0615 (i.e. in the dark), they are at even greater risk.

Totally agree, i've managed to run over two kids whilst driving. The collisions were pretty minor and down to them running (or cycling) in front of my car on a busy main road but it was utterly heartbreaking hurting them- dread to think what this chap is going through

[johnnygreaves]

Just been reading thru this whole thread. I remember watching Gary when I was a boy. My old man was a fan so naturally I was to. He was a great fighter and from what I hear a top man too. Damn shame. Only the good die young !