After making a significant impact on the football field as a defensive end for the New York Jets for 10 years, Mark Gastineau began his career in boxing in 1991, which lasted for five years before ending in 1996.
During his journey as a boxer, Mark Gastineau had 15 wins, 2 losses, and one no-contest in total.
Gastineau was one of the pioneers of the quarterback sack in the NFL. He was a five-time All-Pro and Pro Bowler and one of his generation’s quickest and most feared pass rushers before diving into boxing.
Many people criticized Gastineau’s career transition, stating that he underestimated the skills and athleticism required to be a successful professional boxer.
Some also said that Mark lacked proper knowledge of the techniques and risk assessment qualities required in boxing.
Despite the criticism, Gastineau made a remarkable impact in the field of boxing with many early knockout victories.
Mark Gastineau made his professional boxing debut by beating Derrick Dukes within 12 seconds
On June 8, 1991, Mark won his first-ever boxing match against Derrick Dukes by knocking him out with a solid right cross in the first round.
Later, on August 22, 1991, Gastineau knocked out Mike Acklie at the end of the third round.
In addition, Mark has beaten some renowned boxers like Lon Liebergen, Kevin Brach, and Tim Murphy.
Unfortunately, Gastineau’s several wins led to his being blamed for match-fixing and bribing wrestlers like Derrick Dukes, Rick Hoard, and others.
A 1993 LA Times report stated that Mark’s boxing promoter, Rick “Elvis” Parker, set several fights, including the 1992 match against Rick Hoard.
According to Barch, in the match against Hoard, Parker bribed him.
In addition, there were discussions on boxing forums about Gastineau’s fight against Peter McNeeley, where McNeeley took a dive.
Mark’s most controversial boxing match was against Tim Anderson in December 1992. Parker tried to bribe Anderson to lose the fight, but he refused and beat Gastineau, which upset Parker.
According to Anderson’s attorney, Ellis Rubin, Parker offered Anderson $500,000 and 10 guaranteed wins to take a dive against Gastineau.
Furthermore, Rubin also stated that Anderson, at the end of the third round, was feeling dizzy and sick by drinking water offered by Parker.
Mark Gastineau ended his boxing career on November 3, 1996, after losing a match against another former NFL player, Alonzo Highsmith.
Additional Information
- Mark has written an autobiography titled Mark Gastineau: The Hurricane Inside Me.
- In 2016, Gastineau suffered from dementia, Parkinson’s disease, and Alzheimer’s, and in 2019, he revealed about his colon cancer.
- Gastineau is the father of two children, Brittny and Killian Gastineau.
- Mark lives with his third wife, Jo Ann, and actively engages in charitable works.
