Career
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. This streak ended when he lost to Nino Benvenuti in Rome in 1966.
He knocked the Italian down but lost a fifteen-round unanimous decision. 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. The gym provided kids to work out for free.
Don Fullmer died of leukemia on January 28, 2012, aged 72.
