By Eion Jardine
Not since the Lennox Beckles’s era had a Guyanese boxer held the spotlight as did former boxer Mark Harris.
Harris was one of the many flambouyant local boxers who had graduated from the amateur ranks during the 1970s.
Harris fought in many street fights and attended some four international games.
He ended his amateur career with a record of 48 wins and four losses.
Mark Harris was born to Bridget Harris and Patrick Triffall on June 16, 1952 in the little village of Prospect, East Bank Demerara.
Mark Harris was the father of five children three boys and two girls.
Harris’s boxing career started in the streets of Lodge and other areas of the Scheme where he was constantly involved in fights even as a young boy going to high school (Central High).
At the early age Harris, like most boys began fighting in street corner contests.
When he was17, however, based upon advice from older persons, he decided to enter the amateur arena.
In his first year as an amateur, Harris defeated Brian Mueller in the weltweweight semi-finals but lost to Wencil Thomas by a technical knockout in the final of the national Open championships.
Harris’s career took a donward turn after he was charged and found guilty of robbery with violence.
He was sentenced to five years in prison but served only two.
As a result, he was unable to fight in 1972 and ’73, but in the style of a true gladiator (just as how he fought his way off the streets) he fought his way out of prison.
Harris was always reluctant to talk about those two years but fighting under the Republican Gym, Harris became the first inmate to win a national title in Guyana when he won the national amateur welterweight crown in 1974.
His performance at the 1974 championships was so impressive that the Govern-ment of Guyana decided to grant him a reprieve and when the representatives for the World Boxing Champion-ships in Havanna, Cuba were selected, Harris was named on the team.
“It was like a fairytale straight from my cell to the aircraft and to another country. Even in my wildest dreams I would not have imagined,” Harris was quoted as saying in newspaper reports at the time.
While in Cuba, Harris fought like a lion, defeating two opponents in ruthless fashion on his way to the quarter-finals of the World’s.
He had defeated H. Flores of El Salvador and Canadian Robert Provis and a win would secure a bronze medal for him and his country.
The other West Indians in the quarter-finals were Trinidadian Nathaniel Jones, who suffered a unanimous decision defeat to a Bulgarian and Jamaican Mike Mc Callum, who was saved from further punishment after the referee stopped his bout in the second round.
Harris’s compatriot Reginald Forde won through to the last eight with victories over his East German opponent and Ireland’s Jim Rogers.
Forde was promptly dispatched in the second round by Cuba’s Olympic champion Emilio Correa.
It was now all up to the former inmate of the Guyana Prisons to win a medal for Guyana.
Before the start of the quarter-final, Harris found himself to be overweight and hastily had to bring himself down to the required 147-pound weight.
He did so by running along the Havanna seawall but while doing so he was caught by a downpour of rain and drenched.
The result was a heavy chest cold.
Harris, coughing repeatedly, went up against his Ugandan opponent with the Guyanese, Jamaican and Trinidadian contingents rooting for him.
But he failed to win a medal, losing 2-3 to Ugandan Ayube Kalule, who went on to win the gold medal and later a world title.
It was a sad finale to an outstanding performance from the Republican pugilist and when the decision was announced Harris could not keep back the tears.
Never-the-less he was happy to be ranked amongst the best fighters in the world.
On his return home Mark won the national welterweight title in the succeeding years of 1975 and 1976, defeating Wencel Thomas on both occasions.
In February of 1975 Mark put on a classic display at the National Park coming off the canvas twice in the first round and receiving two eight counts from referee Eion Jardine to pound out a clear-cut decision over the Venezuelan, Freddie Suarez, as the two countries engaged in their first international tournament.
Harris was adjudged the best boxer on that night from among the 22 pugilists on show.
At the national championships in 1976 Mark showed the sort of grit and never-say-die spirit which had won him previous titles.
In a preliminary bout he was caught by a haymaker from Calvin `Valdez’ Marcus but won. He later had to seek medical attention.
At the hospital he was told that he should be admitted but refused knowing that he was scheduled to fight in the final within three days.
With a broken jaw, Mark fought Thomas and won.
In 1975 Mark was on the Guyana team to the Pan Am games in Mexico and was drawn against a Cuban boxer in his first fight.
Leading on points, he was cut in a clash of heads and the doctor ordered the fight stopped in the third round because of the blood gushing from over Harris’s eye.
In 1976 it was on to the Montreal Olympic Games and, although the Guyana team did not participate owing to a boycott, in 1977, Mark left for the USA with the intention of competing at the US Golden Gloves Championships.
“It was tough going at that tournament but I won through to the finals and came up against Davey Moore. I lost in that fight but both Floyd Patterson and Jerry Quarry thought I had won and in fact, encouraged me not to let the defeat break my spirit,” he said afterwards. Moore later went on to win a world title.
It was during his stay in the USA that Mark decided to turn professional after repeated offers from several promoters and he immediately had two fights, a six-rounder with Eddie Campbell which he won on points and a KO over Ritchie Lugo in five rounds. But then managerial problems stepped in which resulted in a rift between Mark and his manager.
With no manager, Mark was inactive before getting a fight against Sherriff Don Morgan which he lost.
He decided to return home where he had six more fights defeating Selwyn Figaro on points, Lennox Beckles TKO 4, Carlton Best KO 5, Reggie Forde on points but lost to Luis Resto of Puerto Rico by knockout.
Mark was in full command during the bout against Resto but got careless and was knocked out in round seven.
He then lost in his bid for the welterweight title of Guyana to defending champion Vernon Lewis over 15 rounds.
The referee, Leslie Allen scored the bout 144-134 in favour of Harris; Judge Cecil Henry scored it 146-142 in favour of Lewis while Lionel Sullivan scored it 145-141 in favour of Lewis.
Mark then travelled to Trinidad but was defeated by Eddie Marcelle on points. He also lost his next bout against Mueller in an elimination bout for the welterweight title of Guyana.
He then defeated Mustafa Alli on points and Mortimer Cornell by TKO in March of 1980 before travelling to Wembley, England, to challenge for the Commonwealth title.
He was the 10th Guyanese boxer to challenge for a Commonwealth title but coming up against Colin `Grave Digger’ Jones for the welterweight title, Mark lost by a TKO in the ninth round.
He returned to the USA and won four straight fights before losing his last bout.
He defeated Robert Sayoor and Adolfo Virout, who was rated number 10 at the time and defeated Sayour again in a return bout before knocking out Jeff Pacero in 10 rounds.
Mark Harris lost his last bout on October 27, 1982 to Bobby Joe Young over 10 rounds.
While in New York, Mark was shot in his head by the New York Police Department after a quarrel with his wife.
He returned home in 1993 Mark and was the recipient of a boxers’ fund which he received from the GBBC for his contribution to boxing in Guyana.
Mark Harris died on Feb-ruary 29, 2008. He was found floating in the Demerara River.
He was 55-years-old.
This brilliant son of the soil was no more.
