Pittsfield, Massachusetts’ Todd Poulton has had an interesting road to his professional boxing debut.
After more than a few cancellations and conflicts with state athletic commissions, the 40+ heavyweight will make his debut on Saturday June 20th in Philadelphia as part of a Celebrity Boxing fight card headlined by former survivor contestant Johnny Fairplay’s bout against Michael Lohan, father of tabloid queen Lindsey Lohan.
‘It’s a dream come true", says Poulton.
Poulton’s basement in his Massachusetts home is a tribute to his love of boxing. Pictures of some of his favorite fighters such as Vinny Paz and Ray "Boom Boom" Mancini are noticeable. The center piece of it all is a homemade boxing ring.
Poulton is a lifelong sufferer of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, or O.C.D. He feels that in order to beat this psychological disorder, its best that he just plain fight. He wants to fulfill a childhood dream of being a boxer and show others with OCD what can be accomplished.
"Anything is beatable if you give 100% and work hard", says Poulton.
Poulton’s first attempt at fighting professionally came after he had a chance encounter with a local television sports anchor, AJ Vittone, at a tuxedo shop in his hometown of Pittsfield. Poulton told Vittone his desire to have a pro boxing match.
Vittone, a longtime boxing reporter, told former world titleholder Jose Antonio Rivera his story. Rivera, who was starting his own promotional company at the time, decided to put Todd on one of his undercards.
Poulton proved to be a ticket seller. He also proved to be a topic of controversy."Todd was scheduled to make his pro debut on the inaugural fight card promoted by Jose Antonio Rivera's newly formed Rivera Promotions on Sept. 21, 2007 at the National Guard Armory in Worcester and then, less than six days before the card was to take place I received word from one of the members of Rivera Promotions that Massachusetts Boxing Commissioner Dan Fitzgerald had pulled the plug on the card due to Todd's age, at the time, (43.) Todd passed all of his medical exams with flying colors and then applied for a license and federal ID in his home state of Massachusetts about a month and a half prior to the card.... At the time, none of us were aware of the rule that a MA resident cannot make a pro boxing debut after the age of 36", said Vittone.
However, Poulton wasn’t about to give up on his dream. Vittone wasn’t about to quit on him either, helping him set up a fight in March of 2009 in Delaware. However, that fight didn’t come to fruition either. Poulton broke his ribs just days before the scheduled fight.
Now, his long awaited pro debut is just around the corner. His debut might not be coming on the undercard of a guy who’s fought in Madison Square Garden like Rivera and no title of any kind will be on the line. However, to Todd that’s not what it’s all about. It’ll still be a boxing match and he’ll be fulfilling his childhood dream.
