Ten-Count for Don Fullmer
Former middleweight contender Don Fullmer, brother of middleweight legend Gene Fullmer, died peacefully Saturday morning at the age of 72, surrounded by his family.
The fighting Fullmers were an anomaly. They were from Utah and were Mormons, none of which kept them from making their mark in the squared circle.
The eldest brother Gene, who was named after Gene Tunney, won the middleweight title in 1957 from Sugar Ray Robinson. He retired in 1963 with a record of 55-6-3.
Jay Fullmer, the second oldest brother, who fought as a welterweight, retired in 1960 due to an eye injury with a 26-5-2 record.
Don Fullmer, the youngest son, was 54-20-5 when he called it quits in 1973.
Don Fullmer’s biggest fight was a decision loss after 15 rounds to Nino Benvenuti for the middleweight title on Dec. 14, 1968 in San Remo, Italy.
One of Don’s sons, Hud Fullmer, said, “About 10 years ago, he told me that a day never goes by that he hasn’t thought about that fight.” But “no matter how bad it gets, you don’t quit. We learned from an early age, when he tore a bicep and kept fighting, that no matter what it is you start, you don’t quit.”
According to the Deseret News, “Growing up a Fullmer was both a blessing and a curse.” It started, as it often does, with their father Lawrence Fullmer, aka Tuff Fullmer, who earned his nickname and reputation in barrooms and on street corners in Salt Lake Valley’s southwest corner.
And the rest is boxing history.
If you want to brush up on the Fighting Fullmers, the full article can be read here.
