Marcus Browne Aims To Make a Statement With Thomas Williams

By Thomas Gerbasi

Marcus Browne may not have been in the ring since his controversial decision win over Radivoje Kalajdzic in April, but the former U.S. Olympian hasn’t gone anywhere.

“I’ve been in the gym, been trying to reinvent myself and I’m working on getting my swagger back,” said the Staten Islander, who is expected back in action next month for a Feb. 18 bout against Thomas Williams Jr.

Before that bout, Browne has taken advantage of the opportunity to sew up some holes in his game and regroup and as is his custom, the 26-year-old Staten Islander doesn’t mince words about his performance against Kalajdzic.

“I didn’t fight a slouch, but at the end of the day, me being an Olympian, I’ve gotta show the class and the reason why I was that,” he said. “Obviously, I didn’t. I didn’t fight a smart fight, and the fight played out the way it played out.”

The fight was a mess from the start. Browne got credit for a knockdown from referee Tony Chirantano in the first round that was called without a punch landing, and he wasn’t penalized for hitting Kalajdzic in the chest when he was down. The New Yorker got dropped himself in the sixth round, and in between, there was more wrestling and awkward exchanges than punching. It was a close bout, but as the judges’ scores were about to be read, most believed Kalajdzic had done enough to win. Two of the three judges disagreed, and Browne kept his unbeaten record intact, improving to 18-0 with 13 KOs.

“I honestly didn’t feel like it was a lucky win,” he said. “I felt like the fight could have gone either way, maybe. But I felt like I was doing enough with my jab towards the end of the fight. He was just trying to throw his body around and look rough, but I was doing a lot with my jab that had his head snapping back. He was coming with the right hand here and there, but I was more consistent.”

No matter what fans and pundits think of the decision, if Browne fulfills his potential and becomes a world champion at 175 pounds, this will likely be the bout that was the turning point in his career, the one that let him know how to come back from adversity while also making it clear that talent isn’t always enough. He understands all that now, but that doesn’t mean social media wasn’t brutal to him post-fight.

“This is the life I chose,” he said. “And honestly, I’m not worried about what people say because none of them run miles with me, they don’t train hard for me, they didn’t sacrifice their childhood like I did. So they can say what they want to say. I apologize for the bad performance, of course, but come February 18, that fight is behind me and I’m not even worried about Kalajdzic. If it (a rematch) happens, it happens, but right now the person in front of me is Thomas Williams and I gotta take care of business.”

It’s as refreshing an attitude that you will find in a game full of excuses and rose-colored glasses. How many prospects have been through hell, took a close and controversial decision and then walked around like they won a shutout? That’s not the way Browne operates.

“That’s when you’re in this sport and not being truthful to yourself,” he said. “Boxing is a sport of truth. And I’m not gonna sit here and say I looked magnificent because I didn’t. And if I did look good, it was probably in the first half of the fight, and towards the end I didn’t stay consistent. Things happen, and I’m way past that. That was April. All I’m trying to do is get on the right track again and continue to do what I do, and that’s win and make it look good and have fun doing this.”

And against the 20-2 Williams, who is coming off a title fight loss to Adonis Stevenson in a July barnburner, Browne can erase the memory of the Kalajdzic fight in a hurry.

“I’ve been telling (coach) Gary (Stark Sr.) about this fight,” Browne said. “I told him about this fight in 2013. Me and Thomas Williams were on the trail to fight each other, and I expected it. This is the type of fight I want.”

Why? Because there’s no turning back from here. If Browne beats the former title challenger, he’s in with the top guns in the division. There are no backward steps anymore. But is he ready?

“Definitely,” he said. “This is my destiny and this is my goal, and that’s what God put me on this Earth for. Of course, you’re gonna go off my last match and say, ‘Uh, I’m not sure if this kid is ready or not,’ but I’m just gonna show and prove come February 18th, and then after that, everybody can say if I’m ready or not. Plain and simple. I’m not here to prove anything to anybody but myself.”