Rough, ungraceful, at times even a bit clumsy in his movements, but extraordinarily effective: “Cyclone” Gene Fullmer wasn’t an example of boxing elegance or impeccable style, but in the ring, he gave nightmares to all his opponents, including sacred monsters like Sugar Ray Robinson. Equipped with an almost indestructible jaw, lion’s courage, and a wide repertoire of “tricks of the trade,” the Mormon from Utah dominated the middleweight division, taking firm control at the end of the 1950s and delivering high-adrenaline fights to the public. Exactly 93 years after his birth on July 21, 1931, let’s review the key moments of this old-time champion’s career.
Few Missteps and Many Victories: The Road to the Title
Turning professional under the guidance of his mentor and manager Marv Jenson, famous for encouraging many young men from West Jordan to take up boxing, Fullmer immediately made a name for himself with a string of victories, defeating, among others, future world champion Paul Pender. His first setback came at the hands of vigorous puncher Gil Turner, who surprised and intimidated him with his two-handed aggressive attacks, but “Cyclone” proved just two months later that he had learned his lesson by taking revenge in a brutal fight, responding to fire with fire. The most challenging phase of Fullmer’s climb to the top came in the second half of 1955, when two consecutive defeats risked pushing him away from the top spots: first American Bobby Boyd, who stepped into the ring with a three-kilo advantage, and then the powerful Argentine fighter Eduardo Lausse, tamed the “Cyclone” on points without extinguishing his desire to emerge. Five consecutive victories, including the surprise win over the formidable Frenchman Charles Humez, finally led the young Fullmer to his first title shot with a record of 37-3-0.
The Saga Begins against His Majesty Sugar Ray
Awaiting him was a living boxing legend, “Sugar” Ray Robinson, who is still considered the best boxer ever to grace a ring and at the time boasted an astronomical record of 140 wins, 4 losses, and 2 draws. However, on that historic night at Madison Square Garden in New York, the champion appeared unusually lifeless and sluggish in the face of a determined and extremely focused Fullmer. Robinson threw very few punches compared to his standards, perhaps disoriented by the challenger’s unusual style or maybe simply because at almost 36 years old, an off night can happen; the fact is that the “Cyclone” knocked him down in the seventh round, wore him out in close combat, and at the end of a dull match, earned a well-deserved unanimous decision. Fullmer’s reign lasted only four months: in the rematch held at Chicago Stadium, after four fairly even rounds, Robinson pulled out a sudden and terrifying left hook that left the Utah athlete with no chance. Many still consider that knockout the most beautiful of all time for its difficulty of execution, technical perfection, and the proven solidity of the defeated boxer.
Fullmer’s Comeback: Dominations over Basilio and the “Rough” Fight against Giardello
To get back on track and earn a new world opportunity, Fullmer had to roll up his sleeves. Among the opponents he defeated on his way back, Spider Webb and Wilf Greaves represented the toughest hurdles, with the latter even managing to fracture Fullmer’s jaw, forcing him to take a six-month break. However, the Cyclone kept his momentum and in August ’59, fought for the vacant NBA (now WBA) title against the great Carmen Basilio. Basilio was coming off an astonishing streak of five consecutive Fight Of The Year bouts, which, while establishing him as one of the most indomitable warriors of all time, had irreparably worn down his body. Fullmer handed him a heavy defeat, stopping him in the fourteenth round and repeating the feat with a similar result, this time in twelve rounds, the following summer. Between the two fights against Basilio, the defense in Bozeman against the tough Joey Giardello deserves mention, revealing itself to be one of the dirtiest fights ever. The two boxers exchanged all sorts of fouls, driving referee Harry Kessler crazy, and ended with a controversial draw.
The Final Chapters of the Robinson Saga
Even though he was nearly 40 years old, Sugar Ray Robinson had not yet abandoned his ambition to reclaim the world title for the sixth time, so the two eternal rivals faced each other again in December 1960 at the Sports Arena in Los Angeles. It was the last “five-star” performance of Sugar Ray’s career: despite the age disadvantage, the American ace danced like in the old days, alternating his magnificent jab with spectacular counters, dominating the first half of the fight and skillfully handling Fullmer’s furious comeback in the second half. It wasn’t enough to convince the judges, who declared a draw, generous towards the titleholder, opening the door to a fourth and final chapter of the saga, which took place three months later. This time, the scenario was different: after two rounds that faithfully mirrored the dynamics of the third fight, Fullmer managed to stun Robinson with a terrible right to the jaw and bombarded him with hard blows after pinning him against the ropes. It was the beginning of prolonged suffering for the 40-year-old from Harlem, whose body, worn out by too many battles, ceased to support him. At the end of the fifteen scheduled rounds, the Cyclone was proclaimed the undisputed winner.
The Final Flourishes and the Closing Trilogy against Dick Tiger
Even though he was ten years younger than his eternal rival, Fullmer himself was approaching the final phase of his sporting career; the victories against Benny “Kid” Paret and Florentino Fernandez in 1961 were indeed his last successes achieved within the sixteen ropes. Paret was knocked out in the tenth round of a bloody fight, fought almost entirely at close range, disfiguring both fighters’ faces. The battle against Cuban iron-fisted Fernandez was even tougher: leading into the so-called championship rounds, Fullmer suffered a fracture near his elbow and had to grit his teeth and defend himself with one arm against the challenger’s final, vehement assaults, barely escaping defeat. However, the fall was merely postponed: the young Nigerian Dick Tiger, solid as a rock and endowed with tremendous hand speed, dethroned Fullmer in San Francisco with a clear unanimous decision. It was the beginning of the Utah boxer’s final trilogy, which three months later in Las Vegas came close to reclaiming the world title but faltered in the last minutes, not managing to go beyond a draw. The third and final confrontation ended in a dismal retirement in the seventh round: the Cyclone’s career had come to an end.
As reckless and “mean” in the ring as he was peaceful and well-liked in everyday life, Gene Fullmer lived to the age of 83 before passing away in Taylorsville, surrounded by his loved ones. In 1991, the International Boxing Hall Of Fame recognized him as one of the greatest boxers of all time.