Gene Fullmer Biography

Lawrence Gene Fullmer was born on July 21, 1931, and passed away on April 27, 2015, as an American professional boxer and World Middleweight champion. He was widely recognized by the nicknames The Utah Cyclone, The Mormon Mauler, and as 'Cyclone' Gene Fullmer. In 2015, the Gene Fullmer Recreation Center in West Jordan was named in his honor due to his lasting impact on the community. Fullmer began his professional boxing career in 1951 and won his first 29 fights, with 19 of those victories coming by knockout. Gene Fullmer claimed the world middleweight title on January 2, 1957, after defeating Sugar Ray Robinson in a 15-round unanimous decision. On August 28, 1959, Fullmer won the vacant NBA middleweight title by TKOing Carmen Basilio in the 14th round. In their final title bout in 1961, Fullmer defeated Robinson again by unanimous decision.