Olympic Boxing: Damien Hooper bombs and sinks Marcus Browne

Light heavyweight hopeful Marcus Browne was billed as one of the most talented and explosive fighters on the U.S. Olympic boxing team. Even celebrated boxing trainer Teddy Atlas, who works as a color commentator and analyst with NBC in the London Games, has high regard and is sold in Marcus Browne's skills and talent. Teddy Atlas knows Marcus Browne first-hand, as the young fighter is a constant fixture in one of the gyms that his foundation runs in Brooklyn, NY. 

photo credit: Scott Heavey/Getty Images

Teddy Atlas, however, pointed out that Marcus Browne's inexperience and ambivalence inside the ring can become a hindrance in a close fight as he cautioned that the American boxer will need to be mentally prepared and focused if he wants to get by Damien Hooper of Australia, a veteran campaigner.

In his young boxing career, Marcus Browne has been exposed to have a Jekyll and Hyde personality inside the ring. Marcus Browne has shown that he can be very explosive at one moment, but disappear like a puff of smoke in the next. Marcus Browne has shown that he can be very aggressive like a bull but be passive later on. And for his first fight, Teddy Atlas wants the aggressive and explosive Marcus Browne to show up if he wants to advance to the next round.

Going into his fight with controversial Australian Damien Hooper, who has Aborigine roots (and caused a stir in London and at home after he entered the arena wearing a T-shirt bearing the colors of the Aboriginal flag which some people pointed out to be a 'political statement' that is a no-no since the Olympics is supposed to be apolitical), Marcus Browne was beaming with confidence.

The first round, which Marcus Browne won 3-2, was slow and lacking in action. Both fighters spent the round sizing up and feeling out each other's strengths and weaknesses. Both fighters threw more misses than hits.

The action in the second round picked up a little, with both fighters having their moments. Marcus Browne began using his footwork, circling and moving away from the action while Damien Hooper commenced to roughhouse the young American.

In the course of the fight, both fighters slipped and fell to the canvas as a result of trying to wrestle and outpower each other. But Damien Hooper's right hand was beginning to find its mark, while Marcus Browne was tentative and contented in trying to time and counter his opponent. The round ended in 3-3 score.

Marcus Damien was ahead a point 6-5, going into the fateful third and final round. However, Damien Hooper drew first blood by landing a huge right, but Marcus Browne countered with his own shots. The American began to dig into his opponent's body but the Australian took them well and started to use his experience and began to bully the young American that eventually took its toll.

Damien Hooper imposed his will on Marcus Browne as he bombed his way into the young American's porous defense. Hooper's attacks were so successful that Browne was given a mandatory 8 count by the referee at one point in the fight. Damien Hooper's dominance of the final canto gave him an 8-5 edge and won the match 13-11.

The story of the fight: Damien Hooper brought the highly-regarded, talented and 'unsinkable' Marcus Browne to deep waters and sank him with his tenacity. Thus, Damien Hooper will live on to fight another day while Marcus Hooper will go home and ponder his future while having the ignominious distinction as the first U.S. boxer to fall on the wayside in the XXX Olympiad.

In an interview after the fight, Marcus Browne has this to say about his downfall: "I didn't listen to my corner in the last round and I paid for it" while at the same time reiterating the lesson that he learned in the bout, which is to always "finish strong."

Note: This article was previously published on Detroit Fight Sports Examiner