Thoughts on Gene Fullmer?

As responsible as Paret's death as Griffith in my opinion. Fullmer was one of those guys with just enough power NOT to knock you out, resulting in long, grueling ass kickings.

 

He must've had no bones, because up-close in a suit, he looked like a 220-pound guy.

 

One thing I can say is that he wasn't as one-dimensional and crude as it seemed. Yes, he would often pressure his opponents with the trademark spoiling & mauling style that he used, but he could also backpedal and outbox lesser boxers if he felt like it.

The Paret fight was a brutal beating.

 

It was a heavy beating no doubt, but I can't remember Fullmer hitting an already out of it Paret with about 20 unanswered punches, all with full leverage and accuracy, when he was tangled up in the ropes unable to defend himself in even the slightest capacity.

So that's a heavy accusation to level at Fullmer to say the least, though I can't say for certain if the Fullmer loss was in any way contributory to Paret's physical decline.

 

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6m7egL0Zm0[/ame]

 

Strong,durable ,that's it for me, not impressed myself.

 

I watched the Fullmer-Paret fight live on TV and realized Paret had taken a real beating.

Fullmer sometime later said he did not enjoy beating Paret up that bad.

 

In The book "In This Corner " Fullmer said he thought he was responsible for Paret's demise.
Paret was a welter facing a very strong middle weight , which is essentially what Basilio was too.

 

It was a nasty beating mate, no doubts there. It just doesn't land Fullmer with the same level of responsibility as Griffith. Not that I'd be too hasty to accuse Griffith either, considering his generally otherwise affable demeanor, the fact that he was in the heat of the moment and the things that Paret had said to him prior to the fight.

 

Fullmer was a strong awkward tough as old boots fighter

that sums him up for me

 

Fullmer fought:

Sugar Ray Robinson 4 times, Dick Tiger 3 times, Carmen Basilio twice, Joey Giardello once, Benny Paret once, Paul Pender once, and Florentino Fernandez once.

Only Tiger at the end of Gene's career really dominated him.

 

You could call him awkward, clumsy and whatever else you may want, but Gene Fullmer was as tough and strong a middleweight as ever stepped into the ring. He wasn't a devastating puncher but the total sum of his slam-bang, bulling forward, continual pressure type offense would wear an opponent down and get the job done pretty effectively in most cases. When the opponent proved to be tougher than Gene anticipated he could box effectively when he had to, throwing out the left jab and going backward as he did with Basilio and with Dick Tiger in the second bout of their trilogy. I thought Gene should have got the decision in the second Tiger fight. I remember Paul Pender making the same comment. I always felt that by the time Fullmer faced Tiger he wasn't the same fighter of previous years and had been in too many tough fights. A 1957-1960 version of Gene Fullmer might have been able to handle Tiger; and I am a big fan of Dick Tiger also.

I have seen the Benny Paret fight. Gene was too strong for poor Benny much in the same way as he was against Basilio although even more so with Paret. To say that the beating he received from Fullmer lead to his demise I don't agree with. The finger should have been pointed at Paret's manager for bringing him back into the ring again too soon or at all after the Fullmer fight and also at Ruby Goldstein. With competent officiating by the referee this tragedy could have been prevented.

 

Robinson was 36x2 and 39 , and 40 when he fought Fullmer to a draw.

Basilio was 32 x2 and coming to the end of his career ,Fullmer was too strong for him.

Fullmer was dominated by Eduardo Lausse winning possibly three of the ten rounds,and knocked down in the 8th ,he never fought Lausse again.

Fullmer met Giardello , in Gene's home state, and salvaged a dubious draw,in a foul filled fight,he never fought Giardello again.

 

To tell you the truth the more I watch of Gene the more I feel he was a lot more versatile and cerebral then I gave him credit for.

Obviously this is not what he is known for but he has been forced to call upon every trick he had on several occasions...He fought in a very tough era.