Boone Kirkman

Early life

Kirkman was born in Vallejo, California in 1945 to Oehm and Margarite Kirkman. His father, a naval officer, was stationed there at the time. When his father was discharged from the Navy, the family moved back to Renton, Washington, where Kirkman's grandfather initially settled.

From a young age, Kirkman's favorite activities were hunting, fishing, and hiking throughout the state of Washington with his father. He frequently stopped to view plant and animal life, earning him his lifelong nickname of "Boone".

Growing up in Renton, a working-class community, Kirkman joined a group of 20 teenagers called the "Buds". The group drank and smoked, among other unethical activities. This concerned Kirkman's father, however, the "gang" did not engage in any street crime activities such as drag racing, robberies, or fighting.

Kirkman was inspired to box by his older brother, Steve, whom he frequently sparred with for fun. A school friend who noticed his lack of interest in reading suggested the book Somebody Up There Likes Me to him. In a short time, he had finished the book. Shortly thereafter, the book was made into a self-titled film, to which Kirkman was elated to discover. The duo convinced Kirkman that his future lay in boxing. Kirkman's first training sessions at age 14 involved traveling to a south Seattle gymnasium to work out from his school in Renton, Washington. The venue was suggested to him by former professional Joey Velez. Kirkman took a year-long hiatus from boxing due to injury, but returned to the gym and won several local Golden Gloves events afterward, slowly building a reputation.

His popularity exploded in March 1965 when he won the AAU Heavyweight Boxing national title in Toledo, Ohio. Following the event, he was signed by Seattle-area fight manager Jack Hurley. Kirkman assumed co-ownership of his family's pub; The Melrose Tavern, shortly after his signing. Between bar tending shifts, Kirkman incorporated training, and spent most nights punching a speed bag, entertaining spectators.

Professional career

Boone Kirkman's professional career lasted from 1966 to 1978. He finished with a record of 36—6 with a 59.52 knockout percentage. His peak ranking was seventh.

His first match, held in Boise, yielded a win and knockout over Lou Phillips. Kirkman managed to go undefeated in his first eleven matches, including a win over Eddie Machen until stepping up in opposition in New York City he faced skilled Doug Jones in a featured fight held in Seattle. Jones caused a cut over Kirkman's left eye in the first round, but Kirkman managed to keep the veteran at bay with a deluge of heavy punches, eventually knocking Jones to the ropes in Round 7. Thinking he had won the fight, Kirkman prepared for the referee to raise his hand in victory. However the ring physician stopped the fight in due to worsening conditions in Kirkman's eye, sparking controversy. Six weeks later, Kirkman would return the favor, winning their rematch, to Jones at the start of a winning streak.

Kirkman won his ensuing ten bouts, and Hurley scheduled a match between Kirkman and George Foreman at the Madison Square Garden in downtown New York.

Kirkman-Foreman

The Foreman fight was scheduled for November 18, 1970. Foreman was the most heavily favored opponent Kirkman would ever face.

From the start, Kirkman was overmatched by Foreman's superior quickness and power. Foreman pummeled Kirkman with a combination of powerful punches, knocking him to the canvas three times in the first two rounds. The bout ended after 3:40, when Kirkman failed to answer the bell, giving Foreman the win and knockout.

Following the fight, Kirkman elected to opt out of his contract with Hurley, who died several years later.

Post-Foreman

Following the fight with Foreman, Kirkman won yet another 10 consecutive bouts. Strangely enough, only half were knockouts, whereas his knockout average was much higher. One of his more notable victories during this stretch came against Jack O'Halloran via points. He also encountered his second opponent ranked in the Ring Magazine Top 10 in Jimmy Ellis, whom he defeated by split decision.

Upset by Al Jones and Afterwards

On April 9, 1974, Kirkman fought Memphis "Al" Jones in what Kirkman considered a "tune-up fight". The fight was stopped abruptly when Kirkman, having knocked Jones down four times in the first two rounds, was knocked unconscious by a right hook from Jones. This was Kirkman's first loss in over three and a half years.

Following the loss, Kirkman immediately scheduled several ranked opponents in an attempt to recover his sinking ranking. As a result, Kirkman experienced consecutive losses for the first time in his career after losing to Ken Norton, on his return to Seattle in June 1974. Norton was known as "the guy that broke Ali's jaw", doing it the previous year as a 7-1 underdog. The Kirkman-Norton fight was stopped by the referee when Kirkman failed to answer the bell for the eighth round.

In September, Kirkman fought Ron Lyle, who the following year was beaten controversially by Ali for the WBA and WBC titles. The fight was stopped as a technical knockout due to a cut on Kirkman's cheek.

Post career

After retiring from boxing at age 33, Kirkman became a Boeing delivery truck driver. He retired from Boeing in 2010.

Kirkman lives near Renton with his wife Teese, a retired nurse. The two have been married since 1988. He has two children from a previous marriage, Erik and Nina. He also has two grandchildren.

In his spare time, Kirkman enjoys hiking and mountaineering. He has scaled four of the five highest peaks in Washington: Mount Rainier, Mount Saint Helens, Mount Adams, and Mount Baker.

Relationship with Jack Hurley

Kirkman and Jack Hurley were often at odds during Hurley's tenure. In interviews, Kirkman has expressed several criticisms of his former manager, including uncooperative behavior, leaving his boxers unprepared for fights, and a failure to secure a fight with Muhammad Ali during his prime (when Kirkman was the seventh-ranked boxer in the world). Additionally, Hurley was not heavily involved during the training process, which contributed to poor scheduling.

Two other former boxers who were signed to Hurley, Harry Matthews and Pete Radarmacher, experienced similar frustrations, often finding themselves overmatched when up against highly-ranked opponents.