Random Classics: Aaron Davis vs Mark Breland

There existed a time - not so long ago - when amateur boxing was more than an unsatisfying hors d'oeuvre to the main course of the unprofessional ranks.

The American amateur game has unfortunately transitioned to this current period of general disinterest in the sport. Weight classes have changed, scoring methods are in a constant swing, some say stoppages are too easy to get these days, etc. Whatever the reason, being a good American amateur has become more of a hindrance than an advantage.

Okay, that's an absurd exaggeration.

But in the aforementioned mythical exciting amateur scene, amateur boxing in the US was simply a slight warm-up for the pros, many times with little difference between the two.

For instance, fittingly, the New York Golden Gloves has produced a number of elite, world class fighters who went on to achieve professional greatness, or even just very good-ness. Jose Torres, Emile Griffith, Ray Robinson, Johnny Saxton...all NYGG champions, all known for producing good fights before turning pro.

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Mark Breland was not only a five-time New York Golden Gloves champion, but also member of perhaps the best US Olympic boxing squad ever in 1984.

Oh yeah, and there's the gold medal he won on that team, too.

Breland had been widely considered one of the best American amateur fighters ever, much less alive, by the time he turned pro. Though most amateur records are unsubstantiated, Breland's "official" amateur record stood at 110-1 by late 1984.

Not wasting any time, Breland actually defeated his first future champion, Steve Little, in just his third fight. Mysteriously, his knockout percentage clearly improved as the class of his opposition did the same, and he either smashed through or out-classed journeymen and undefeated prospects alike.

In February 1987, Breland won his first world title fight, stopping South African ho-hum Harold Volbrecht in seven rounds. The former Olympian then traveled to Italy to decision Juan Rondon in a non-title affair.

Just over one month later, in August 1987, Breland lost his WBA welterweight title to Marlon Starling in a fight where he won rounds early and appeared sluggish late, seeming to succumb in the eleventh round as much from exhaustion as being actually hurt.

Breland went 9-0-1 in his next 10 fights, including a draw against Starling in a rematch, a first round KO title-regaining effort (of the vacant variety) against Seung-Soon Lee, making an undefeated Rafael Pineda quit claiming foul, and a vicious three-round destruction of contender Lloyd Honeyghan.

Mark's seven-fight KO streak (to bring him to 27-1-1, 20 KO) set up a showdown with prospect Aaron Davis.

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Raised in The Bronx, Aaron "Superman" Davis was familiar with the New York Golden Gloves. Davis went to the finals at 147 lbs. a few years in a row, winning once in 1986.

Through his first twenty or so fights, Davis alternated between fighting the usual (yet unknown) suspects in New York and in France.

By time he entered the ring to face Mark Breland on July 8, 1990, Davis was 29-0 (18). His more notable wins were against Luis Santana and Gene Hatcher.

An overly fortunate decision win against so-so New Jersey staple Curtis Summit steered Davis toward a title shot with Breland, who was looking to make a fifth defense of his WBA welterweight title that he'd fairly recently won back. With the win, Davis became the #6 ranked contender in the WBA.

Funnily enough, Curtis Summit would later claim in the book "The Gloves: A Boxing Chronicle" that he knocked Breland out during sparring while in training camp for the Davis fight, and that the entire training camp had essentially been a disaster.

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Enjoy.