Larry Fullmer and dignitaries cut the ribbon to open the Fullmer Legacy Center in South Jordan on May 2. Photo by Tom Haraldsen
For more than 40 years, young boxers in the Salt Lake Valley and throughout the Intermountain West have been inspired and benefited by the Fullmer family. Brothers Gene, Jay and Don Fullmer created a legacy of the sport through personal achievement and philanthropic efforts to pass their skills and mindsets of dedication to thousands of youth who’ve trained, taken fitness classes and received lessons for life through the Fullmer program, all of them for free.
But it wasn’t until May 2 that the program found a permanent home when the ribbon was cut for the Fullmer Legacy Center in South Jordan. With family members and descendants on hand, Larry Fullmer, chair of the Fullmer Legacy Foundation, joined other dignitaries to celebrate the official opening of the beautiful new facility located 10960 South Park Road.
“This is a special day for everyone who believes in the mission for the Fullmer Legacy Center,” he said. “In 2018, the Fullmer Legacy Foundation was established to honor that legacy, not only in name but in action. For a long time, we wished and dreamed that we could have our own building where we could carry forward the spirit of the Fullmer brothers, a place where young people could develop strength and confidence, where families can gather, where stories and heritage can be preserved, and where the values of hard work, resilience and character can be passed on.”
The 16,000-square-foot facility not only houses training facilities and a great boxing ring, but also features a Hall of Fame museum, a snack bar, and even a small gift shop of sorts. Everything pays tribute to the brothers who were raised in the Salt Lake Valley, attended the old Jordan High School, and began crafting their skills under the legendary Marv Jensen at his facility in West Jordan.
“To all of you who have committed to honor the Fullmer legacy and investing in the next generation, one of the promises we made was that it would always be free to young people to work out, because Marv Jensen made it free for them in West Jordan and the area throughout all the ’40s, ’50s and ’60s,” Larry Fullmer said. “The brothers wanted to keep it that way.”
He said the first Fullmer gym was the Butterfield, at 126000 South and 2700 West and within a chicken coop. It then moved to the old Riverton Elementary, then moved to an LDS Church stake center in West Jordan on Redwood Road, then to the old Sugar Factory building. Both were later torn down. The next move was to an old West Jordan fire station for several years, but they were told they needed to move again.
“So we called Greg Hughes, a friend who was in the state Legislature, who talked to Salt Lake Council member Randy Horiuchi, and they found the old Sheriff's Posse building just west of here at the Equestrian Park. We’ve been there for almost 13 years. For all those places to lead to this, that’s a giant leap.”
The site was leased to the foundation, thanks to a collaborative effort between Salt Lake County and South Jordan City. The Fullmer family has been active in fundraising for construction of the building that began in 2023. Larry Fullmer said all the many days, weeks and months of connecting with donors, architects and construction crews has been well worth the effort
“When you see the kids in here now, practicing and all, you know why we’re doing this,” he said. “When some of the kids come up and say thank you, that’s all you need.”
The Fullmer Brothers
Lawrence Gene Fullmer (July 21, 1931-April 27, 2015) won the world middleweight boxing championship on Jan. 2, 1957, upsetting Sugar Ray Robinson in a unanimous 15-round decision. Robinson sought a rematch and got it on May 1, 1957, where Fullmer was knocked out by a vicious left hook, but lost the title when the National Boxing Association withdrew it in 1959.
Later that year, Fullmer and former middleweight champion Carmen Basilio fought for the vacant NBA title, with Fullmer earning a TKO victory in the 14th round. Two years later, Fullmer fought and beat Robinson by unanimous decision to once again earn the middleweight title for both the NBA and World Boxing Association. He held it until Oct. 23, 1962, when he lost a unanimous decision to Dick Tiger. He retired in 1963 with a record of 55 wins (24 by knockouts), six losses and three draws.
His younger brothers were Don Fullmer (Feb. 21, 1939-Jan. 28, 2012), who twice challenged for the world middleweight title, and Jay Fullmer (March 9, 1937-April 22, 2015), who boxed as a lightweight. Gene died at the age of 83 in April 2015, just five days after Jay’s death.