Philly’s only current world champion, boxer Stephen Fulton, isn’t feeling Brotherly Love

With each step he took, the crowd around him seemed to grow larger.

Stephen Fulton Jr. was absorbing the attention, laughing with fans, stopping to sign autographs and posing to take selfies. It was February 2020, on a big fight weekend, Deontay Wilder’s WBC heavyweight title rematch with Tyson Fury at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, so the fight crowd was in.

Amidst the love he was getting, someone asked Fulton if he would ever fight in his hometown of Philadelphia. Fulton, also known as “Scooter” turned around and said, “No, because I don’t get the love in Philly I should get. I don’t get the support I should get.”

In early May, Fulton will walk through Philadelphia International Airport and maybe a head or two will notice the only world champion in Philadelphia — from Philadelphia — right now. When he touches down in Tokyo, he’ll be mobbed far more in a foreign country than on his own West Philly block.

» READ MORE: West Philly’s Stephen Fulton to defend world title against Naoya Inoue in Japan

Fulton will be defending the WBC/WBO super bantamweight world titles (122 pounds) on May 7 in Tokyo against someone in pro boxing known as “The Monster,” Naoya Inoue, the undisputed bantamweight world champion moving up in weight to face Fulton.

This will be the 12th undefeated fighter Fulton (21-0, 8 KOs) will face in his pro career, while Inoue (24-0, 21 KOs) will be facing only his second in Fulton.

Inoue is considered “a superstar” internationally and thought of in his native Japan the way Tom Brady, Patrick Mahomes, and LeBron James are viewed in the United States.

The Eagles lost Super Bowl LVII. The Union lost the MLS Cup. The Phillies lost the World Series.

Somehow Philadelphia, heralded as a great “fight town,” lost its only world champion and one of the best boxers on the planet, Stephen Fulton.

“No one ever showed me love before, so I don’t really care for the love from Philly anymore,” Fulton said. “I’m not searching for the love. I feel like my whole career I’ve been reaching out, and reaching out, and it’s not worth worrying about anymore. With that being said, fans always want to support you until it’s too late. Look at the Phillies last year. They didn’t sell out until they made a playoff push, and because it’s baseball, they play every day and fans came back.

“Black people have to do a better job of supporting their own. Mexican fans show great support for their fighters. Puerto Rican fans support their fighters. Inoue is loved in Japan. You see how the British show up for Anthony Joshua. My race and culture have to do a better job of supporting one another. I’m not really searching for it anymore. When I go out to Japan and do my thing, by then, it’s going to be too late.”

A few external factors have to be considered in Fulton’s contention. For one, even though Philadelphia is still producing great talent (Fulton and Jaron “Boots” Ennis are among the world’s best young fighters), boxing is not the draw it once was, because of the way the sport conducts itself with myriad sanctioning bodies, and the political factions that have made it a niche sport.

The other glaring prejudice “Cool Boy Steph” faces is his lighter-weight status. If he were a middleweight or heavyweight champion, he couldn’t walk through a Walmart without being mobbed. Hall of Fame legend Bernard Hopkins gets stopped everywhere he goes, and the all-time great has been retired since 2016.

» READ MORE: Jaron Ennis could be Philly’s next great boxing champion, but first he needs a title shot

“Philly is not a town that embraces their own,” Hopkins said. “It took me a while, not until I beat [Felix] Trinidad. The majority of Philly sports fans wait until you do something spectacular to get their attention. This is a town that thrives off the unusual. I think Stephen will do the unusual. You keep winning; you keep fulfilling goals. If Cool Boy Steph fought in Los Angeles, Miami, New York, he would be loved. Look at how this fanbase treated Jalen Hurts. [At] the beginning of last year, they all had doubt. He proved them wrong. Now, they love him.

“This city loves frontrunners. They’re that way with their sports teams, except the Eagles, because they’re there win or lose. The other thing is if Steph looked like someone from the Main Line, it might be a different story, too. This city isn’t going to ride with you like other cities. It’s not a good supportive sports city. The city of Philadelphia is missing out on Stephen Fulton. I doubt he is missing out on anything.”

Fulton isn’t.

He stands to make close to eight figures for the Inoue fight. If he wins, which many in boxing don’t think he can, he will be an international superstar in the sport, which still maintains crossover appeal in every nation — except the United States.

“It’s frustrating because Scooter has the personality, the talent, that he should receive more attention than he does,” said Wahid Rahim, Fulton’s trainer, who has been with the 28-year-old since he turned pro.

“Philadelphia is all crabs in a barrel, all out to pull each other down. Philadelphia is a bad sports town. Philadelphia eats its own babies. They do it so maliciously; they’ve created a reputation that’s continued for generations. Look at the way they treat their athletes in the city today. Once Scooter wins this fight, he’ll be an international superstar who has broken barriers.

“In the beginning of his career, he took on monsters, all of these undefeated fighters. Everyone took the cakewalks. Scooter rose from the mud, and he’s been victorious every time. After he beats Inoue, I don’t care to accept the love anymore. It’s like begging your girlfriend for a hug. Family is supposed to support family. Why would we want the love when we come back winners?”

Can Fulton win?

“Fulton can beat Inoue,” said Nonito Donaire, a future Hall of Famer and multiple world champion who lost to Inoue twice. Donaire’s first fight with Inoue was named the 2019 BWAA fight of the year.

“There are two things that cause Inoue problems: One is lateral movement: Keep Inoue turning and turning, so he doesn’t set. He needs to set before he attacks. I got drawn into a firefight with Inoue. Fulton is going to have to suppress him, catch and shoot, catch and shoot, and he’ll fall for that every single time.

“Fulton is a tough guy who believes in himself. He’s also a bigger guy [Fulton is 5-foot, 6½-inches with a 70½-inch reach to Inoue’s 5-foot, 5-inch frame and 67½-inch reach]. He’s going to watch for Inoue’s body shots. His power will be diminished because he’s moving up.

“Fulton can win this fight. Just turn him, don’t give him space, and when Inoue fires, you can counter him quickly. When he punches, he pauses for a second, and Fulton has the speed to catch him.”

Fulton is grateful. He doesn’t even care about the money.

“I love what I do. I’m a fighter; I’ll get angry when the fight comes,” Fulton said. “I respect Inoue. He’s a great fighter. But if they don’t think my punches hurt, we’ll see. After every one of my fights, the other guy is beat up. I’m not. I won’t shock the world on May 7, because in my mind, I’ve already won. After I win, I’m coming home to Philly. That won’t change. I love my city. Whether or not they love me, I won’t look for it. I believe in who I am. I’m a fighter.”

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