Stephen Fulton (boxer) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Stephen Fulton Jr.
Statistics
Nickname(s)	Cool Boy Steph Scooter
Rated at	Super bantamweight Featherweight
Height	5 ft 6+1/2 in
Reach	70+1/2 in
Born	(1994-07-17) July 17, 1994 (age 30) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Stance	Orthodox
Boxing record
Total fights	23
Wins	22
Wins by KO	8
Losses	1
Medal record Men's amateur boxing Representing  United States Golden Gloves Gold 2013 Salt Lake City Super bantamweight

Stephen Fulton Jr. (born July 17, 1994) is an American professional boxer. He is known for being a former world champion in the super bantamweight division. This means he held two major boxing titles, the WBO and the WBC championships, at the same time from 2021 to 2023.

Stephen Fulton's Boxing Journey

Starting His Professional Career

Stephen Fulton Jr. began his professional boxing career on October 14, 2014. In his very first fight, he won by a technical knockout in the second round. After this win, Fulton signed a deal with Premier Boxing Champions. For the next five years, he built an impressive record of 15 wins with no losses. Six of these wins came by knockout.

Becoming an IBO Champion

Winning the IBO Title Against Paulus Ambunda

On May 11, 2019, Fulton got a chance to fight for his first major title. He faced Paulus Ambunda for the IBO super bantamweight title in Fairfax, Virginia. Fulton showed great skill throughout the fight. He even knocked Ambunda down in the eighth round. Although he didn't get a knockout, Fulton won the fight easily. All three judges scored the fight 120–107 in his favor. This made him the new IBO super bantamweight champion.

Fulton's Win Over Isaac Avelar

Fulton's next fight was on August 24, 2019, against Isaac Avelar in Edinburg, Texas. This fight was a "catchweight" bout, meaning it was fought at a weight slightly above the super bantamweight limit. Fulton won this fight with a powerful body shot in the sixth round. After his victory, Fulton said he wanted to fight other champions like Brandon Figueroa or Daniel Roman. He believed he could beat them too.

Becoming a WBO Champion

Facing Arnold Khegai for a Title Shot

On January 25, 2020, Fulton fought Arnold Khegai in New York City. This fight was important because the winner would become the mandatory challenger for the WBO super bantamweight title. Fulton started slowly but took control from the fifth round. He won the fight by a unanimous decision. Two judges scored it 117–111 for Fulton, and the third scored it 116–112.

Winning the WBO Title Against Angelo Leo

Fulton's win against Khegai earned him the right to challenge the WBO champion, Emanuel Navarrete. However, Navarrete decided to move to a heavier weight class, leaving the WBO title empty. So, Fulton was set to fight Angelo Leo for the vacant WBO super bantamweight title on August 1, 2020.

Unfortunately, Fulton tested positive for COVID-19 just before the fight. This forced him to withdraw. Leo then fought and won against Tramaine Williams. On December 20, 2020, it was announced that Fulton would finally get his chance against Angelo Leo. The fight happened on January 23, 2021, in Las Vegas. Fulton was faster and stronger than Leo. He won almost every round and became the new WBO super bantamweight champion by unanimous decision. The scores were 118–110, 119–109, and 119–109.

Becoming a Unified Champion

Unifying Titles Against Brandon Figueroa

Fulton was scheduled to face Brandon Figueroa, who held the WBC super bantamweight title. This fight was to unify, or combine, the WBO and WBC titles. It was first planned for September 18, 2021, in Las Vegas. The fight was delayed because Figueroa tested positive for COVID-19. It was rescheduled for November 27, 2021.

Fulton was favored to win. He won the fight by a majority decision after twelve rounds. One judge scored it a tie (114-114), but two judges scored it 116-112 for Fulton. Figueroa landed more punches overall, but Fulton was more accurate with his hits. Most boxing experts agreed that Fulton deserved the win. This made him the unified WBO and WBC super bantamweight champion!

Defending Titles Against Daniel Roman

On June 4, 2022, Fulton defended his unified titles against Daniel Roman in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Roman was the top challenger for both the WBC and WBO titles. Fulton was expected to win, and he did so convincingly. He won by a wide unanimous decision in front of a large crowd. Two judges scored the fight 120–108 for Fulton, and one scored it 119–109. Fulton landed many more punches than Roman and was very accurate. After the fight, Fulton said he wanted to fight Murodjon Akhmadaliev, who held the other two major super bantamweight titles.

Challenging Naoya Inoue in Japan

In November 2022, there was talk of Fulton fighting Brandon Figueroa again for a different title. However, in January 2023, Fulton began talks to fight Naoya Inoue, a famous boxer from Japan. This fight was a big deal because Inoue was a "three-division world champion," meaning he had won titles in three different weight classes.

The fight was set for May 7, 2023, in Yokohama, Japan. This was Fulton's first fight outside the United States. The fight was postponed to July 25, 2023, in Tokyo because Inoue had a hand injury. In this tough fight, Fulton lost by a technical knockout in the eighth round. This meant he lost his WBC and WBO super bantamweight titles.

Moving to Featherweight

First Featherweight Fight Against Carlos Castro

After losing his super bantamweight titles, Fulton decided to move up to the featherweight division. On September 14, 2024, he fought Carlos Castro in Las Vegas. Fulton won this fight by a split decision, meaning the judges had different opinions, but two of them scored it for Fulton.

Upcoming Fight Against Brandon Figueroa

On October 10, 2024, it was announced that Fulton would face Brandon Figueroa again. This time, it would be for Figueroa's WBC featherweight championship. The fight was first planned for December 14, 2024, in Houston, Texas. Later, in November 2024, it was reported that the fight would take place on February 1, 2025, in Las Vegas.

Stephen Fulton Jr.'s Boxing Record

More About Boxing

• List of world super-bantamweight boxing champions