Mark Hobson (boxer)
Encyclopedia
Mark Hobson is a British
former professional boxer fighting out of Huddersfield
in England
. He competed in the cruiserweight division and is a former British & Commonwealth cruiserweight champion and former world title challenger.
. For the first three and a half years of his career Hobson built up a respectable record of 14-1-1 with the only loss coming against Mark Levy in 1999. On 24 April 2001 Hobson challenged South African fighter Sebastiaan Rothmann at the Olympia in Liverpool
for the WBU
Cruiserweight title. The fight ended in a first stoppage defeat for Hobson after the fight was ended in the 9th round.
future WBA world champion Firat Arslan
at the Barnsley Metrodome
Arena and was again stopped, this time on cuts in the seventh round. Four wins, including one over Lee Swaby
, followed however as Hobson positioned himself for a shot at the vacant Commonwealth
cruiserweight belt on 25 January 2003 pitching himself against Ugandan Abdul Kadou and winning the contest with a fourth round stoppage. One further win followed before Hobson made the first defence of his title against Robert Norton
in a fight which also had the vacant British belt on the line. The fight which took place at the Ponds Forge Arena in Sheffield
on 5 September 2003 saw Hobson become a double champion with a 12 round points win.
Further defences of both titles followed with wins over Tony Moran on 13 March 2004, Lee Swaby
on 27 May 2004 and former champion and world title challenger Bruce Scott on 17 December 2004. Hobson took a break from the ring in 2005 but went on to make one further defence of both his belts on 1 June 2006 against John Keeton
back at the Metrodome in Barnsley
.
for the WBU cruiserweight title in a fight that was the chief support to Joe Calzaghe
's destruction of Jeff Lacy
at the MEN Arena in Manchester
. The fight ended in a 12 round defeat for Hobson in what proved to be a tough defence for Maccarinelli. The Keeton
defence followed before, on 8 September 2006, Hobson challenged for the WBU title at the third time of asking, defeating Pavol Polakovic at the Grosvenor House Hotel
in Mayfair
, London
.
On 14 October 2006 Hobson returned to the MEN Arena in Manchester
to once again take on Enzo Maccarinelli
, this time for the WBO title in what was Maccarinelli's first defence of newly won world title. The fight ended in disappointment as Hobson was not able to match the performance of his first fight with the Welshman
and so suffering a stoppage defeat in only the first round.
Hobson's final fight before retiring from the ring was to challenge former victim John Keeton
for the British title that Hobson himself had vacated. The fight on 29 September 2007 at the Hallam FM Arena
in Sheffield
ended in victory for Hobson once more, allowing him to retire from the sport as a British champion.
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
former professional boxer fighting out of Huddersfield
Huddersfield
Huddersfield is a large market town within the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, in West Yorkshire, England, situated halfway between Leeds and Manchester. It lies north of London, and south of Bradford, the nearest city....
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. He competed in the cruiserweight division and is a former British & Commonwealth cruiserweight champion and former world title challenger.
Early professional career
Hobson had his first professional contest on 9 June 1997, scoring a points win over Michael Pinnock in BradfordBradford
Bradford lies at the heart of the City of Bradford, a metropolitan borough of West Yorkshire, in Northern England. It is situated in the foothills of the Pennines, west of Leeds, and northwest of Wakefield. Bradford became a municipal borough in 1847, and received its charter as a city in 1897...
. For the first three and a half years of his career Hobson built up a respectable record of 14-1-1 with the only loss coming against Mark Levy in 1999. On 24 April 2001 Hobson challenged South African fighter Sebastiaan Rothmann at the Olympia in Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
for the WBU
World Boxing Union
The World Boxing Union is a boxing sanctioning body.Until recently it was fully recognised by the British Boxing Board of Control as a legitimate sanctioning body.WBU titles were particularly well recognised in Europe and Africa....
Cruiserweight title. The fight ended in a first stoppage defeat for Hobson after the fight was ended in the 9th round.
British and Commonwealth champion
Following the Rothmann defeat, Hobson took on Germany'sGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
future WBA world champion Firat Arslan
Firat Arslan
Firat Arslan is a German professional boxer of Turkish descent best known to win a WBA cruiserweight title at the age of 37....
at the Barnsley Metrodome
Barnsley Metrodome
The Barnsley Metrodome is one of the UK's premier sports facilities. It is located along Queens Road, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, in England...
Arena and was again stopped, this time on cuts in the seventh round. Four wins, including one over Lee Swaby
Lee Swaby
Lee Swaby is a professional heavyweight boxer from Lincoln, Lincolnshire.-Professional career:Swaby began his sporting career as a kickboxer aged 14. He trained at the 'Still Kickboxing Gym' in Lincoln city. Swaby's trainer invited him to attend a trial to join the fighters class. This trial...
, followed however as Hobson positioned himself for a shot at the vacant Commonwealth
Commonwealth
Commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has sometimes been synonymous with "republic."More recently it has been used for fraternal associations of some sovereign nations...
cruiserweight belt on 25 January 2003 pitching himself against Ugandan Abdul Kadou and winning the contest with a fourth round stoppage. One further win followed before Hobson made the first defence of his title against Robert Norton
Robert Norton
Robert Norton is a British professional boxer who competes in the cruiserweight division. He is the current holder of the British cruiserweight title and is a former holder of the Commonwealth and WBU cruiserweight titles.-Early career:...
in a fight which also had the vacant British belt on the line. The fight which took place at the Ponds Forge Arena in Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
on 5 September 2003 saw Hobson become a double champion with a 12 round points win.
Further defences of both titles followed with wins over Tony Moran on 13 March 2004, Lee Swaby
Lee Swaby
Lee Swaby is a professional heavyweight boxer from Lincoln, Lincolnshire.-Professional career:Swaby began his sporting career as a kickboxer aged 14. He trained at the 'Still Kickboxing Gym' in Lincoln city. Swaby's trainer invited him to attend a trial to join the fighters class. This trial...
on 27 May 2004 and former champion and world title challenger Bruce Scott on 17 December 2004. Hobson took a break from the ring in 2005 but went on to make one further defence of both his belts on 1 June 2006 against John Keeton
John Keeton
John 'Buster' Keeton is a British professional boxer fighting out of Sheffield in England, he competes in the cruiserweight division and is a former British cruiserweight champion and three time British title challenger....
back at the Metrodome in Barnsley
Barnsley
Barnsley is a town in South Yorkshire, England. It lies on the River Dearne, north of the city of Sheffield, south of Leeds and west of Doncaster. Barnsley is surrounded by several smaller settlements which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley, of which Barnsley is the largest and...
.
Further title wins and challenges
Following the win over Scott and his subsequent break from the ring, Hobson returned to action on 4 March 2006 to challenge Enzo MaccarinelliEnzo Maccarinelli
Enzo Maccarinelli is a Welsh professional boxer who fights in the light heavyweight division. He is a former World Boxing Organization cruiserweight title holder and also held the European title at that weight limit...
for the WBU cruiserweight title in a fight that was the chief support to Joe Calzaghe
Joe Calzaghe
Joseph William Calzaghe, CBE, MBE is a Welsh former professional boxer. He is the former WBO, WBA, WBC, IBF, The Ring & British super middleweight champion and The Ring light heavyweight champion....
's destruction of Jeff Lacy
Jeff Lacy
Jeffrey Scott Lacy is an American boxer. He is a former International Boxing Federation super middleweight champion.-Amateur career:...
at the MEN Arena in Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
. The fight ended in a 12 round defeat for Hobson in what proved to be a tough defence for Maccarinelli. The Keeton
John Keeton
John 'Buster' Keeton is a British professional boxer fighting out of Sheffield in England, he competes in the cruiserweight division and is a former British cruiserweight champion and three time British title challenger....
defence followed before, on 8 September 2006, Hobson challenged for the WBU title at the third time of asking, defeating Pavol Polakovic at the Grosvenor House Hotel
Grosvenor House Hotel
Grosvenor House is a large and luxurious hotel. The iconic Mayfair, London hotel is owned by the Sahara Group. The name has also been licensed to a property in Dubai....
in Mayfair
Mayfair
Mayfair is an area of central London, within the City of Westminster.-History:Mayfair is named after the annual fortnight-long May Fair that took place on the site that is Shepherd Market today...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
On 14 October 2006 Hobson returned to the MEN Arena in Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
to once again take on Enzo Maccarinelli
Enzo Maccarinelli
Enzo Maccarinelli is a Welsh professional boxer who fights in the light heavyweight division. He is a former World Boxing Organization cruiserweight title holder and also held the European title at that weight limit...
, this time for the WBO title in what was Maccarinelli's first defence of newly won world title. The fight ended in disappointment as Hobson was not able to match the performance of his first fight with the Welshman
Welsh people
The Welsh people are an ethnic group and nation associated with Wales and the Welsh language.John Davies argues that the origin of the "Welsh nation" can be traced to the late 4th and early 5th centuries, following the Roman departure from Britain, although Brythonic Celtic languages seem to have...
and so suffering a stoppage defeat in only the first round.
Hobson's final fight before retiring from the ring was to challenge former victim John Keeton
John Keeton
John 'Buster' Keeton is a British professional boxer fighting out of Sheffield in England, he competes in the cruiserweight division and is a former British cruiserweight champion and three time British title challenger....
for the British title that Hobson himself had vacated. The fight on 29 September 2007 at the Hallam FM Arena
Hallam FM Arena
Motorpoint Arena Sheffield is an arena in Sheffield, England. It is situated near Rotherham, Sheffield City Centre, Attercliffe, Meadowhall and the Centertainment and is the premier concert venue for Yorkshire.The arena opened as Sheffield Arena and was renamed Hallam FM Arena, but returned to its...
in Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
ended in victory for Hobson once more, allowing him to retire from the sport as a British champion.