Houston heavyweight boxer Darius Fulghum puts nursing career on hold to pursue Olympic dream
PhilBoxing.com
Thu, 27 Feb 2020
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (February 25, 2020) - Amateur boxers often take different routes on their personal journeys and Houston heavyweight Darius Fulghum has put his career outside the ring on hold to pursue his boxing dreams.
Fulghum was a wrestler in high school back in Killeen, Texas. He started boxing in 2015 and quickly developed a passion for the "Sweet Science," largely because of it being a one-person sport. He didn't need to rely on teammates, preferring to win or lose on his own accord. Although he was talented enough to be a collegiate wrestler, it would have been too much of a financial strain on his family.
"I had that competitive itch and was pretty good when I first started boxing," Dariuis said. "I knew that I could do anything I put my mind to. I want to redefine boxing. I'm not a typical boxer who grew up on the streets. I don't even like fighting; I'm passive and have never had a street fight."
The 23-year-old Fulghum currently has his sights firmly set on representing his country in Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. Pro boxing will follow but, for now, he's training hard to qualify to compete in the Olympics by placing among the top three finishers at the America's Qualification Tournament, March 26-April 3, in Buenos Aires, Argentina. There will also be another "Last Chance" opportunity, if needed, at the World Qualifier, May 13-14, in Paris, where the top three there will also qualify for the Olympics.
"It's so hard to not think about the Olympics all the time," he admits. "I try to not think about it too much, but it is on my mind because I've dreamed of being an Olympian and I'm so close right now. I've made the sacrifices to be an Olympian and then I'll be an Olympian the rest of my life.
"I listen to my coaches. In the heat of the moment, when things are most stressful, I feel like the underdog and I perform up to the absolute moment. It was do-or-die at Olympic Trials. I just refuse to lose."
Fulghum certainly responded to the pressure of the trials in a positive fashion, upsetting pre-trials favorite Adrian Tillman in the opening round, and then rolling through opponents until he secured the title.
"People didn't know me," Fulghum explained. "I was the underdog because I didn't compete in many tournaments because I was in (nursing) school. My finals were always in December (same time as USA Nationals). I did have a break in my schedule in 2018, when I won a gold medal at the National Golden Gloves Tournament. It's just the way my schedule worked out. So, I hadn't fought in many tournaments, but I was able to sneak in when it mattered most."
Fulghum recently competed in his first international tournament at the prestigious Strandja Tournament in Bulgaria, winning one of two matches. The experience, though, was priceless, possibly career changing in terms of preparing for the Olympics.
"Not only was it my first international tournament," he noted, "it was the first time I had boxed without headgear (as will be the case in the Olympics), and I fought guys from foreign countries with different styles. It was a great experience because now I won't be going blind into the Olympic Qualifier."
Members of the USA Boxing Olympic Qualification Team, like Fulghum, are on break before returning for training with his teammates at the United States Olympic and Paralympic Training Center in Colorado Springs.
"I reported there for the first time this past January 2nd and I love it," Fulghum noted. "Every athlete dreams of training with top athletes where there are no distractions and top coaches. I wake up, eat, sleep, train and do that all over again the next day. That's my schedule."
Fulghum earned his nursing degree last May, but right now and for the immediate future he's fully concentrating on boxing.
"I put education first and got my degree," Fulghum concluded. "I'll always have nursing after boxing. But I dreamed of going to the Olympics all through school. I put boxing on hold and now I've put nursing to the side so I can put my all into boxing. I didn't want to juggle nursing and boxing. I couldn't be the best at either that way.
"I do plan to turn pro because I love boxing so much. I need to box when I'm young. I'll go as far as I can go in boxing and I'll always having nursing."
Darius Fulghum has taken a circuitous route in life from nursing to boxing. It'll be worth it, though, if he makes it to Tokyo as part of Team USA for the 2020 Olympics.
INFORMATION:
www.usaboxing.org
Twitter: @USABoxing
Instagram: @USABoxing
Facebook: /USABoxing
Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:
Sumabong to defend WBO title against undefeated Taiwanese on July 11 in Bohol
By Lito delos Reyes, Wed, 17 Jun 2026Jordan Orozco Remains Perfect with Dominant Third-Round TKO of Fernando Diaz on MVP/Boxlab Card in Orlando
Wed, 17 Jun 2026Floyd Mayweather Jr could face charges of fraud in Las Vegas
By Gabriel F. Cordero, Wed, 17 Jun 2026EDDIE HEARN SIGNS DIVINE OMOJOR FOR MATCHROOM BOXING ON LONG-TERM DEAL AS NEWCASTLE TEENAGE CRUISERWEIGHT TURNS PRO
Wed, 17 Jun 2026DC Trail Ultra on July 26 in Calinan
By Lito delos Reyes, Wed, 17 Jun 2026Torre to grace Gov. Oaminal Chess Festival
By Marlon Bernardino, Wed, 17 Jun 2026Apolinar, Santisima to fight on June 19 in Japan
By Lito delos Reyes, Wed, 17 Jun 2026Canoy still waiting for his US visa for June 20 fight against Collazo
By Lito delos Reyes, Wed, 17 Jun 2026"Hand of Stone" Roberto Durán celebrates 75th birthday
By Gabriel F. Cordero, Wed, 17 Jun 2026Sy-Tancontian excited on Asia and Oceania Sambo Championships
By Lito delos Reyes, Wed, 17 Jun 2026Jean Henri Lhuillier Backs RP Blu Girls' Intensive Japan Training Camp Ahead of Women's Softball World Cup
By Marlon Bernardino, Wed, 17 Jun 2026Digos 2 Malita 70km Ultramarathon on June 20
By Lito delos Reyes, Wed, 17 Jun 2026THE PAST WEEK IN ACTION 17 JUNE 2026: Bam Stops Vargas in 6; Wins by Michel Soro, Wilkens Mathieu, Elif Nur Turhan, Nataly Delgado and Abraham Perez
By Eric Armit, Tue, 16 Jun 2026Undefeated world champion Ataev faces experienced Venezuelan puncher Uzcátegui at IBA PRO 19
Tue, 16 Jun 2026Full Fight Card Set for MF Pro’s “Pugilist Revolution” June 19 at Thunder Studios in Long Beach
Tue, 16 Jun 2026