So, tell me about Mark Breland

Breland brings back a vivid memory, Russell, not the dispassionate parroting of his oft-quoted amateur record, but the sheer terror his name invoked among opponents at amateur shows in New York in the mid ‘70s. Breland was flattening everyone within seconds -- not knocking’em out, leaving’em for dead.

Anyone who didn’t bail looked like a cadaver entering the ring. Think Joe Louis’s opponents in his prime.

With that as background, I had an amateur on my team, Michael De La Rue, face him at smoker in Staten Island. Michael was a human fireplug, impossible to discourage and winged left hooks from bell to bell. He fought face first, and everyone cringed at the thought of what Mark would do to him.

Mark did drop Michael in the first round with that feared right, but to everyone’s surprise, he weathered it and tore back in to Breland; and no matter how many times Mark landed flush with the right, Michael answered with hooks that made Mark give ground.

Mark got the nod, but it was close, and Michael was the only one that had gone the distance with him at that time, and the crowd showed him their appreciation.

Michael had a brief run as a pro, and engaged in some exciting TV fights.

I was pleasantly surprised to read in an interview with Breland years later, he said Michael was his toughest amateur opponent. I’m sure most shook their heads, wondering who the hell Michael was.

 

Thanks for the first-hand account, John!

As I've no doubt said before, you need to write a (the) book on boxing.

 

Great as an amateur, not great as pro. He lacked strength, for one thing. He was average pro, and was worked into right fight to get a title bout. He was a great amateur though, 5 time Golden Gloves Champion, and more impressive, that Olympic Gold Medal.

 

Yes, purely unbelievable amateur. His ability and record there had many many people proclaiming he would be the next Sugar Ray Robinson. I would have to think that he was the most heralded amateur of my lifetime possibly bar Teo.

 

And he did floor McCrory in a sparring session.

 

As has been previously stated throughout the years,Breland was a brilliant amateur,and while a succesful pro should have achieved much more. Some reporter once said that Breland's best performance as a professional,was in a Pointer Sisters video.

 

No!

 

Great stuff! :good

 

One of the best amateurs ever (he went 110-1, losing only to D. Anthony... he stopped Anthony in 3 as a pro). He won WW Gold at the '84 Olympics.

Very good pro but a bit of an underachiever.

His chin was the reason he lost in all of his losses...

LKOby11 M. Starling- he lost the WW WBA world title in this fight, it was his 1st defense.

He regained the vacant WW WBA world title (KO1 Seung-Soon Lee) and successfully defended it 4 times. Among others he beat R. Pineda (KO5) and L. Honeyghan (KO3). He lost the title to A. Davis (LKOby9).

LKOby6 J. Vaca at JMW

He was well ahead on the cards vs. Starling before the stoppage. He fought Starling again and they fought to a draw for the WBA WW world title (D12).

After the loss to Vaca he did not fight for 4 1/2 years. He came back at JMW and won 5 fights in a row, 3 by KO. His best win was a 3rd round KO over Buck Smith. I thought Breland looked decent in his comeback but after 14 months he retired again.

 

Awesome post Garfield :good

 

didn't de la rue get ko'd by Vilamar fernandez in the arly 80's on espn:rasta

 

No, TM, Michael never fought Fernandez, who, though a nifty boxer, never scaled more than 130. Michael was a full-fledged welter, who gave up too much height for his weight.

He stopped fighting in '83 when he near-died after being KO'd by Robert Adams.

 

You said you worked with Angelo Dundee? When was that? I suppose you were down in Miami at 5th street if your an old timer?
Are you still training fighters?
I was up in Pembroke Pines with those guys in the middle 90's once the gym was demolished in South Beach.