Eldersburg Boxer Mark Tucker Escapes From New York With Victory

NEW YORK – Mark “TNT” Tucker stood backstage at B.B. Kings Blues Club and Grill in Times Square, dipping his weapons – his hands – into a bucket of ice water.

His hands had been through an arduous affair, and so had he, as the 23-year-old boxer from Eldersburg, Md., had just gone six hard rounds with lightly regarded Ray Smith of Little Rock, Ark.

Tucker had won, improving to 15-0 with seven knockouts, but he didn’t bask in the glory of his victory as he stood there. Rather, he reflected on how his showcase fight didn’t go exactly as planned.

“The ring rust definitely played a factor, and it was hard to train properly in this weather, but I definitely felt I won,” said Tucker, who last fought in June 2010 prior to this outing. “He threw some big shots, and most of them glanced off of me. He was tougher than I expected, but I landed more punches than him, and that’s how the scoring works.”

Many ringside observers felt that it was Smith who deserved the nod, or that at the very least the unanimous score of 59-55 – five rounds to one – in favor of Tucker was not indicative of how close the fight truly was.

“He didn’t impress me none,” said Smith who is now 9-5 with three knockouts. “It is what it is [the decision]. It’s boxing. I don’t think he hit me with anything clean. I live to fight another day, hope to get him next time.”

Tucker, a Mohawk-sporting light heavyweight who weighed in at 174 pounds, came out in the first round jabbing from his southpaw stance, feeling his opponent out and getting a feel for the ring. He snapped jabs as he tried to find range, while Smith, 176 pounds, looked to overpower his opponent. Smith had his moments in the opening stanza, but the round was close.

The 30-year-old Smith pinned Tucker on the ropes for much of round two, landing several power shots, including a nice left-right combo that rocked the Maryland native.

The third round was more of the same, as Smith continued to press and work on the inside.

In round four, Tucker began bouncing on the balls of his feet, looking to control distance and box from the outside. But Smith continued to get the better of exchanges. Tucker seemed to be tiring, as he gasped for air with his mouth wide open.

As the fight entered the sixth and final round, Tucker’s large contingent of fans at ringside started chanting “TNT,” knowing their fighter needed a good showing.

In round six, Tucker flicked his jab, looking to keep Smith off him, and he was able to land some nice shots of his own. The round was a back-and-forth one in its action, and both fighters exchanged big shots as the final bell tolled.

“We only got one week of sparring, and you just can’t be sharp with one week of sparring,” said Mark Tucker Sr., the fighter’s father and manager.

But as tough as it was, the undefeated Tucker – who recently signed with renowned New York-based promoter Lou DiBella – got the victory. And he will move on to bigger and better things.

“I’m relieved to have the win. I’m relieved to be back in the ring,” Tucker said. “I’m ready to go do it again and get back to training. I don’t like taking time off – working like a normal person sucks.”

Tucker’s next fight will be on March 12 at the Patriot Center on the campus of George Mason University in Fairfax, Va., against an opponent to be determined.

The plan is  “one fight at a time,” said Joe Quiambao, matchmaker for DiBella Promotions. “He’s world-ranked right now, but no rush. He’s a young kid. By next year, he’ll be ready for a big fight.”