THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, February 10, 1995 TAG: 9502100614
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY STEVE CARLSON, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH LENGTH: Medium: 96 lines
Many aspiring boxers' first fight is with a mother who won't allow her son to get hit.
Egerton Marcus had to fight his mother as well, but she was the one doing the hitting.
Marcus (14-0, 10 knockouts), a Canadian citizen who has called Virginia Beach home the past two years, gets the big break of his career Saturday. Marcus will challenge Henry Maske for the International Boxing Federation light heavyweight title in Maske's native Germany. The bout in Frankfurt is a rematch of the 1988 Olympic gold medal middleweight match, which Marcus lost while fighting with a broken right hand.
Almost seven years later, Maske (25-0, 11 KOs) is the opponent again in the most significant fight of Marcus' career. The bout is not being televised in the U.S.
``I just think it's destiny,'' Marcus said earlier this week of the rematch. ``In the Olympics, if you watch the tapes, I think I won the fight and most everyone I show the tape thought I won the fight.''
Two of Marcus' uncles were boxers of renown in his native Guyana - one was an Olympian, another was a national champion. But it was his mother, Joyce Fraser, who schooled Marcus at a young age. Fraser fought exhibitions against both women and men.
``She was really good,'' said Marcus, who moved to Canada when he was 8 and grew up in Toronto. ``She taught me how to take a punch. You don't listen to her, she'd give you a hook or a jab.
``She was heavy-handed, she hit hard.''
Marcus' heavy hand has been a blessing and a curse. Of his 10 knockouts, seven have come in the first or second rounds. But being a big puncher has also created big problems - Marcus has broken his right hand so often he's lost count.
It was broken in his second fight at the 1988 Olympics, but he kept the injury a secret so that he could continue boxing. He was sidelined nine months before he turned pro.
After three fights in 1989 - all first-round knockouts - Marcus broke the hand again and underwent surgery on the second metacarpal bone. It was almost two years before he fought again. A 3-inch scar leaves a constant reminder of the brittle bone.
Once he returned in 1991, Marcus progressed despite fighting infrequently. He beat Art Baylis in December 1992 at the Virginia Beach Pavilion for the North American Boxing Federation light heavyweight title.
Marcus and his team of handlers from Main Events - the same group that manages and trains Virginia Beach world champion Pernell ``Sweetpea'' Whitaker - complained that the world title holders were ducking Marcus because he continued to win impressively.
Finally, seven years after winning Olympic silver, Marcus is a top-ranked contender and unavoidable.
``I predicted it would happen a lot faster,'' Marcus said. ``It's been a long time coming. I'm glad I actually got a chance to fight for a title.
``He can't avoid me because I'm a mandatory. I knew eventually I'd get in a position where the champion couldn't avoid me.''
Marcus, 30, said he'll be representing Guyana, Canada and Virginia Beach in the Maske fight. He remains a Canadian citizen, but has considered applying for U.S. citizenship.
The Whitaker stablemate came here in 1993 to train at Wareing's Gym and decided to stay. He built a house in the Glenwood section of Virginia Beach for his wife and three daughters.
For the first time in Marcus' pro career, George Benton was not his trainer. Benton had an acrimonious split with manager Lou Duva, and Ronnie Shields stepped in as the head trainer of the Main Events stable.
Shields said Maske, a southpaw, has an awkward style and holds his right hand up high. The game plan is for Marcus to press the action and pepper the German with shots to the arm and body to bring that right hand down.
``Once he takes away the jab hand, I think it's going to be an easy fight for Marcus,'' Shields said. ``Marcus can knock him out in the latter part of the fight.''
That may be what it takes to win in Maske's homeland. But Shields said Lou Duva finagled to get an American referee, which could help balance things out.
``They can't come in the ring and help him,'' Marcus said of the expected partisan crowd. ``I know one thing, he's not leaving that ring with the title.'' ILLUSTRATION: Color photo
DAVID B. HOLLINGSWORTH/Staff
Egerton Marcus' mother showed him the ropes and fought exhibitions
herself. Now it's his turn.
Photo
DAVID B. HOLLINGSWORTH/Staff
Egerton Marcus, born in Guyana and raised in Toronto, moved to
Virginia Beach two years ago.
by CNB