Quick Facts
Biography
Don Fullmer (February 21, 1939 – January 28, 2012) was an American professional boxer and a brother of the former world middleweight champion Gene Fullmer. Eight years younger than his more famous brother, Don followed Gene into the gym in West Jordan, Utah, to learn how to box. He fought as an amateur for four years and did not lose in sixty-five fights. Another brother, Jay, was also active in boxing.
Don turned professional in 1957 as a middleweight and beat some top contenders during his early career, such as Rocky Fumerelle, Rocky Rivero, and Joe DeNucci. However, he also lost to some good fighters, such as former champions Terry Downes, Dick Tiger, José Torres and Emile Griffith, as well as Joey Archer.
In 1964 he beat Jimmy Ellis, who later went on to win the World Boxing Association version of the heavyweight championship. The win against Ellis began a winning streak for Fullmer and he went on to defeat Griffith and Archer in rematches. This streak ended when he lost to Nino Benvenuti in Rome in 1966. Benvenuti went on to win the middlweight title, and after Fullmer beat Carl "Bobo" Olson he fought a rematch with Benvenuti for the title in 1968. He knocked the Italian down but lost a fifteen-round unanimous decision. While never a recognized world champion, Fullmer did win a bout billed as for the "World Junior Light Heavyweight Championship" when he defeated Joe Hopkins in 1967. This title was the precursor to the current super middleweight championship. Few in the boxing world recognized the legitimacy of that title.
Fullmer retired from the ring in 1973. In his retirement, he worked for the Salt Lake County Fire Department. Along with his brothers, he ran the Fullmer Brothers boxing gym in West Jordan. The gym provided kids to work out for free.
Death
Don Fullmer died of leukemia on January 28, 2012, aged 72. He and his wife, Nedra, had five sons.
Filmography
- The Devil's Brigade (1968) - The G.I.
Professional boxing record
| 54 Wins (14 knockouts, 40 decisions), 20 Losses (2 knockouts, 18 decisions), 5 Draws [1] | |||||||
| Result | Record | Opponent | Type | Round | Date | Location | Notes |
| Loss | 23-1 |  Richie Kates | UD | 10 | 24/09/1973 | The Spectrum, Philadelphia | |
| Win | 41-9-8 | Andy Kendall | SD | 10 | 21/04/1973 | Capitol Plaza, Louisville, Kentucky | |
| Win | 6-4 | Billy Freeman | MD | 10 | 13/01/1973 | Williamsport, Pennsylvania | |
| Win | 19-17-2 |  Lino Rendon | UD | 10 | 14/10/1972 | Saint George, Utah | |
| Win | 19-13-3 | Amado Vasquez | KO | 1 | 22/05/1972 | Salt Palace, Salt Lake City, Utah | |
| Loss | 33-1-1 |  Pierre Fourie | PTS | 10 | 19/02/1972 | Ellis Park Stadium, Johannesburg, Gauteng | |
| Win | 26-3-1 | "Irish" Kelly Wagner | PTS | 10 | 19/10/1971 | Cleveland Arena, Cleveland, Ohio | |
| Win | 11-2-1 | Dave Thach | PTS | 10 | 16/09/1971 | Read Fieldhouse, Kalamazoo, Michigan | |
| Loss | 19-0 | Eugene Hart | UD | 10 | 22/06/1971 | The Spectrum, Philadelphia | 44-47, 44-47, 43-47. |
| Loss | 37-11-2 | Bobby Cassidy | SD | 10 | 26/04/1971 | Felt Forum, New York City | 1-9, 2-8, 5-4. |
| Loss | 55-2-1 |  Tom Bogs | PTS | 10 | 11/02/1971 | K.B. Hallen, Copenhagen | |
| Draw | 14-4 | Billy "Dynamite" Douglas | PTS | 10 | 12/07/1970 | Ohio State Fair, Columbus, Ohio | |
| Draw | 52-0 | Tom Bogs | PTS | 10 | 12/02/1970 | Skojtehal, Gladsaxe | 4-4. |
| Loss | 27-2-1 | Doyle Baird | SD | 10 | 29/10/1969 | Cleveland Arena, Cleveland, Ohio | 44-46, 43-47, 47-46. |
| Win | 33-6-5 |  Juarez De Lima | SD | 10 | 26/05/1969 | Madison Square Garden, New York City | 5-4, 6-4, 4-6. |
| Loss | 77-2-1 |  Nino Benvenuti | UD | 15 | 14/12/1968 | Ariston Theatre, Sanremo, Liguria | WBC/WBA World Middleweight Titles. 69-72, 68-73, 65-71. |
| Win | 7-29-3 |  Polo Corona | UD | 10 | 18/09/1968 | Star Theater, Phoenix, Arizona | 99-94, 99-92, 99-95. |
| Win | 35-16-6 | Gene Bryant | UD | 10 | 29/05/1968 | Derks Field, Salt Lake City, Utah | |
| Win | 42-33-11 | Billy Marsh | UD | 10 | 25/04/1968 | Madison Square Garden, Phoenix, Arizona | |
| Win | 17-20-5 | Carl Moore | PTS | 10 | 20/02/1968 | Madison Square Garden, Phoenix, Arizona | |
| Win | 46-16-10 | Ted "Farmer" Wright | UD | 10 | 22/09/1967 | Weber State University, Ogden, Utah | 98-94, 100-90, 99-92. |
| Win | 16-15-3 | Luis Garduno | KO | 2 | 22/06/1967 | Adams Field House, Missoula, Montana | Garduno knocked out at 0:54 of the second round. |
| Win | 7-0 | Joe Hopkins | TKO | 6 | 03/04/1967 | Valley Music Hall, Salt Lake City, Utah | World Junior Light Heavyweight Title. Referee stopped the bout at 1:19 of the sixth round. |
| Win | 97-15-2 | Bobo Olson | MD | 10 | 28/11/1966 | Oakland Arena, Oakland, California | 5-2, 4-4, 6-2. |
| Win | 42-22-2 | Tony Montano | UD | 10 | 17/10/1966 | Sportatorium, Phoenix, Arizona | |
| Win | 61-16-2 | Stan Harrington | UD | 10 | 25/04/1966 | Hawaii International Center, Honolulu, Hawaii | 49-45, 49-47, 48-46. |
| Loss | 30-10-1 |  Jose "Monon" Gonzalez | UD | 12 | 18/03/1966 | Madison Square Garden, New York City | WBA American Middleweight Title. 5-6, 5-7, 4-7. |
| Loss | 62-0 | Nino Benvenuti | PTS | 12 | 04/02/1966 | Palazzetto dello Sport, Rome | |
| Win | 45-1 | Joey Archer | SD | 12 | 13/12/1965 | Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts | WBA American Middleweight Title. 115-117, 119-114, 117-114. |
| Win | 45-6 |  Emile Griffith | UD | 12 | 19/08/1965 | Utah State Fair, Salt Lake City, Utah | WBA American Middleweight Title. 117-115, 120-112, 118-111. |
| Win | 28-11-6 | Gene Bryant | UD | 10 | 21/06/1965 | West Jordan Park, West Jordan, Utah | 98-92, 98-93, 97-93. |
| Draw | 16-1-1 | Andy Kendall | PTS | 10 | 27/04/1965 | Las Vegas, Nevada | |
| Win | 10-2-2 | Ferd Hernandez | UD | 10 | 24/02/1965 | The Hacienda, Las Vegas, Nevada | |
| Win | 15-3 | Jimmy Ellis | SD | 10 | 21/10/1964 | Louisville Gardens, Louisville, Kentucky | |
| Loss | 48-15-3 |  Dick Tiger | UD | 10 | 11/09/1964 | Cleveland Arena, Cleveland, Ohio | |
| Win | 10-1 |  Ron Thompson | TKO | 1 | 15/08/1964 | Lane County Fair, Eugene, Oregon | Referee stopped the bout at 2:13 of the first round. |
| Draw | 21-16-3 | Fred Roots | TD | 5 | 14/04/1964 | Sacramento, California | |
| Loss | 27-0-1 |  Souleymane Diallo | PTS | 10 | 23/12/1963 |  Palais des Sports, Paris | |
| Loss | 26-1-1 | José Torres | PTS | 10 | 09/10/1963 | Teaneck Armory, Teaneck, New Jersey | 2-5. |
| Win | 15-0-1 | Bobby Horn | UD | 10 | 03/07/1963 | Lane County Fair, Eugene, Oregon | 98-89, 99-95, 100-92. |
| Loss | 25-1 | Sandro Mazzinghi | TKO | 8 | 05/05/1963 | Velodromo Vigorelli, Milan, Lombardy | Referee stopped the bout at 2:59 of the eighth round. |
| Win | 38-16-3 | Eddie Andrews | PTS | 10 | 18/04/1963 | Reno, Nevada | |
| Win | 38-15-3 | Eddie Andrews | UD | 10 | 14/02/1963 | Utah State Fair, Salt Lake City, Utah | |
| Loss | 31-3 | Emile Griffith | UD | 10 | 06/10/1962 | Madison Square Garden, New York City | 2-6, 2-7, 1-9. |
| Win | 45-6-1 |  Juan Carlos Rivero | SD | 10 | 21/07/1962 | Madison Square Garden, New York City | 6-4, 6-4, 5-6. |
| Loss | 28-8 |  Terry Downes | PTS | 10 | 22/05/1962 | Empire Pool, Wembley, London | |
| Win | 31-3-2 | Joe DeNucci | UD | 10 | 16/03/1962 | Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts | 97-95, 99-92, 97-96. |
| Loss | 36-7-4 | Ted "Farmer" Wright | TKO | 7 | 12/08/1961 | Madison Square Garden, New York City | |
| Win | 26-1 | Rocky Fumerelle | UD | 10 | 15/07/1961 | Madison Square Garden, New York City | 7-2, 8-2, 9-1. |
| Loss | 29-0 | Joey Archer | MD | 10 | 04/02/1961 | Madison Square Garden, New York City | 3-7, 2-8, 5-5. |
| Win | 7-10-1 | Buck Bellamy | PTS | 10 | 11/11/1960 | George Nelson Fieldhouse, Logan, Utah | |
| Draw | 79-1-4 | Gustav Scholz | PTS | 10 | 14/09/1960 |  Festhalle Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Hesse | |
| Win | 25-5-1 |  Stefan Redl | UD | 10 | 11/05/1960 | Jenson's Gym, West Jordan, Utah | 97-94, 100-94, 99-92. |
| Win | 12-7 | JC Johnson | UD | 8 | 28/03/1960 | West Jordan, Utah | |
| Win | 2-0-1 | Billy Blair | PTS | 8 | 05/03/1960 | Sports Club, West Jordan, Utah | |
| Win | 0-1 | James Shorty | KO | 5 | 20/02/1960 | Jenson's Gym, West Jordan, Utah | |
| Win | 51-23-1 | Virgil Akins | UD | 10 | 28/01/1960 | Kiel Auditorium, Saint Louis, Missouri | |
| Win | 7-16-4 | Doug Garrett | PTS | 6 | 04/12/1959 | George Nelson Fieldhouse, Logan, Utah | |
| Loss | 16-2-1 | Phil Moyer | UD | 10 | 18/08/1959 | Auditorium, Portland, Oregon | 93-98, 94-100, 93-99. |
| Loss | 30-10-2 | Eddie Andrews | SD | 10 | 06/07/1959 | Las Vegas, Nevada | |
| Loss | 19-8-4 | Orlando DiPietro | PTS | 10 | 04/04/1959 | Palm Springs Stadium, Palm Springs, California | |
| Win | 1-4 | Cornell Olds | KO | 3 | 09/02/1959 | Eldred Recreation Center, Provo, Utah | Olds knocked out at 1:07 of the third round. |
| Win | 1-3 | Cornell Olds | KO | 4 | 16/01/1959 | Uintah High School Gym, Vernal, Utah | |
| Win | 2-0-1 | Roscoe Shamblin | UD | 6 | 15/12/1958 | Cleveland Arena, Cleveland, Ohio | |
| Win | -- | Willie Fuller | KO | 1 | 29/11/1958 | Kanab, Utah | |
| Win | 3-1 | Dick Bankhead | KO | 1 | 10/11/1958 | Utah State Fair, Salt Lake City, Utah | |
| Win | -- | Curtis Barker | KO | 2 | 13/10/1958 | West Jordan Elementary School, West Jordan, Utah | Barker knocked out at 2:16 of the second round. |
| Win | 17-26-2 | Andy Maes | PTS | 6 | 11/09/1958 | Derks Field, Salt Lake City, Utah | |
| Win | -- | Chico Cirini | UD | 6 | 26/07/1958 | Arena, West Jordan, Utah | |
| Win | 1-2 | Elmer Carter | PTS | 5 | 07/07/1958 | West Jordan, Utah | |
| Win | 0-2 | Cornell Olds | KO | 2 | 04/06/1958 | West Jordan Park, West Jordan, Utah | |
| Win | -- | Frank Fellsen | PTS | 6 | 19/04/1958 | Springville, Utah | |
| Win | 0-1 | Cornell Olds | PTS | 6 | 05/04/1958 | Cedar City, Utah | |
| Win | 0-1 | Elmer Carter | PTS | 5 | 03/03/1958 | Utah State Fair, Salt Lake City, Utah | |
| Win | 4-5-2 | Billy O'Neill | UD | 6 | 10/02/1958 | Utah State Fair, Salt Lake City, Utah | 30-23, 30-23, 30-22. |
| Win | -- | Amond Cadoll | PTS | 6 | 01/02/1958 | Cedar City, Utah | |
| Win | -- | Cornell Olds | TKO | 2 | 28/01/1958 | Utah State Fair, Salt Lake City, Utah | Referee stopped the bout at 1:30 of the second round. |
| Win | 0-1 | Johnny Hudson | KO | 1 | 04/09/1957 | Arena, West Jordan, Utah | Hudson knocked out at 2:47 of the first round. |
| Win | 1-3 | Joe Mortenson | TKO | 3 | 02/08/1957 | West Jordan, Utah | Referee stopped the bout at 2:40 of the third round. |