Knock back fights, due to the direction of his career, contract obligations etc I have no doubt. Same way he would knock back fight offer from Barry Hall or Green/Mundine knock back fights from 98% of the people that 'call them out' I can count the training partners mark has had over the past 4 years on nearly one hand. The numbers don't add up to me. Anyway, not hear to argue, just put my side out there. Leftrip, wish you and your 'contacts' all the best in the sport and please come say hi if we're ever at the same show. Always keen to meet people in real life. I always hated Mundine from what I saw/heard in the media and in the ring, but have been told in real life he is a really good guy and helps a lot of people. I was happy to change my opinion after that. People have nothing to gain from telling people someone is a great/stand up guy if when people meet them in real life it becomes obvious that they were only saying that cause they were a friend. The only people I have ever met that have an issue with Mark are those that are afraid to go out and chase their dreams themselves or want to take a slice of MDM and make some money from him. Confidence, self belief and being a 'doer' not a 'talker' can rub people the wrong way. The real question is WHY does it?
Thats always a big issue. People always want to take as big a slice out of the boxer as possible. Its not hard to look around at certain boxers within Australia with hangers on leaching every cent they can.:yep
Of the people being critical of Mark and his padded, part time career, granted, 98% would not have met him. But it's not Mark DeMori the person that boxing fans are passing judgement on. The 'product' is Mark Demori the boxer, or sometime boxer.
Very true Spider, thats why I am trying to give an insight I suppose. And the MDM 'product' is definitely not for everyone so a lot of the criticism is understandable and expected.
If he fought more and better opponents to back his claims i wouldn't mind, but trying to pull the wool over peoples eyes is a different matter. I know boxing is a business and MDM has to market himself just fight decent fights to prove himself to the boxing fans and we will gladly support his quest for a world title shot
A bit of perspective - your average fan will spend more time reading this thread than Mark has spent in the ring in the last year. :-( Meanwhile it seems Aust HW kickboxers seem to have no problem maintaining another extremely active year fighting each other and rated overseas contenders and stealing the spotlight.
From my understanding Mark comes from a reasonably wealthy family. My contacts tell me his father was a sports journalist and his mother has a marketing company hence the hype in the media, that is how he can afford to spend so much time training himself instead of fighting. One of the 6PR radio online interviews he seems to scoff at boxers who need to fight regularly as they depend on the paydays to feed themselves and families sometimes becoming punchy and their employment again to have an income ie bouncing while he articulates on his academic credentials seeming to be superiror to these guys. At least these guys fight!!! And really strive to be the best they can be and give it a proper go. Not sit there in front of the media making staements challenging Meehan, Valuev among others and fight duds. Meehan's opponent has pulled out of his fight in Tasmania, Mark likes to remind us how he is so diligent in keeping in shape and training like a Trojan i know Meehan is looking for an opponent, where is Mark i wonder will he step up to the challenge? No he will need a 'warm up fight-or 2 or 3 '. And to is Yuppy entourage who will write me off such as Mr totalpac or Demori himself i have contacts in Oz and US and i do know how this business of boxing works even over here over the Tasman .........
What do you mean by not so many good guys. every boxer ive ever met has been a decent guy. Im yet to meet an arrogant guy. Maybe you should head down to the fights and actually talk to the guys instead of reading forum gossip....
Hence why i used the word "industry" not boxer. Quite a few boxers i have met are good guys....non-boxers in the industry is a different story.