Stefan Redl vs Don Fullmer

Stefan fought Don Fullmer on 5/11/60 in West Jordan Utah, in Fullmer's family gym. He lost the 10 round fight in a unanimous decision. This was the 2nd in a string of 6 consecutive losses; Carl Hubbard TKO'd Stefan in round 6, Don Fullmer won by unanimous decision, Vince Martinez won by TKO in round 5, Joe Salci won on points, Jorje Jose Fernandez won by unanimous decision, and Curtis Cokes beat Stefan by way of TKO in round 8. The next two fights, (that year!) Stefan won. He beat Julie Jamison on points and KO'd Joe Smyer in round 5.

Don Fullmer was one of three brothers who boxed. Jay Fullmer, the youngest, was a welter weight, whom surprisingly being the same weight class, my Dad never fought. My Dad believed he would have beaten Jay because Jay was lighter than him. Don and Gene were both middle weights and my Dad fought Don. Gene was the most successful of the Fullmers. My Dad tells me Gene bought land in Utah where he built a gym. There were apartments above the gym and a few other buildings around the area. The whole Fullmer family had fights there. I had joked, "Talk about your home advantage" and my Dad answered, "Well Gene beat Robinson there!" Sugar Ray Robinson is regarded by most as the greatest pound for pound fighter ever. My Dad agrees. He met Robinson several times and said of him that he could do anything. He beat every fighter he ever lost to, even beating Gene in a rematch. My Dad said some thought Robinson threw the first match with Gene to make more money in the rematch. My Dad disagrees, having seen that fight, he believed Gene to have genuinely won.

Regarding money, even though my Dad was really a welter weight, he went in the ring with the bigger and heaver Don. As he said many times before, there was more money in the heavier fights. He believed after watching this fight again, that it could have gone either way on the score cards. But since it was Fullmer's home gym, my Dad would have to have knocked out Don to win. In those days to beat a champ or "home advantage" you'd have to earn the win. If the fight were close or a draw, many times they'd give it to the champ or town hero. My Dad seemed to agree with this idea, scoffing at some modern fights.

[For interest, I asked my Dad if he had ever fought Gene, if he'd win. My Dad said no, as Gene, a heavy middle weight, was simply too big! He felt technically he really didn't belong in the ring with Don, but the money was good...]

This fight was a Friday night TV fight. It was filmed on 8mm, which is why there is no sound and the editing seems a little choppy, but it's a good fight! Watch for my Dad's best punch combination: A left jab to the belly, lunging in far and low, then a left hook to the head. Whenever my Dad showed me a punch, that was the one. He'd squat low, bending at the knees, then spring up like a frog putting his arm, shoulder, back, legs, virtually his whole body behind the punch!

Redl vs Fullmer: