Boxer Jay Fullmer was laid to rest today, He was the youngest of the famous three brothers who made Utah proud during the 1950's and 60's

During the 1950's, West Jordan, Utah was put on wide world of sports map. Those were the days when the main sport in Utah was hunting, fishing and boxing, with the Fullmer brothers being the boxing sensation of the world. I have never met Jay, but I did become friends with his big brother-Gene Fullmer, who became the Middle Weight Champion of the World. I felt impressed to go to the funeral of Jay today, just to pay respect to this famous family who were hero's not only to Juab county people but all of Utah. Years before, Utah was proud of Jack Dempsey, who was known as the "Mormon Mauler" and we had the same pride for the Fullmer's. I met Gene when a co-worker introduced me to him at his home and farm near 9200 South and 2200 West in West Jordan. The three brothers and their families lived side by side, and their mother in the home behind them where they grew up. Gene was trying to sell a horse trailer and I was trying to buy one. He presented me with a challenge. He said I could pay him whatever price he set, or I had the chance to punch him once in the gut. If he didn't groan, winch or made another body noise, I would pay double, but it was free if I could hurt him. That was 25 years ago, and I was in good shape, but he didn't like he was. While considering this option, I recalled a time when Juab High School students took a trip to Salt Lake, and the bus driver diverted to Redwood Road so we could stop at the home of Marv Jensen, where there was an outside boxing ring. Marv was the trainer for the Fullmer brothers, and we were thrilled to watch Gene workout. I became familiar with his training, as he would invite kids to jump on his gut to make his stomach as hard as steel. Gene didn't have a long arm reach, so he let the opponents continue to smack him until his face was beat up, then after the other boxer tired, Gene would give the knockout punch, and became the champion of the world. I remembered that, and knew how rock hard his stomach may still be, so needless to say, I didn't gamble. We became friends, and gracious to let my family view his home where his basement was covered in murals of his bouts. I later took him to various places as a motivational speaker for some down and out people. His brother Don came close to being a World Champion, but died just three years ago from the same leukemia that got Jay. Brother Jay fought good and hard for four years, starting in Madison Square Garden in 1956 and won several until 1960, until his career was cut short when he sustained an eye injury. He then opened the Fullmer Brothers Boxing Gym in West Jordan, where he helped to turn thugs in to good men. At todays funeral, his son asked for all fighters who were taught by Jay to stand up, and I was taken back by the many that did. Like his brothers, Jay was an all round good guy. Of the thousands he taught boxing to, he had only three rules-no smoking, no drinking and be respectful to your mother. He lived by that, and devoted to his family. Jay worked for Kennecott for 31 years, then a gun toting Salt Lake County Sheriff's Bailiff for thirteen years. Boxing was in his blood, so he also spent 50 years as a boxing referee and Judge. Although the sporting world of today's looks at other athlete's, to the young men of Juab County and Utah, these brothers were the real deal. No artificial phoniness, just stalwart good fighters.They didn't have to look mean or dance around the ring, they just stood there and fought hard. In talking to a family member after the funeral, my heart sank even more when I discovered they were not expecting Gene to live much longer, suffering from Alzheimer's and Dementia. None of us will make it through life, but it is sad when we start loosing the Fullmer brothers. As a youngster of 13 years old, I wanted to be just like a Fullmer, so I signed up for boxing, but fought only once. I won with a TKO, but it was against one of my best friends-Vard White, and I was not about to punch another friend. That was on March 1, 1961 in Nephi, Utah. The ring photo was courtesy of the Salt Lake Tribune showing left to right; Don Fullmer, Jay Fullmer, Gene Fullmer, Marv Jenson, Kade Fullmer and Ellis Gross.