By: Ken Hissner
I recently saw an interview by top Philly writer George Hanson with Marvin “Mack Attack” Mack. I remember Mack fought for the world title in 1986 in Busan, South Korea against IBF super middleweight champion Chong-Pal Park, 40-3-1, in a losing effort. Mack was ranked No. 2 when he got the chance. “It was a close fight and I don’t want to say I got robbed but I would like to get the tape and how he looked after the fight with his face being wrapped up like a mummy,” said Mack.
In an interview with 1976 Olympian Chuck Walker who was 11-1-1 at the time he hoped to get that title fight and retired not getting it. Mack had two trainers. “I started with Clint Davidson and finished with Mitch Allen,” said Mack. The Shepard Rec Center in West Philly is where the gym is now named after Allen. His great grandson is Damon Allen.
Mack now designs cap’s, suits, shirts, bow fly (bow ties), so check his website at www.marvinmackcollection.com “If you are in the losers locker room and see the losing fighter come back into room it could enter your physic.
From the time Mack turned pro in 1982 until his losing to Bobby “Chappie” Czyz, 24-1, he was 11-2 having lost to a pair of Philly fighters in Willie Torres and Dawud Shaw. After the Czyz fight he drew with Mike Costello, 8-1. Mack fought seven times at the McDonald Labor Lyceum, in Conshohocken, PA, for promoter Bob Connelly about half an hour outside of Philly winning all seven.
In 1985 Mack defeated Tim Broady, 18-3-1, in Atlantic City, NJ, who ended Philly Charley Singleton’s unbeaten career who was 17-0 at the time. The referee Steve Smoger had this to say about Mack. “I had the pleasure of refereeing Marvin in winning effort against Tim Broady in Atlantic City. He was a tough Philly fighter who fought some of the best in his era. Marvin is a gentleman in and out of the ring,” said Smoger.
In his next fight Mack lost a majority decision to Kelvin “Special K” Kelly, 10-0, another Philly fighter in Atlantic City. Mack was 4-5-1 in AC fights. He followed this loss to KO Lawrence “Poncho” Carter, 16-1 in 11 rounds for the vacant WBC Continental Americas cruiserweight title. He was giving away a lot of weight. Just two months later he would be back to 165 and defeat Luis Rivera, 16-6 stopping him in 9 rounds in AC.
The win over Rivera earned Mack the title fight in September of 1986. He lost by scores of 2, 3 and 4. Philly’s Frank Cappuccino was the ref. Six months later Mack dropped back to back fights to Olympian Frank Tate, 16-0, who later that year would win the vacant IBF middleweight title. d was stopped by Lenny LaPaglia, 27-4, in the first round. It was the only stoppage loss of his career.
Mack was off for 11 months before he fought again in 1988 winning two fights before fighting James “The Heat” Kinchen, 44-4-2, for the NABF super middleweight title in Stateline, NV, losing over 12 rounds. He would not fight again for 18 months returning to the ring for what would be his last fight in Long Beach, CA, scoring a knockout in the tenth and last fight over Jerry Okorodudu, 5-10-2.