14 Facts About Mark Breland

Mark Anthony Breland was born on May 11,1963 and is an American boxing trainer.

Mark Breland competed as a professional from 1984 to 1997, and held the WBA welterweight title twice between 1987 and 1990.

Mark Breland later became an actor with a wide range of movie and television credits, having made his debut in The Lords of Discipline, and appeared in the music video for The Pointer Sisters' 1985 hit single, "Dare Me".

Mark Breland began fighting when he was 7 years old, taking on challengers in the lobby and hallways of the housing project where he lived.

At age 18 in 1981 Mark Breland was already being offered huge sums up to $300,000 by boxing promoters to sign a professional contract.

Plus one unaccounted loss by medical disqualification, due to withdrawal because of toxic poisoning, which caused Mark Breland to spend most of the fight week in a New York hospital.

Mark Breland was so exceptional as an amateur that he had been having trouble getting sparring partners in the Bedford-Stuyvesant Boxing Association Gym.

At that time Mark Breland was being trained by Emanuel Steward.

At that time he narrowly escaped bigger troubles, falling under destructive influence of his teammate Ricky Womack, who happened to be an authoritative figure for Mark Breland, eventually was sentenced and jailed.

Mark Breland lost it in his first defense to Marlon Starling.

In 1989 Mark Breland again won the vacant WBA welterweight title by defeating another contender, Seung Soon Lee, by first round knockout on 4 February, 1989, in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Mark Breland made four successful title defenses before losing it to Aaron Davis in a back-and-forth 9-round contest that was nearly called off twice because of injuries to Davis' eye before Breland was knocked out in round 9.

Mark Breland's losses were to Jorge Vaca, Aaron Davis, and Marlon Starling, with whom he earned his only draw.

Mark Breland has served as a boxing trainer, having had Vernon Forrest and former WBC Heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder among other notable clients.