He was never satisfied how his career came to an end more than two decades ago. He stepped away from the game after a pair of TKO losses and tried a comeback four years later only to suffer another defeat at the hands of an unheralded Kelvin Prather in 1991. He called it quits again, this time thinking it was for good.
Mark Weinman was more than a club fighter back in the day. He reeled off 11 straight wins and fought in such high profile venues as Madison Square Garden and Caesars Palace, Las Vegas and was on his way up the light-middleweight ladder until things fell apart.
After his retirement at the age of 29 he would stay in shape by going to the gym and working with other fighters never losing the urge to box again and after years of fighting the urge he decided to see if he could take one more stab at it even though the calendar shouted he was too old to do it.
A little more than a year ago the Queens, New York native began training in earnest until he was bit by a rattlesnake thwarting another comeback, but Weinman pushed on and finally got a license to fight in Tampa, Florida last September. He made news because he would score a second round TKO over 36 year old Elvis Luciano Martinez.
Weinman wanted more and under the auspices of Charlotte’s burgeoning World of Champions promotions and licensed by the North Carolina Boxing Authority he stepped into the ring at Amos’ Southend, a site more noted for concerts than boxing, against Jahaad Wingfield who was looking for his first win in his eighth professional bout.
Wingfield came out swinging as if trying to land anything in a flurry of punches and he did catching Weinman with an overhand right that dropped the now 50 year old into the ropes. Appearing to be clear headed Weinman was trapped on the ropes and blocked a number of punches although about a half dozen found their target and the referee jumped in a stopped the fight at 2:02 of the first round.
Weinman and his trainer Phil Borgia were incensed that the end came so quickly, Weinman pleading that he was not hurt, but to no avail.
“I’ve been in the business more than 20 years and I have never seen a fight stopped like that,” said Borgia. “It was the worst decision by a referee I have ever seen.
“I wasn’t hurt,” Weinman said. “He (the ref) stopped it way too early.” Will he try to fight again? “I have to. I have to rectify this debacle.”
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