Herb Fulton has always wanted to own his own gym and he realized his dream in 2015 when he opened Eight-Count Boxing on S. Austin Avenue.
On January 7, he achieved another goal, to write and publish a memoir that would inspire others and help them transform in their own lives.
Fulton held a signing party at his gym for the release of No Excuses, Just Results, a story about his life and how he has and continues to create positive change.
Self-published through Amazon, the book is available on the website and also on Kindle, and Fulton will have copies at all of his boxing events. His kickoff party was an exclusive look for his members and he has already scheduled another event at the Georgetown Library January 11. Following that he will be featured at the Georgetown Writers’ Club.
“I want to see transformation. It’s about going back and making things happen, even if they are just in the back of your mind. Even at my age, I look at the time I have to make things happen and this book will tell people, young and old, that it’s never too late to start.”
Next up for Eight-Count is a move from the amateur ranks to the pros with a fight February 25 in Frisco, Texas at the Cowboys’ practice stadium. Austin boxer and high-ranking junior-middleweight contender James “Mandingo Warrior” Kirkland is training at Eight-Count with former world title holder and current trainer Ann Wolfe. Kirkland will be taking on five-time champion Miguel Cotto in a pay-per-view HBO event.
Fulton’s gym features fitness, nutrition and, of course, boxing. His annual Sterling Gloves Tournament continues to grow and gain fans across the southern states. This year attendance was over 3500 and next year he says they will graduate from a two-day event to three days.
He has also begun a Young Entrepreneurs program in the gym. Some of his members (all of whom he calls Family) come to the gym to work out rather than competitively box. But Fulton, always looking to provide things kids can’t get elsewhere, decided to teach them not just the basics of business but get hands-on experience with manufacturing, design and production by handling the gym’s apparel and merchandising. “The kids make up my board and I just supervise while they manage the operations of this part of the business. I want to see them exercise but also do anything that will benefit them.”
