{{Short description|Australian boxer (born 1982)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2018}} {{Use Australian English|date=April 2018}} {{Infobox boxer | name = Mark de Mori | image = | realname = | nickname = The Viking | weight = [[Heavyweight]] | height = 1.88 m | reach = | nationality = Australian | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1982|2|11|df=y}} | birth_place = [[Perth]], [[Western Australia]], Australia | style = [[Orthodox stance|Orthodox]] | total = 51 | wins = 45 | KO = 40 | losses = 4 | draws = 2 | no contests = }}
'''Mark de Mori''' (born 11 February 1982) is an Australian [[professional boxer]].
== Early life and amateur career == De Mori grew up in the suburbs of [[Perth]]. He was supposedly [[Hearing loss|deaf]] until the age of four and suffered chronic [[asthma]] attacks throughout his childhood and early teenage years. Whilst recovering, he became increasingly drawn to boxing and taught himself to box by watching videos and attempting to recreate the moves. De Mori took part in 11 fights during his time as an amateur, winning all.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title = Who is Mark De Mori? David Haye's comeback opponent profiled|url = https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/boxing/who-mark-de-mori-david-6888910|website = mirror| date=24 November 2015 |publisher = Trinity Mirror plc|accessdate = 29 November 2015}}</ref>
== Professional career == De Mori turned professional at the age of 22. He knocked out five of his first six opponents before taking an 18-month break from the sport.<ref name=":0" />
In 2007, De Mori signed a three-year deal with prominent boxing promoter [[Don King (boxing promoter)|Don King]]. King cited "youth and exciting style" as the reason he put faith in De Mori, as he slowly worked his way up the ranks. One year into his deal with King, De Mori scored an eight-round win by unanimous decision over Ed Mahone in [[New Zealand]]. Mahone had been the favourite heading into the fight but was worn down by De Mori's 'jab and move' approach.<ref name=":0" />
In 2009, De Mori won a further two fights in the US, both by knockout as a result of body blows, ranking him the number 17 heavyweight in the world by the [[World Boxing Council]] (WBC) and further increasing global interest in his potential as a heavyweight contender.
De Mori won the [[World Boxing Union]] (WBU) title in May 2013 with a [[corner retirement]] win over Adnan Buharalija,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Foreman |first=Glen |date=18 May 2013 |title=Perth's Mark De Mori snares WBU title with win over Adnan Buharalija |url=https://www.news.com.au/sport/boxing/perths-mark-de-mori-snares-wbu-title-with-win-over-adnan-buharalija/news-story/846f2ee337823324f4846f5eee1d187a |access-date=11 May 2026 |website=[[news.com.au]]}}</ref> and the [[World Boxing Federation]] (WBF) title in November 2013 with a unanimous decision win over Ivica Perkovic. Promoter Anthony Coleiro stated "He is the first Australian heavyweight to win two world titles; this is history".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Jjones |date=18 November 2013 |title=Smiles all round as De Mori comes out on top in slugfest |url=https://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/gladstone/sport/smiles-all-round-as-de-mori-comes-out-on-top-in-slugfest/news-story/73d068a501ce668e2a1e61ba36adb0e0 |access-date=11 May 2026 |website=[[The Courier-Mail]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Mark de Mori wins the WBF World Heavyweight Title |url=https://www.worldboxingfoundation.com/news/mark-de-mori-wins-the-wbf-world-heavyweight-title |access-date=2026-05-11 |website=www.worldboxingfoundation.com}}</ref>
In 2014, De Mori scored an incredible first-round TKO victory over Bosnian Zeljko Bojic.<ref>{{Cite web|title = BoxRec - Mark de Mori v Zeljko Bojic|url = http://boxrec.com/bout/1940352|website = boxrec.com|accessdate = 29 November 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref>
In 2015, in [[Lower Saxony|Niedersachsen]], [[Germany]], he stopped German [[Marcel Zeller]] in less than a round.{{fact|date=October 2025}}
De Mori has been ranked as high as #7 in the world with the [[World Boxing Association]] (WBA) and #15 with the WBC.{{Citation needed|date=May 2026}}
===De Mori vs. Haye===
On 24 November 2015, it was announced at a press conference that De Mori would be the comeback opponent of former [[List of heavyweight boxing champions|heavyweight champion]] [[David Haye]]. The bout took place on 16 January 2016 at [[The O2 Arena]] in [[London]] and was promoted by Salter Brothers Entertainment.<ref>{{Cite news|title = David Haye confirms comeback against Mark de Mori at O2 Arena in January|url = https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/nov/24/david-haye-comeback-o2-arena-mark-de-mori|website = the Guardian|accessdate = 29 November 2015|first = Guardian|last = sport| date=24 November 2015 }}</ref> De Mori hinted prior to the bout that he would try to exploit Haye's weakness of having six pins in his right shoulder.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|title = De Mori planning to make hay ...|url = https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/sport/a/30214511/mark-de-mori-determined-to-make-most-of-big-chance/|website = au.news.yahoo.com|accessdate = 29 November 2015}}</ref> De Mori looked bothered by the first jab Haye threw and thereafter it was one-way traffic. Haye, set up the finish with huge overhand right and De Mori was unconscious before he hit the canvas with 49 seconds left in the round.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/boxing/35336214.html|title=David Haye vs Mark de Mori - as it happened: Haye knocks out Australian in first round in heavyweight comeback|date=16 January 2016|work=Telegraph.co.uk}}{{dead link|date=September 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> De Mori was ranked 10th by the WBA before his defeat to Haye.<ref>{{Cite web|title = World Boxing Association Ranking |url = http://wbanews.com/?page_id=2513|website = wbanews.com| date=22 December 2011 |accessdate = 29 November 2015}}</ref>
=== Split with King === In 2015, De Mori was given an early release from his contract with [[Don King]] and "a lump of cash" after Canadian [[Bermane Stiverne]], another client of King's, failed to retain the WBC heavyweight title. King reportedly had De Mori as the next challenger for Stiverne prior to his defeat to [[Deontay Wilder]] in January 2015, and according to De Mori this was the reason for his contract release.<ref name=":1" />
=== De Mori vs. Hrgović ===
On 23 December 2023, a 41-year-old De Mori challenged 31-year-old Croatian boxer [[Filip Hrgović]] (16–0, 13 KOs) to a ten-round bout. The fight took place at the [[Kingdom Arena]] in [[Riyadh]], [[Saudi Arabia]] on the undercard of [[Anthony Joshua vs. Otto Wallin]]. Within a minute of the first bell, De Mori had hit the canvas. Two minutes into the bout, the referee called a stop to the contest after Hrgović scored repeated punches to the back of De Mori's head as he turned away from his opponent, and the referee stopped the contest.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Donovan |first=Jake |date=2023-12-23 |title=Filip Hrgovic Destroys Overmatched Mark De Mori in First Round |url=https://www.boxingscene.com/filip-hrgovic-destroys-overmatched-mark-de-mori-first-round--180222 |access-date=2024-05-31 |website=BoxingScene.com |language=en-us}}</ref>
== Fighting style == De Mori has occasionally been accused of adopting an 'arrogant' style in the ring, as he tends to keep his fists low, rather than in front of his face. The stance is similar to that of famous American boxers from De Mori's childhood that he attempts to replicate. The stance, which has proven successful, has angered previous opponents.<ref name=":0" />
== Personal life == Although lessened, De Mori's asthma remains. He has said that his private gym, the Odjebi training centre in [[Split, Croatia|Split]], "has a good climate and is really good for my asthma".<ref name=":1" />
De Mori lived in Croatia for 10 years, before returning back to [[Perth|Perth, Western Australia]] in January 2023.<ref name=":1" />
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{Official website|http://markdemori.com/}} * {{Boxrec|237842}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:de Mori, Mark}} [[Category:1982 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Australian male boxers]] [[Category:Australian expatriate sportspeople in Croatia]] [[Category:Martial artists from Perth, Western Australia]] [[Category:Australian people of Italian descent]] [[Category:Sportspeople of Italian descent]] [[Category:Heavyweight boxers]] [[Category:Sportsmen from Western Australia]] [[Category:21st-century Australian sportsmen]]