BoxRec

You guys in the states, or anywhere else in the world bar the UK probably won't know who the hell Mark Prince is, but i remember back in 1997 some hype surrounding this new light heavyweight. He got as far as a WBO light heavyweight title challenge against Dariusz Michalczewski in 1998, but was knocked out. He then came back in '99 with a 1 round ko of one Kevin Mitchell. Why didn't he fight again? I know you're probably thinking "what the hell do we care, and why should you?", but you see, over here in the UK we don't get as many world beaters as in the US, and when we do get one (OK, OK, he lost to Dariusz!) they're eventual retirement is usually highly publicised. But this guy seemed to have simply vanished... anyone know why?

He was exciting with a big punch...can't remember too much about what saw him fall of the radar though.

Didn't he become a born-again Christian or something similarly bizarre?

I know he was very religious. He was one of these "I wanna thank almighty God before i answer any of your questions" fighters.

IJK wrote:I know he was very religious. He was one of these "I wanna thank almighty God before i answer any of your questions" fighters.

So do you rekon ascended

Hey, maybe. Or..... Aliens?!

Deserter wrote:Didn't he become a born-again Christian or something similarly bizarre?

I believe this is true, and he gave up the sport.

Didn't he get a detached retina? Or was that Jason Mathews?

Or I may be wrong on both counts.

KOJOE90 wrote:Didn't he get a detached retina? Or was that Jason Mathews?

Or I may be wrong on both counts.

Mathews got locked up I think. I remember reading an interview with him and he came across as a really sound bloke - involved in social work in Hackney I think. But then I thought I read something about him beating up his ex-girlfriend pretty badly. Have I remembered right?

I loved the way Prince tried to be macho and told Dariusz emotionally to 'come on!'...... next punch michalczewski knocked him out....

E wrote:I loved the way Prince tried to be macho and told Dariusz emotionally to 'come on!'...... next punch michalczewski knocked him out....

Yeah he had balls, you gotta love that kind of attitude from a fighter. He looked very promising, but met one of the top 2 lightheavies of the decade in that fight. Still, I respect any fighter who goes for it all and doesnt simply fight to survive when he has his chance. Prince also had a hefty list of decent fringe contenders going into that fight, but not enough (imo) to prepare him properly.

I would have been very interested in the proposed Prince vs Eubank bout that never happend on the "Full Monty" card in 1997. Eubank of course got a late call to fight Calzaghe instead.

Prince seemed a massive Light Heavy.

Didn't Prince have a real up and downer with Michael Gayle? I think Prince prevailed in the fifth, one of my first good memories of being a Boxing fan that fight

Axe wrote:

E wrote:I loved the way Prince tried to be macho and told Dariusz emotionally to 'come on!'...... next punch michalczewski knocked him out....

Yeah he had balls, you gotta love that kind of attitude from a fighter. He looked very promising, but met one of the top 2 lightheavies of the decade in that fight. Still, I respect any fighter who goes for it all and doesnt simply fight to survive when he has his chance. Prince also had a hefty list of decent fringe contenders going into that fight, but not enough (imo) to prepare him properly.

Well I kind of meant I loved his comeuppance!

Prince was trained by Adrian Dodsons dad, Carly Carew.

Both Mark and Carly were lovely blokes whom are missed by many in the sport.

steve689 wrote:Didn't Prince have a real up and downer with Michael Gayle? I think Prince prevailed in the fifth, one of my first good memories of being a Boxing fan that fight

Yes, Gale had him on the brink - surprised there was never a rematch and Gale never got a big fight again.