Gene Fullmer facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Gene Fullmer |
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| Statistics | |
| Real name | Lawrence Gene Fullmer |
| Nickname(s) | Cyclone The "Mormon Mauler" |
| Rated at | Middleweight |
| Height | 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m) |
| Reach | 69 in (175 cm) |
| Nationality | American |
| Born | July 21, 1931 West Jordan, Utah, U.S. |
| Died | April 27, 2015 (aged 83) West Jordan, Utah, U.S. |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Boxing record | |
| Total fights | 64 |
| Wins | 55 |
| Wins by KO | 24 |
| Losses | 6 |
| Draws | 3 |
Lawrence Gene Fullmer (born July 21, 1931, died April 27, 2015) was an American professional boxer. He was a world champion in the Middleweight division. People knew him for his tough style and strong punches.
Contents
Gene Fullmer's Boxing Career
Gene Fullmer started his professional boxing journey in 1951. He had an amazing start, winning his first 29 fights. Nineteen of these wins were by knockout, meaning he knocked his opponents out cold. His longtime manager, Marv Jenson, helped many young people in West Jordan, Utah, get into amateur boxing.
Becoming a Middleweight Champion
Gene Fullmer became the world middleweight champion on January 2, 1957. He surprised many by beating the famous boxer Sugar Ray Robinson. Fullmer won the fight clearly after 15 rounds.
They had a rematch on May 1, 1957. Fullmer started strong, pushing Robinson back with his powerful style. But in the fifth round, Robinson landed a perfect left hook. This punch knocked Fullmer out, and he lost his title.
In 1959, the National Boxing Association (NBA) decided that Robinson was no longer the middleweight champion. So, Fullmer and another former champion, Carmen Basilio, fought for the vacant NBA title. Fullmer won this fight on August 28, 1959, by stopping Basilio in the 14th round. This made him a champion again.
Meanwhile, Sugar Ray Robinson lost his version of the middleweight championship to Paul Pender. Fullmer and Pender never fought to decide who was the true champion. Pender later retired from boxing.
Fullmer successfully defended his title against many top boxers. These included Basilio, Ellsworth "Spider" Webb, Florentino Fernández, and welterweight champion Benny "Kid" Paret. He had two very close fights that ended in a draw. These were against Robinson and future champion Joey Giardello. Many people thought Robinson should have won their draw fight. In their last fight in 1961, Fullmer beat Robinson by a clear decision.
Losing the Middleweight Title
Gene Fullmer finally lost his middleweight title to Dick Tiger on October 23, 1962. Tiger won by a unanimous decision after 15 rounds. They fought again on February 23, 1963, and that fight ended in a draw.
Fullmer tried one more time to get his title back from Dick Tiger. But on August 10, 1963, Tiger stopped him in the seventh round. This was Fullmer's last attempt to regain the championship.
Gene Fullmer finished his boxing career with an impressive record. He had 55 wins, with 24 knockouts. He only lost 6 fights and had 3 draws.
Gene Fullmer's Personal Life
Gene Fullmer went to Jordan High School. He worked at the Kennecott Copper Mine for several years. He married Dolores Holt on October 13, 1955. They had two daughters and two sons together.
Gene had two younger brothers who also became boxers. Don Fullmer tried twice to win the World Middleweight Title. His other brother, Jay Fullmer, boxed as a lightweight.
Fullmer was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The news often talked about how he lived by his religion's teachings. This included following the Word of Wisdom, which is a health code. It was also often mentioned that he was a father and paid tithing from his boxing earnings.
Gene Fullmer also appeared in a movie! He had a small role as a bartender in the 1968 film The Devil's Brigade. His picture is also on the cover of the Greatest Hits album by the band Alice in Chains.
On January 21, 1962, Fullmer was a guest on the TV show What's My Line?. He wasn't the mystery guest, but he shared that he was a mink rancher. A fight he had with Dick Tiger is shown in the music video for the Iggy Pop song 'American Valhalla'.
Gene Fullmer passed away on April 27, 2015. He was 83 years old. He died at his home, surrounded by his family and friends. This was just five days after his younger brother Jay had also passed away.
Filmography
- The Devil's Brigade (1968) - The Bartender
See also
- List of middleweight boxing champions
