BoxRec

Its almost 8 years since Gary was killed whilst out cycling, my God doesnt time fly! Anyway, after the defeat against Lewis Gary fought 2 more times and won, his last fight was against Martin Foster in 94, (incidentally foster fought another 11 times after Gary and didnt win) Anyway, why did Gary retire after 2 wins? I'm sure it was due to eye issues am I right? Also I cant remember who was around in 94, Lewis defended the Euro title a couple of times until he picked a belt out of a trash can but if Mason did not have any issues at the time of 1994 where do you think he could have gone career wise?

I think Gary had to fight Stateside because the board effectively called time on his career in the British ring due to the eye problems.....and I guess those fights were pretty depressing affairs, they seem to have taken place in the arse end of nowhere (boxing wise) rather than Vegas, New York or Atlantic City! So why carry on? Also, Gary had always had business projects way from the ring so he was not the kind of guy who did not know anything else other than boxing.

mimmy123 wrote:Its almost 8 years since Gary was killed whilst out cycling, my God doesnt time fly! Anyway, after the defeat against Lewis Gary fought 2 more times and won, his last fight was against Martin Foster in 94, (incidentally foster fought another 11 times after Gary and didnt win) Anyway, why did Gary retire after 2 wins? I'm sure it was due to eye issues am I right? Also I cant remember who was around in 94, Lewis defended the Euro title a couple of times until he picked a belt out of a trash can but if Mason did not have any issues at the time of 1994 where do you think he could have gone career wise?

Gary mason died in 2011.

Talented fellow, Gary.

Decent rugby player too.

We'd already seen the best of Mason by the time his eye let him down. Had he continued he'd have started to rack up the losses. He was really good, naturally strong and kicked like a mule, he had a wicked left to the body that he used well pretty much from the get go. I know we've got Joshua who I really like but it's a shame there aren't more big athletic black lads in the boxing gyms now.

3 years 7 months

It was eye issues if I remember rightly. He wanted to keep fighting but couldn't so moved into that arm wrestling thing.

Gutted how he died. I'm a cyclist too & have had a near death experience myself. Once, while cycling in Fort Lauderdale in my Bobby Moore No. 6 West Ham top, a bloke drove past & shouted "West Ham are shit". I gave him the V sign & nearly ran over a squirrel. A half second either way & I - or the squirrel - would have been a goner.

There but for the grace of god

ShadrachSimmo wrote:

mimmy123 wrote:Its almost 8 years since Gary was killed whilst out cycling, my God doesnt time fly! Anyway, after the defeat against Lewis Gary fought 2 more times and won, his last fight was against Martin Foster in 94, (incidentally foster fought another 11 times after Gary and didnt win) Anyway, why did Gary retire after 2 wins? I'm sure it was due to eye issues am I right? Also I cant remember who was around in 94, Lewis defended the Euro title a couple of times until he picked a belt out of a trash can but if Mason did not have any issues at the time of 1994 where do you think he could have gone career wise?

Gary mason died in 2011.

I thought 8 yrs sounded like a long time

James Oyebola died 7 years and a month ago, another British big man who died too early.

magwitch wrote:

ShadrachSimmo wrote:

mimmy123 wrote:Its almost 8 years since Gary was killed whilst out cycling, my God doesnt time fly! Anyway, after the defeat against Lewis Gary fought 2 more times and won, his last fight was against Martin Foster in 94, (incidentally foster fought another 11 times after Gary and didnt win) Anyway, why did Gary retire after 2 wins? I'm sure it was due to eye issues am I right? Also I cant remember who was around in 94, Lewis defended the Euro title a couple of times until he picked a belt out of a trash can but if Mason did not have any issues at the time of 1994 where do you think he could have gone career wise?

Gary mason died in 2011.

I thought 8 yrs sounded like a long time

James Oyebola died 7 years and a month ago, another British big man who died too early.

As soon as I read that I absolutely shat myself. Times goes fast but surely not so much so.

Mimmy is a good lad surely just a small error upon his good self.

I remember an interview where he described his last fight. He felt all over the place in the first round and felt he was going to lose. Then he pulled it out in the 2nd. It was a low level opponent so he realised he didn't have it anymore and retired.

I have the tape of Gary Mason's final fight, vs Foster. Double bill with Alex Stewart, open air out in the desert. Mason bludgeoned Foster with ease, and looked very good.

Sorry my bad, i misread the date of death, which surprised me too!