Marshall graduate student and professional junior middleweight boxer Bret Masters trains at Jim Brown's Seconds out Gym in Barboursville. Masters (1-0) is looking to improve his record when he squares off against Shinnston boxer Pat Collins in Miller Lite Fight Night II at the Veterans Memorial Field House. Photo by Mike Andrick.

Marshall graduate student balances family, school, work and professional boxing career

story by AARON E. RUNYON
news editor

photos by MIKE ANDRICK
photo editor

The 5-foot-10 boxer fires a series of mid-air flurries, a single fluorescent light above the ring illuminating his chiseled 150-pound frame.

Other fighters donned in name-brand gear pound bags and shadow box at a moderate pace in trainer Jim Brown's Seconds Outs Gym, resulting in a sea of Ringside and Everlast advertising.

Clad in a pair of cross-training tennis shoes, black mesh shorts and a white T-shirt, Masters stands out because his attire is different.

As is his ability.

"He's not just a one-punch fighter," Brown says. "Bret uses an accumulation of punches to get the job done."

The whistling sounds of sparring suddenly stop. The others rest, as they often do during the course of their workouts, chatting with their trainers and spectators.

Masters keeps working, his brown eyes focused on an imaginary opponent. His grunts when he releases a five-punch combination, resets his defense and then repeats the process are the only sounds in the gym.

So it is day-in and day-out for the 35-year-old Huntington native, who looks more like a professional model than a professional boxer in a physical sport known for its brutal nature.

But make no mistake, the junior middleweight belongs in the ring. That is where Masters (1-0) will be Saturday, when he squares off against Shinnston boxer Pat Collins in Miller Lite Fight Night II at the Veterans Memorial Field House. In August, he scored a technical knockout in his debut victory against Cleveland fighter Dwayne Holland at Miller Lite Fight Night I.

Masters first became interested in the sport after his uncle Gene Masters, who was 20-8 as a professional middleweight fighter and represented West Virginia in national competition, opened a gym in Lavalette.

Like many boxers, Masters' punching power is not overpowering.

But his overall stamina provides his key component.

"I keep the jab going," Masters said of his style. "I have no basic knockout punches. I rely more on combinations and my skills in the ring."

Masters, an occupational safety and health graduate student at Marshall, describes himself with a trace of modesty.

"Basically, I'm a pretty laid-back person," said Masters, who was a Golden Gloves Champion in 1983 and Huntington's Light Heavy-weight Toughman Champion in 1999. "Getting into the ring lets me change roles. Boxing gives you a way to express yourself that you generally don't [have] in life. In the ring, it's survival instinct. You get pushed. You push back."

Masters had no trouble surviving his debut fight against Holland.

"He hit me with a pretty good shot in the first round," Masters said. "When I returned to the corner, Gene told me to keep the jab going and it would pay off."

It did.

"I dropped a right hook to the body and put him down for an eight count," Masters said of the first of his two knockdowns leading to his second-round TKO victory. "Once something works you've gotta keep using it."

The resounding stoppage motivated Masters to continue his career and one month later he began training for his second appearance.

"I'm extremely impressed with Bret as a person," John Johnson, manager of Coach Boxing organization in Columbus, Ohio, said. "Huntington can be proud they've got a Lieutenant on their fire department who's that classy and hard-working."

Johnson guided heavyweight James "Buster" Douglas to a title in his 1990 upset of "Iron" Mike Tyson and served as an assistant football coach at Ohio State University. He is managing Barboursville's Jeremy Brown (1-0), who is scheduled to fight Jason Marcum (1-1) of Cincinatti, Ohio in Saturday's main event.

"Bret's a great story," said Johnson, who coached in four Rose Bowls during his stint with the Buckeyes. "Right now he has the opportunity to live out his dream. In his case, it's not too late. We expect him to continue fighting as long as he can."

But Masters has little time for dreaming.

In addition to his studies, he works an average of 56 hours per week as a Lieutenant at the Huntington Fire Department. His work days consist of 24-hour shifts.

However, work time doesn't interfere with training.

Between calls at the Seventh Avenue station, Masters often skips a jump rope for an hour during his free time.

"They time me to make sure I don't quit early," he said of his co-workers. "I tell them to keep an eye on the watch and they always let me know.

"But they do tease me sometimes," he added. "They say 'Huntington has to be the safest city in the United States with you on the job.' But those guys are really supportive of me. It's a real team effort."

And work provides more than a place to get a cardiovascular workout.

"The fire department has been good to me," he said. "I've had all kinds of experiences there because there's never a day that's the same. It gives you a chance to think on your feet."

Masters usually jogs five miles at the end of his shift and is a frequent participate in distance runs. He competed in the 15-mile Charleston Distance 2000 run earlier this month.

Although most fighters may rest on the day of the fight, Masters plans to take part in Huntington's ChiliFest five-mile run on Saturday morning.

"I'm just going to jog it," he says with a smile. "I just want to get loose and I'll probably catch a nap before the fight."

A majority of his remaining time is spent with his sons Jacob, 8 and Levi, 3.

"I feel pretty overwhelmed sometimes," Masters said of his busy schedule. "But if you have a lot going on in your personal life, you have to concentrate to block it when you get in the ring. If you don't, they'll [opponents] get your attention by putting you on the canvas."

Masters plans to continue with his boxing career but said education was his fallback.

"I want to go as far as it will take me," he said. "But my education always comes first."

Saturday's card, presented by Jerry Thomas' West Virginia Sports Promotions, Inc. and Coach Boxing, features 10 bouts.

Tickets for the event are available at the field house, Gino's Pub on Fifth Avenue and 84 Lumber in Barboursville, Milton and Ashland. Prices are $20 for ringside seating, $12 general admission and $10 for students.

All 10 fights are scheduled for four rounds.

Weigh-ins are at 7 p.m. Friday at Gino's Pub.

"This will be as good as anything they'll see on television," Brown said. "There are going to be some fists flying.

"Bret's been working steady and he's improved since the last fight. I think he'll do Marshall proud."

Johnson also predicted a night of excitement.

"This ain't big time wrestling," he said. "The object is to render your opponent unconscious for 10 seconds. This is boxing."