George Colton was born George Goodwin in Hattiesburg, Mississippi on October 13, 1939.
His family moved to Somerville, MA when George was six years old.
He began to box at an early age, eventually participating in the Golden Gloves in Lowell, Massachusetts.
A year after graduating from high school in 1956, George joined the U.S. Army and served as a paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne Division at Ft. Bragg, North Carolina. He successfully tried out for the Ft Bragg boxing team. During his enlistment he engaged in over 60 bouts touring the country participating against other service boxing teams. His biggest victory was a decision over 1960 U.S. 118-pound Olympian Jerry Armstrong.
George adopted his stepfather's name "Colton" when he made his professional debut in Boston on November 15, 1960 with a four-round decision over Jose Rigores. After running off six consecutive victories (4 by knockout) he was named Prospect of the Month by "The Ring" magazine in their July 1961 issue.
In the ring there was nothing fancy about George’s fighting style. He just loved to trade punches and was all business. He asked no quarter and if he nailed an opponent with a solid punch, he systematically went to work in an attempt to finish them. The fans liked his hard fighting style, which embodied a potent left hook, a hard right hand and lusty body punching.
George ran his unbeaten record to ten before suffering his first defeat to Jimmy Connors by split decision on the undercard of Joe DeNucci - Joey Giardello in Boston Garden. Connors was a highly regarded New England featherweight from New Bedford whom George had previously beaten in an eight rounder in Boston. The Colton-Connors fight was a real barnburner. The tide of the fight ebbed and flowed back and forth as first Connors and then Colton would have the advantage. In the tenth round a hard right to the jaw dropped Connors for a mandatory eight count. The ringsiders were spilt in their opinion of the decision, as were the three officials.
George stopped his next four opponents before meeting Jimmy Connors again in a rubber match at Boston Garden on March 16, 1962. His ten rounder with Connors was part of promoter Sam Silverman's annual Saint Patrick's Day boxing extravaganza. The other ten rounders included: Joe DeNucci-Don Fullmer; Tom McNeely-Don Prout; Bob Fosmire-Charley Scott; and, Mike Pusateri-Ted Williams.
The 13,640 in attendance saw another classic between Colton and Connors as the fight turned from a boxing match into a street battle, and a bloody one, as both men were covered with blood. It was all even on most cards going into the final three rounds when Colton staged a blistering rally to pull away with a unanimous decision.
His trilogy with Jimmy Connors may not have received the notoriety they deserved, but for those lucky enough to have witnessed them, all agreed they were among the most exciting and thrilling fights ever witnessed in a Boston ring.
A neck injury, which was later diagnosed as a pinched nerve, kept George out of the ring for the next eleven months. He returned to action on February 7, 1963 and stopped Puerto Rico's Pablo Colon Dios in 3 rounds, followed up a week later with a second round knockout over Texan Cowboy Tommy Carson. With a ring record of 17-1-0 (12), George was now the outstanding challenger for Tommy Haden's New England Featherweight Title. They met on March 18, 1963 in the Boston Garden as part of Promoter Sam Silverman's annual Saint Patrick's Day card. The other ten-rounders included: Joe DeNucci-Mike Pusateri; Larry Carney-Willie Green; Ted Williams-Arnie Brower; and, Dick French-Paul Christy.
Unfortunately for George he was still suffering pain in his neck which prevented him from lifting his gloves high to where they belonged. Haden turned in a masterful performance in stopping George in the fifth round. The fight was halted because of a bad cut George suffered over his left eye.
George was inactive in 1964-65 due to the pinched nerve in his neck. He returned to the ring on May 6, 1965 against Jay McCombs in a six rounder. Half way through the first round George reinjured the pinched nerve in his neck. Unable to throw his vaunted left hook with any authority or consistency George dropped a six round decision. The neck injury ultimately ended his boxing career while still in his prime. His final mark: 17-3-0 (12).
After his retirement from boxing, George became a fire protection specialist in the Fire Protection Sprinkler System's Union. He also helped train and coach young amateurs out of Lowell's West End Gym.
George is a resident of Lowell and serves on the board of directors of the International Veteran Boxers Association (IVBA) Ring 99.
He was inducted into the New England Boxing Hall of Fame in 1992.
George Colton, Billy Evans and Dan Cuoco