Gene Fullmer
Titles: middleweight champion 1957, 1959-1962
Record: 55-6-3
Born: July 21, 1931 in West Jordan, Utah (USA)
Years active: 1961-1963
Nickname: None
Simply put Fullmer was a face first slugger who gladly took 3 punches to
get one of his own of and came from a family of boxers. His skills were
raw but focused, aggression was his main asset and he used it during every
second he was in the ring. In 1951 Fullmer a devout Mormon began his career
and rattled of 11 wins including 6 by knockout in the first round. A win
over Garth Panter to cap off his first year as a pro made him a legitimate
threat to any middleweight. Getting title shots in those days was not easy
however, especially if you came from Utah and were not connected in the
big cities of America. Thus Fullmer labored for 6 years winning 37 of 40
fights. His victims included Paul Pender and Gil Turner in 1955, in 1956
top contenders Tiger Jones and Rocky Castellani were defeated. Now Fullmer
was given a title shot against the seemingly unbeatable Sugar Ray Robinson.
The win was not expected but well deserved. On this night Fullmer was the
better conditioned man who took the late rounds to earn a deserved victory.
The rematch was another case altogether. A picture perfect left hook by
Robinson left Fullmer separated from his sense and title. Fullmer was not
a quitter and 2 years later he was again a champion when he defeated Carmen
Basilio to win the middleweight title again. The title was won in typical
Fullmer fashion....he out slugged a slugger. A 3 year tour as champion saw
Fuller turn back the challenges of Spider Webb, Florentino Fernandez, and
Benny Paret. Two draws against Robinson, Giardello were also part of his
title reign. It came to a end when Dick Tiger took the title from Fullmer
in a grueling fight. A rematch ended in a draw and Tiger proved his
superiority in the rubber match when he knocked the aging Fullmer out in
Nigeria. Fullmer a smart man retired and established a Mink Farm in which
he made a small fortune.
Gene Fullmer
Career record: 55 W, 6 L, 3 D (24 K.O's)
1951
Jun 9 Glen Peck Logan, UT KO 1
Jun 23 Gary Carr Midvale, UT KO 3
Jul 2 Eddie Duffy Vernal, UT KO 1
Jul 9 Eddie Duffy Salt Lake City KO 2
Jul 16 Lamar Peterson West Jordan, UT KO 1
Aug 1 Carlos Martinez San Francisco KO 1
Aug 24 Sam Healy Hurricane, UT KO 1
Aug 25 Buddy Sloane Hurricane, UT KO 2
Sep 7 Charley Cato West Jordan, UT KO 4
Sep 14 Sam Healy Vernal, UT KO 4
Sep 25 Garth Panter Salt Lake City W 10
Oct 3 Gary Hanley West Jordan, UT KO 1
Oct 10 Rudy Zadell Pittsburgh W 6
Oct 17 Ray Jones Vernal, UT KO 1
1952
Aug 8 Mickey Rhodes Ogden, UT KO 6
Sep 20 Armando Cotero Hollywood, CA W 6
1954
Feb 6 Kid Leon West Jordan, UT KO 1
Apr 26 Charley Cato Salt Lake City KO 1
May 17 Andy Anderson Salt Lake City KO 7
Jun 5 Kid Rico Salt Lake City KO 1
Jul 12 Govan Small Salt Lake City W 10
Jul 29 Reno Abellira West Jordan, UT W 10
Aug 16 Dick Wolfe West Jordan, UT KO 4
Nov 8 Jackie LaBua Brooklyn W 10
Nov 15 Peter Muller Brooklyn W 10
1955
Jan 31 Marcel Assire Brooklyn W 10
Feb 14 Paul Pender Brooklyn W 10
Mar 21 Govan Small Salt Lake City W 10
Apr 4 Gil Turner Brooklyn L 10
Jun 20 Gil Turner Salt Lake City W 10
Jul 26 Del Flanagan Butte, MT W 10
Sep 12 Al Andrews Ogden, UT W 10
Sep 28 Bobby Boyd Chicago L 10
Nov 25 Eduardo Lausse New York L 10
1956
Jan 4 Rocky Castellani Cleveland W 10
Feb 17 Gil Turner New York W 10
Apr 20 Ralph "Tiger" Jones Cleveland W 10
May 25 Charley Humez New York W 10
Sep 22 Moses Ward West Jordan, UT KO 3
1957
Jan 22 Ray Robinson New York W 15
(Wins World Middleweight Title)
Jan 28 Wilf Greaves Salt Lake City W 10
Feb 18 Ernie Durando Denver W 10
May 1 Ray Robinson Chicago KO by 5
(Loses World Middleweight Title)
Jun 7 Ralph "Tiger" Jones Chicago W 10
Sep 4 Chico Vejar West Jordan, UT W 10
Nov 15 Neal Rivers New York W 10
1958
Mar 3 Milo Savage Salt Lake City W 10
Jul 7 Jimmy Hegerle West Jordan, UT W 10
Sep 11 Spider Webb Salt Lake City W 10
Nov 10 Joe Miceli Salt Lake City KO 2
1959
Jan 9 Milo Savage San Antonio W 10
Feb 20 Wilf Greaves New York W 10
Aug 28 Carmen Basilio San Francisco KO 14
(Wins Vacant NBA Middleweight Title)
Dec 4 Spider Webb Logan, UT W 15
(Retains NBA Middleweight Title)
1960
Apr 20 Joey Giardello Bozeman, UT D 15
(Retains NBA Middleweight Title)
Jun 29 Carmen Basilio Salt Lake City KO 12
(Retains NBA Middleweight Title)
Dec 3 Ray Robinson Los Angeles D 15
(Retains NBA Middleweight Title)
1961
Mar 4 Ray Robinson Las Vegas W 15
(Retains NBA Middleweight Title)
Aug 5 Florentino Fernandez Ogden, UT W 15
(Retains NBA Middleweight Title)
Dec 9 Benny "Kid" Paret Las Vegas KO 10
(Retains NBA Middleweight Title)
1962
Oct 23 Dick Tiger San Francisco L 15
(Loses WBA Middleweight Title)
1963
Feb 23 Dick Tiger Las Vegas D 15
(For WBA Middleweight Title)
Aug 28 Dick Tiger Ibadan, Nigeria KO by 7
(For World Middleweight Title)