50 year -old light-middleweight boxer Mark Weinman made boxing history this past September in Tampa when he KO'd Elvis Martinez in the second round after a 21-year absence from the ring - a record for the longest time between fights for a professional boxer.
Weinman known as "The Hammer" was a highly touted 154lber fighting out of New York in the mid to late 80's winning his first 11 bouts with 9 ko's and displaying a Mike Tyson-like furious attack. He then lost his next 2 bouts after suffering weight problems and sickness in the ring and retired in 1987.
An attempted comeback 4 years later in 1991 again ended in disappointment as Weinman was stopped while still on his feet. Weinman had an impressive amateur background winning the Spanish Golden Gloves in New York, a three time PAL champion and New York Golden Gloves finalist.
The New York fight guys in-the-know had predicted Weinman as a future world champion. He finished his career in 1991 with a record of 11-3 with 9 ko's. His record now stands at 12-3 with 10 stoppages after his latest victory. In addition to the 11 wins prior, Weinman drew rave notices from the New York gym crowed as he was seen to have man-handled several boxing world champions including Mike McCallum, Lloyd Honeghan, Vito Antuofermo among others.
The veteran will return to the ring in Charlotte, North Carolina on January 19 at Amos' Southend is his second bout on his latest comeback trail. His opponent is 31- year old Bruce Runkle of Wheeling, West Virginia.
Runkle boasts a 4 -2-1 record coming off victories in his last two bouts. Runkle made a name for himself fighting on the Toughman circuit in the U.S. and the fight with Weinman figures to be a real slugfest.
The boxing show at Amos' Southend is being promoted by up and coming Bella McCallum, North Carolina's only woman boxing promoter.