Light heavyweight hopeful Marcus Browne was billed as one of the most talented and explosive fighters on the U.S. Olympic boxing team. Even celebrated boxing trainer Teddy Atlas,
who works as a color commentator and analyst with NBC in the London
Games, has high regard and is sold in Marcus Browne's skills and talent.
Teddy Atlas knows Marcus Browne first-hand, as the young fighter is a
constant fixture in one of the gyms that his foundation runs in
Brooklyn, NY.
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photo credit: Scott Heavey/Getty Images
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Teddy Atlas, however, pointed out that Marcus Browne's inexperience
and ambivalence inside the ring can become a hindrance in a close fight
as he cautioned that the American boxer will need to be mentally
prepared and focused if he wants to get by Damien Hooper of Australia, a
veteran campaigner.
In his young boxing career, Marcus Browne has been exposed to have a
Jekyll and Hyde personality inside the ring. Marcus Browne has shown
that he can be very explosive at one moment, but disappear like a puff
of smoke in the next. Marcus Browne has shown that he can be very
aggressive like a bull but be passive later on. And for his first fight,
Teddy Atlas wants the aggressive and explosive Marcus Browne to show up
if he wants to advance to the next round.
Going into his fight with controversial Australian Damien Hooper, who
has Aborigine roots (and caused a stir in London and at home after he
entered the arena wearing a T-shirt bearing the colors of the Aboriginal
flag which some people pointed out to be a 'political statement' that
is a no-no since the Olympics is supposed to be apolitical), Marcus
Browne was beaming with confidence.
The first round, which Marcus Browne won 3-2, was slow and lacking in
action. Both fighters spent the round sizing up and feeling out each
other's strengths and weaknesses. Both fighters threw more misses than
hits.
The action in the second round picked up a little, with both fighters
having their moments. Marcus Browne began using his footwork, circling
and moving away from the action while Damien Hooper commenced to
roughhouse the young American.
In the course of the fight, both fighters slipped and fell to the
canvas as a result of trying to wrestle and outpower each other. But
Damien Hooper's right hand was beginning to find its mark, while Marcus
Browne was tentative and contented in trying to time and counter his
opponent. The round ended in 3-3 score.
Marcus Damien was ahead a point 6-5, going into the fateful third and
final round. However, Damien Hooper drew first blood by landing a huge
right, but Marcus Browne countered with his own shots. The American
began to dig into his opponent's body but the Australian took them well
and started to use his experience and began to bully the young American
that eventually took its toll.
Damien Hooper imposed his will on Marcus Browne as he bombed his way
into the young American's porous defense. Hooper's attacks were so
successful that Browne was given a mandatory 8 count by the referee at
one point in the fight. Damien Hooper's dominance of the final canto
gave him an 8-5 edge and won the match 13-11.
The story of the fight: Damien Hooper brought the highly-regarded,
talented and 'unsinkable' Marcus Browne to deep waters and sank him with
his tenacity. Thus, Damien Hooper will live on to fight another day
while Marcus Hooper will go home and ponder his future while having the
ignominious distinction as the first U.S. boxer to fall on the wayside
in the XXX Olympiad.
In an interview after the fight, Marcus Browne has this to say about
his downfall: "I didn't listen to my corner in the last round and I paid
for it" while at the same time reiterating the lesson that he learned
in the bout, which is to always "finish strong."
Note: This article was previously published on
Detroit Fight Sports Examiner
