Fullmer, Gene
Boxing
b. July 21, 1931, West Jordan UT
A solid fighter but unexciting boxer, Fullmer wasn't a particularly popular middleweight champion. Other fighters and boxing experts had a very high opinion of him, however.
The 5-foot-8 Fullmer began his professional career in 1951 and won his first twenty-nine fights, nineteen by knockout, then won only three of his next six, as he began to meet better opponents. On January 2, 1957, he won the world middleweight championship with a fifteen-round decision over Sugar Ray Robinson. However, Robinson knocked him out in the fifth round less than four months later to regain the title.
On August 28, 1959, Fullmer knocked out Carmen Basilio in the fourteenth round to win the National Boxing Association version of the middleweight championship. He defended it successfully seven times, twice on draws, before losing to Dick Tiger in a fifteen-round decision on October 23, 1962. His last two fights were against Tiger for the championship. Tiger held onto the title with a draw in the first fight and knocked Fullmer out in the second.
Fullmer won 55 of his 64 professional fights, 24 by knockout; he lost 6, 2 by knockout, and he fought 3 draws.
