Darius Fulghum once put his nursing career on hold in pursuit of a spot on the U.S. Olympic roster.
With that goal no longer a reality, the nation’s top-rated amateur will take his talent to the pro ranks.
Following a successful amateur career that saw him land as the number-one ranked U.S. heavyweight, Fulghum will now turn pro, under the guidance of S-Jam Boxing headed by Sam Jones and Adam Morallee. The 24-year-old Houston product is likely to make his pro debut later this fall, competing in the light heavyweight division, Jones told BoxingScene.com.
Fulghum—a military brat whose father is a retired U.S. Army First Sergeant—became one of the more notable success stories in the U.S. amateur boxing program. It has come after having excelled as a high school wrestler, instead turning to boxing after graduating high school in 2015. The road to the ring was also accompanied by his pursuit of academic excellence, as Fulghum attended Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU). He graduated with a degree in nursing from the HBCU in 2019, one year after winning the National Golden Gloves as a heavyweight (201 pounds).
Armed with a college degree, Fulghum instead focused all of his energy on making the 2020 U.S. Olympic roster. The pursuit jumped off to a promising start at the Olympic Boxing trials, when Fulghum—who entered as the number-eight seed—upset number-one-ranked heavyweight Adrian Tillman on the first day of competition in Lake Charles, Louisiana. He made it to the finals before falling short to Jamar Talley, though both qualified for international competition to determine who would land the spot for Tokyo 2020.
The coronavirus pandemic ultimately ruined those plans, having canceled the Boxing Road to Tokyo Americas qualifiers in Buenos Aires, Argentina. In the absence of a qualifying tournament, final Olympic spots were granted through a ranking system by the Boxing Task Force. The initial results saw just six U.S. fighters named to the quadrennial classics, with three more slots granted to Keyshawn Davis, Troy Isley and Duke Ragan, all of whom previously turned pro but were extended the invitation to represent the U.S. this summer.
Nine members will now represent Team USA this summer, though none in the 201-pound heavyweight division. A new top-rated U.S. heavyweight will soon be named, as Fulghum sets his sights on becoming a fast-rising pro light heavyweight prospect.
Details of his pro debut are expected in the coming weeks.
Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox
