Boone Kirkman boxer

Daniel Victor "Boone" Kirkman (born February 6, 1945 in Vallejo, California) is a former amateur and professional Heavyweight boxer. He fought during the same era as George Foreman, Muhammad Ali, and Joe Frazier, which is often credited as one of the greatest heavyweight eras of all time. He spent his entire career based in Seattle, Washington.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" that regularly drank alcohol and smoked. Considering the rampant street crime in the area, this was only of moderate concern to Kirkman's father. During this time, Kirkman became interested in boxing during regular sparring sessions with his older brother Steve.Noting Kirkman's lack of interest in reading, a school friend recommended Rocky Graziano's autobiography Somebody Up There Likes Me, which was adapted into a film starring Paul Newman a year later. Kirkman's fondness of both the book and the film catalyzed him to pursue boxing at a serious level.