Banbury boxing champion Mr Magic makes history by winning all of America’s biggest Masters tournaments
Banbury’s boxing world champion Marlon “Mr Magic” Gray-Deacon has made history by becoming the first person to win all seven of the biggest Masters tournaments in the USA.
The Banbury boxer has added another chapter to his impressive Masters boxing career after winning two major tournaments in the US just seven days apart.
Gray-Deacon first secured victory at a tournament held at the world-famous Gleason’s Gym in Brooklyn, New York, on August 15.
The following week, the local boxing star travelled to Atlantic City, New Jersey, to compete in the prestigious Pat Johnson tournament, where once again he proved too much for his opposition.
The back-to-back victories mean the Banbury man is now the only boxer to have won all seven of the biggest Masters boxing tournaments in the USA.
Alongside his latest titles, Gray-Deacon has won the Las Vegas and New Jersey tournaments three times each, as well as the Florida, San Diego and Boston Masters tournaments and the highly respected Chicago Golden Gloves three times.
The Banbury man, who trains at Rob Allen’s Team 180 Martial Arts gym, has also picked up several world title belts and was named Most Outstanding Boxer of the Tournament at the Las Vegas Open.
His latest trip across the pond presented Gray-Deacon with a demanding challenge, with little time to recover between bouts.
First up in Brooklyn, Marlon faced experienced New Jersey native Steve Sierra in a closely fought contest.
Gray-Deacon said: “It was another great experience to compete a week after each other in two different states.
“First in Brooklyn I fought Steve Sierra, who is a durable, experienced boxer. He told me he’d trained extremely hard for our bout. It was a tough bout, but I believe I did enough in all three rounds to take the victory.”
Just seven days later, Gray-Deacon moved up in weight to take on Giovanni Torres for the New Jersey title.
The bout was another close contest, but Gray-Deacon once again felt he had done enough to secure the decision and claim the New Jersey title for the third time.
“It was another close bout,” he said. “But again, I did enough to get the win, making me a three-times New Jersey champion.”
The recent victories further cement Gray-Deacon’s status as one of the most decorated boxers in Masters boxing history and a leading figure in the growing British Masters boxing scene.
The Banbury man has also won world title belts at major Masters boxing tournaments in Australia, captained a Team GB Masters squad on an away trip to Germany and defended his number-one ranking against some of the top-rated Masters boxers in the UK.
Mr Magic has also inspired countless others to stay fit and active in their 40s, while helping to raise the profile of Masters boxing as a sport.
His latest achievement adds to a career spanning multiple countries and major tournaments, further underlining his consistency at Masters level.
Reflecting on his achievement, the Banbury boxer said: “Being the first person to win the biggest seven events was another great achievement for me.”