I confess I have not watched him exhaustively, but I've seen the Lewis bout and all of his other big name fights, and don't know that he was ever floored. Any contributions?
I watched a lot of Mason growing up and personally dont recall seeing him hit the deck Someone here will know better than me though
He never hit the deck in his career. His career was finished by the detached retina. Had it not been for that injury I am certain he was good enough to capture a version of world title, especially at that time period. There were some horrendous champions during the mid 1990s at HW. Michael Bentt and Herbie Hide were WBO world champions in 1993 and 1994 for example.
He demolished world class talents Ratliff, Tillis and Biggs as destructively as Tyson did. Duff kept him well clear of Bruno for a reason.
My dad got to know him a little when he opened a jewellers called Punch and Jewellery in the same town he worked in. By all accounts he was a decent guy.
He was a really lovely man. Had the biggest head I’ve ever seen, like proper huge and natural strength almost like a strong man. Strange how stablemates Mason, Bruno & Horace Notice all had to retire due to detached retinas.
I'm pretty sure Phil Mitchell or minty sparked him in the queen Vic no!? Lol just kidding, never watched any of his fights before but will check some out!
Gary Masons story is tragic. In a very strong era of the very late 80s and very early 90s he was a 30 odd and 0 contender just off the radar in america...due to being under frank bruno"s shadow...but mason was a,mainstream sports star in the uk with lots of tv appearences on things like Wogan and the bbc....no doubt he couldve flattened the herbie hide"s,bruce seldons to win a title.....styles make fights and i wouldve taken him to beat mccall even though lewis beat him easily. His punditry career was ended just as tragically early as his fighting career. He was a superb pundit ,articulate,well spoken and honest. Gary had a lot of friends in the press and celebrity circles...as much as ten years after his career ended the Sunday times,magazine wrote a lengthy piece about him. A girlfriend of mine in the mid 2000s had a father who did acupuncture on Gary and by all accounts he was a lovely kind man
He was class as a pundit. Very insightful, and wasn't afraid of going against the grain or making a big call. Prime example was his commentary on the Douglas-Holyfield fight, where he announced "Douglas has lost it" in the first 30 seconds. In hindsight it may have been obvious, but credit for spotting something wasn't right, and then putting it out there when he could have just followed the action and claimed wisdom after the event. I vaguely recall he got the boot from Sky when he was caught swearing on camera? Seems rather tame compared to what others have got away with.
Even more so when I tell you that my dad also got to know Rod Hull around the same time as he would come into my dads shop and buy typewriter ribbons!
