Poulton in the press
Recent News Article about Poulton's Retirement Fight Victory over Eric Martin on 9/15/24 at AIC College in Springfield, MA
a collection of Newspaper stories about "the punisher"
Todd 'The Punisher' Poulton knocks out Daniel Evans at Northeast Wrestling event
By Akeem Glaspie
[email protected]
@TheAkeemGlaspie on Twitter
POSTED: 08/26/2016
PITTSFIELD - Dalton native Todd "The Punisher" Poulton will end his celebrity boxing career on top, announcing his retirement after a third-round knockout of "Dangerous" Daniel Evans at Wahconah Park on Friday.
Poulton unleashed a flurry of punches late in the round, connecting with a powerful cross to Evans' chin, dropping him to the canvas. Poulton ends his career with a 12-1 record.
"That fighter is so strong," Poulton said of Evans. "I give my shirt off to that guy. He was a great fighter. ... My hand is broke I hit him so hard, but he just didn't want to go [down].
"But this is it, I'm all done. I've got to train kids."
Poulton was overcome with emotion after the fight as friends and family gathered around to congratulate him. He's donating the purse of the fight to Christian Vonberg, a Wahconah Regional High School student that's battling brain cancer. Vonberg entered the ring after the fight to celebrate with Poulton as well.
The bout was the penultimate event of "Wrestling Under the Stars" and over 2,000 people gathered at historic Wahconah Park to take in the event. Many young fans were dressed in wrestling shirts, masks and face paint, chanting loudly throughout. Poulton's nephew, Matthew 12, of Brunswick, Maine, was delighted when "The Punisher" delivered the knockout blow.
"It was really cool — that last move — he ducked under the swing and knocked him out," the younger Poulton said. "I didn't know what was going to happen.
When I saw [Evans] go down, I wasn't expecting it. But I was really happy."
Local boxer Todd "The Punisher" Poulton teaches kids that to get where he is today, he never got into drinking or drugs before his fight at the end of a "Wrestling Under the Stars" wrestling event hosted by Northeast Wrestling at Wahconah Park in Pittsfield.
Former WWE stars Jeff and Matt Hardy wrestled in separate singles matches, with both winning. WWE star Mick Foley made a cameo appearance, assisting Jerry "The King" Lawler in his victory. Lawler and Cody Rhodes seemed to draw the loudest ovations from the crowd. Jushin "Thunder" Liger and Mandy Leon won a co-ed tag team match, as well.
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Todd 'The Punisher' Poulton leaning on experience for Wrestling Under the Stars boxing match
By Akeem Glaspie
[email protected]m
@TheAkeemGlaspie on Twitter
POSTED: 08/25/2016
PITTSFIELD - Confidence is high on both sides as Dalton native Todd "The Punisher" Poulton prepares to fight "Dangerous" Daniel Evans in a celebrity boxing match at Wahconah Park tonight.
The bout is part of the "Wrestling Under the Stars" series and will be the headlining event.
Evans wrestles in Northeast Wrestling, but he has experience as an underground boxer as well, going 5-0-1. Poulton, 52, is the more experienced fighter with 12 celebrity boxing matches under his belt, but Evans said he has a physical advantage over the older Poulton.
"I'm definitely bigger, a lot stronger and younger [than Poulton]," he said. "I'm training at my best and he won't be at the same level. I don't underestimate anyone, but I've got pretty good confidence about the fight."
Poulton may be older, but he said he's been training hard for the fight, dropping about 40 pounds in preparation. He added that his experience in the ring against the likes of Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake and Jose Canseco will have him prepared to face Evans.
"He's a wrestler," Poulton said of Evans. "He's no Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake, a guy in the class of a Hulk Hogan. He's a street fighter with a wide stance. He's got me on years, but with age comes wisdom. ... "Dangerous" Danny Evans — who is he?"
Poulton said he'll have his breathing coach Paul Therrien and local coaching legend Paul Procopio in his corner during the fight. He credited Therrien with helping him battle the effects of adult asthma, and said Procopio's calming presence will help him control his adrenaline when he's back in his corner. "The
Punisher" said he wants to fight under control, but he knows a good offense may be his best defense.
"Round 1 I'm going to see what he's got," he said. "My defense hasn't been great, I'm going to take shots, but I enjoy getting hit. I like to taste my blood and go nuts.
"I've had people who wanted me to be more of a boxer, but once the bell rings I want to go and rip your head off."
Regardless of the outcome, Poulton said he's honored to return to Wahconah Park and fight for a good cause. He's donating the purse to Christian Vonburg of
Hinsdale, a senior at Wahconah who is battling brain cancer.
"If I get beat, I'll leave my heart in the ring because I'm fighting for an incredible cause. Christian's had over 100 operations, imagine being Christian Vonburg. ... I'm trying to deliver a knockout for him. They'll see a Tasmanian devil in the ring."
Three-time WCWA heavyweight champion Jerry "The King" Lawler, Jushin "Thunder" Liger, Mick Foley and Cody Rhodes, son of WWE Hall Of Fame wrestler Dusty Rhodes, will be part of the undercard. An autograph session will be held at 4:30 p.m, and the first bell is scheduled for 7. Poulton-Evans will be at about 9.
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Todd Poulton stung by stingray, but still on track for Wahconah Park boxing match
Berkshire Eagle Staff
[email protected]
@EagleSportsZone on Twitter
POSTED: 08/16/2016
PITTSFIELD - Dalton, MA native Todd "The Punisher" Poulton had a slight scare while preparing for his upcoming celebrity boxing match against "Dangerous" Daniel Evans.
The match is the headlining event of "Wrestling Under the Stars" at Wahconah Park on Aug. 26, but while he was training for the bout in Myrtle Beach, S.C.,
Poulton was injured by a stingray, resulting in a trip the Tidelands Waccamaw Community Hospital last Thursday.
Poulton said he had a one-inch barb removed from his foot, and after receiving a tenus shot and medication, he was left to deal with the painful aftereffects of the barb's poison.
"I thought it was a shark attack," he said. "I thought my foot was gone. I thought something clamped down on me and took my foot."
The incident happened about 50 yards from the shore. After being stung, a lifeguard helped rescue Poulton and get him medical attention. At the hospital, the doctor made a small incision in Poulton's foot to remove the barb.
The Wahconah Regional High School graduate wanted to keep the bloody barb as a keepsake, but ultimately decided against it.
After taking a day off to rest, he resumed training, which consists mostly of light cardio and weight training.
"I'm a quick healer," Poulton said of the attack that he initially thought was much more serious. "It's just another thing I've got to fight through."
Poulton looks to improve his celebrity boxing record to 12-1. He's donating the purse to Christian Vonburg of Hinsdale, a senior at Wahconah who is battling brain cancer.
Other wrestlers involved in the undercard include three-time WCWA heavyweight champion Jerry "The King" Lawler, Jushin "Thunder" Liger, Mick Foley and Cody Rhodes, son of WWE Hall Of Fame wrestler Dusty Rhodes.
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Todd Poulton will box again at Wahconah Park
By Derek Gentile
[email protected]
@DerekGentile on Twitter
POSTED: 07/27/2016
PITTSFIELD -- The boxing bug has bitten Todd Poulton again.
Poulton, 52, has signed on to fight "Dangerous" Daniel Evans in a celebrity boxing match at Wahconah Park on Friday, Aug. 26.
The event, "Wrestling Under The Stars," is produced by Northeast Wrestling, and features seven wrestling matches on the undercard, according to promoter Michael Lombardi. The Poulton-Evans boxing match is the headline event.
The event will feature three rounds at one minute apiece.
Lombardi has promoted wrestling cards throughout the Northeast, including New York, Ohio, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts.
Other wrestlers involved in the undercard include three-time WCWA heavyweight champion Jerry "The King" Lawler, Jushin "Thunder" Liger, Mick Foley and Cody Rhodes, son of WWE Hall-Of-Famer Dusty Rhodes.
Both Poulton and Lombardi took pains to point out that while the wrestling matches will feature, as they usually do, preordained finishes, the boxing match will not.
"No, this is real," said Poulton in a recent interview. "I want to beat this guy."
"My guy doesn't want to lose, I promise you," said Lombardi.
Poulton is 11-1 in celebrity boxing matches. His last bout was in 2011.
As he often does, Poulton will be donating his entire purse for a local cause. In this case, he is donating the purse to Christian Vonburg of Hinsdale, a senior at Wahconah Regional High School who is battling brain cancer.
"He's a fighter," said Poulton of Vonburg. "He was diagnosed at five, and he was given only a few years. But next spring, he will be graduating from high school.
"So I'm doing this fight for him, and to help knock out brain illnesses."
Evans is a wrestler now, but, according to Lombardi, he boxed in the Golden Gloves program as a young man.
"He has some experience in the boxing ring," said Lombardi of Evans.
Evans is also 27, almost half Poulton's age.
"I've been training hard," said Poulton, when asked if he feels ready for the bout. He has been training with former welterweight and super welterweight champion Jose Antonio Rivera for several months.
"I'm ready. I'm going to beat this guy," Poulton said.
Poulton will be throwing out the first pitch at the last Pittsfield Suns home game on Friday, Aug. 5.
For ticket information, go to www.northeastwrestling.com or www.pittsfieldsuns.com.
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"Pittsfield resident Todd Poulton brings his memorable mug to TV's Sleepy Hollow"
by Jenn Smith of The Berkshire Eagle
Story published on January 26, 2015
PITTSFIELD
Todd Poulton's got a memorable face.
Within 30 minutes of his fiancée, Melinda Tarjick, sending them a few headshots taken with a cellphone camera, Poulton was cast as an extra for the Fox Television series, "Sleepy Hollow." The show puts Washington Irving's characters Ichabod Crane and the Headless Horseman into a modern supernatural drama.
Poulton's expected to appear in Monday night's new episode, which airs at 9 p.m.
You won't hear his voice, but in the bar scene he filmed, you might see him playing the "suspicious guest," marked by the two-toned blue tattoo scrolled onto the right side of his face. For the scene, his hair was mussed "like a werewolf," Poulton said. Costumers dressed him in a purple shirt and long black coat, and he was given an electronic cigar to smoke, reinforcing his appearance as a dangerous-looking bloke.
Todd Poulton shows off some pages from his scrapbook of boxing accomplishments. Poulton, 50, has been been managing life with OCD, and has worked to raise awarness about it through talks and celebrity boxing matches. "When you look at a guy like me, most people look scared," said Poulton, whose various career roles have included contending spots on celebrity boxing tours. Poulton, who also goes by his stage name, "The Punisher," convinced Wesley Lamore at Pittsfield's Intradermal Designs to give him the facial ink so he could mimic the infamous look of now retired professional boxer Mike Tyson.
But Poulton's looks can be deceiving, as the "Sleepy Hollow" crew quickly discovered. For his scene, they directed him to take a drag on the e-cigar. Seconds later, the tanned, burly, 200-plus-pound 50-year-old was doubled over, choking and coughing like an adolescent.
Poulton remembered the director yelling at him, "Cut! Hey Face Tattoo Guy, what's the matter with you? You never smoked before?"
The boxer laughed, recounting the incident. "'No,' I told him. And that's the absolute truth."
Lauren Poulton, 22, grew up in the Berkshires with her father and two siblings, Casey and Christian, and now lives in Durham, N.C. She describes her dad as "outgoing, lovable and kindhearted."
"I want people to know that if you judge him purely on his loud, outgoing personality or his face tattoo, you are missing out," Lauren said.
"He was a teacher of special education when I was growing up and it really made me admire him as a person because I saw how much he cared for other people. He taught me to treat everyone with the same amount of respect and that the most important thing in life is to do good for other people," she said.
Todd Poulton's looks and antics combined have, in recent years, given him some local, regional, even national press on the boxing and entertainment circuits. Through this exposure, he's also been able to highlight the fact that his actions, well-intentioned or misunderstood, are spurred by what he describes as his "biggest rival" — OCD.
Poulton's part of 1 percent of the population in the United States affected by obsessive-compulsive disorder. That's about 2.2 million adults ages 18 and older, according to statistics reported by the National Institute of Mental Health.
Symptoms of this disorder have been highlighted in mainstream media, from "Deal or No Deal" game show host Howie Mandel's fear of germs and contamination to numerous network shows about the compulsion known as hoarding, which ties into the fear of letting things go.
While the symptoms may seem fascinating and quirky to some people, for the individuals who find themselves obsessing over specific thoughts, or feeling uncontrollably compelled to do certain things, OCD can make life a very scary and painful existence.
Clinical Psychologist Aaron Sardell, Psy.D., has been the director of The Counseling Center in the Berkshires since 2010.
"The challenge of OCD is how disruptive it becomes in people's daily lives," Sardell said.
A symptom like hoarding, for example, can present serious environmental health problems. The symptom known as "checking behavior," something Poulton has been affected by, compels people with OCD to repeatedly check on certain things, like their house, or the bumps they hit in the road, until they're convinced that nothing has been harmed or damaged.
In Poulton's case, his behaviors caused him to leave a full-time job he loved.
Since the 1980s, Poulton's work has been with youths and adults who face significant challenges, from physical and cognitive disabilities to trauma and abuse.
Retired Wahconah Regional High School math teacher and athletics coach, Paul Procopio has been a longtime colleague and friend of Poulton's.
"Todd and I go way back, before the tattoos," Procopio said.
As a youth, Poulton was a modest boy from the Dalton hilltowns. He won equestrian show awards and in had a knack for hockey.
Procopio said Poulton and his siblings inherited a strong set of values and faith from their parents, James and Donna, both active in volunteering their time and talents.
After graduating from Wahconah, Poulton went back to the district to work as a track and field coach and also work with children with special needs.
"In a school setting he was fabulous," Procopio said.
He recalls Poulton's particular focus working with a pair of brothers attending Nessacus Middle School. They had severe physical limitations due to complications with multiple sclerosis. Poulton used his strength to literally carry the boys through classes and field trips so they could enjoy life.
Poulton said as he got older, his ODC symptoms became more prevalent, particularly as he experienced losses in his life, such as when those boys he cared for died from MS, and his first marriage failed, and he struggled with weight between the mid-1980s and '90s.
Poulton went on to hold jobs with Hillcrest Educational Centers and Berkshire County ARC, but by the early 2000s, his "checking behaviors" — leaving for work but having to turn around to check that the house was secure, multiple times — became a chronic issue of tardiness and failure to show. He was forced to stop working.
Poulton's older daughter, Casey Garavito, 27, a physical therapist now working in Myrtle Beach, S.C. said, "Growing up we always picked fun at Dad for having to do what we called his 'twosies,' which meant if something struck him as odd or bothered him he would have to turn around and do it twice. It wasn't until around 2005 when he was officially diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder, that I really started to research the disease and even found that I carried many similar traits."
Today, she credits his advocacy and says, "My hope for him is that he continues to actively participate in the battle against the mental health stigma and continues to find inner peace."
Poulton is now treated through combined behavioral therapy counseling and medication. "It's because of this, I believe I'm still alive," he said.
And though he's on disability from working, he keeps active by doing things like coaching kids and adults pro bono in his home gym, and taking on different hobbies and boxing benefits for charity.
Kathy Armstrong said her grandson Kyntrell Daniels, 9, has not only benefited from Poulton's coaching, but his mentorship. Poulton told Daniels that he'll only help him with his boxing if Daniels helps his grandparents around the house and keeps his grades up.
"Kyntrell idolizes Todd. He listens," said Armstrong, who noted that her grandson recently earned a "most improved student" award.
Poulton currently plans on moving to Myrtle Beach to be closer to his children, and to continue to find ways to help people through athletic training and charitable activities.
"My job today is trying to stay mentally focused and get the word out there to never, never give up on your dreams, no matter what you suffer from, and be a productive member in your community," Poulton said.
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"Another test for Poulton, This time, a former Heavyweight Champ"
by Akeem Glaspie of The Berkshire Eagle
Story published on March 22, 2014
LENOX
A trip to Cracker Barrel, a case of mistaken identity, and a game of checkers led to a June match that could be the last fight of local boxer Todd Poulton's career.
When Poulton went to the Myrtle Beach, S.C., restaurant, he thought he stumbled upon a chance meeting with former heavyweight boxer George Foreman. It was not Foreman; it was, however, one-time heavyweight champion James "Bonecrusher" Smith.
"I had no idea I was going to run into this guy," Poulton said. "When I saw him, I said this is my chance."
After introducing himself to the former champion, Poulton let Smith know that he was a boxer as well.
Poulton said Smith was skeptical of him at first, but, after looking him up online, Smith confirmed that Poulton was in fact who he said he was.
"He asked me to do a three-round exhibition," Smith said. "I said, ‘Todd, do you have any experience?' "
Poulton said no, but that he was a celebrity boxer.
Smith replied, "I'm the first person to take Mike Tyson 12 rounds, when he was a fighter, not a biter. You could get hurt."
Poulton was not deterred, and the fight was soon set for June 14. After coming up with an agreement that the fight would benefit Smith's charity Cham pion for Kids, and his Do Right Challenge and summer camp, Smith agreed to the fight on one condition: Poulton had to beat him in a game of checkers.
Poulton won the game, and the fight was official.
Upon hearing that Poulton set up the fight, friend and sparring partner Mike Wilks of Pittsfield was surprised, but he said that's part of Poulton's take-on-all-comers personality.
"This has been a lifelong dream for Todd to box," Wilks said. "I know Todd's got a good heart, and he's always doing things for other people. This is his way of giving back a little bit."
Poulton's celebrity boxing career has taken him into the ring with former Major League Baseball player Jose Canseco, and former WWE wrestler Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake.
Poulton's friends and family know he'll take on all challengers, but his father James Poulton will not mind when Todd hangs up his gloves after his fight against Bonecrusher.
"He promised before that his last fight was going to be his last fight," James said. "His mother and I have been going through this since he started. ... There's always a risk factor in any combative sport. I hope they keep it cool, and have a nice program."
The fight will cap a three-day event for Smith's charity, which begins June 12 with a book writing seminar, followed by sessions led by former NFL and NBA athletes.
The proceeds to the fight go to Smith's charity, but Poulton is actively raising funds for his Knocking Out Mental Illness charity as well.
When Poulton finally hangs up his gloves, he said he'll continue to work with local youth such as Golden Gloves youth fighter Kyntrell Daniels of Pittsfield, teaching boxing, and working with manager A.J. Vittone to promote his own promotion company with the members of Team Poulton.
When the final towel is thrown in, Poulton said he wants to be remembered for his work in the community.
"I come across as the face tattoo guy, maybe he's nuts, but my heart is in the right place," he said. "It's always about charity."
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"Boxer aims punches at his OCD" By Brian Sullivan, Special to The Berkshire Eagle
Story published in the May 31, 2012 edition of The Berkshire Eagle
PITTSFIELD
Todd "The Punisher" Poulton can come off as a raving lunatic or a heady self-promoter. He can be a pain in the butt or the best friend you would ever want to have. There are people who think that the only thing Poulton punishes is your senses. He can be that frenetic, that demanding and behave that much outside the box. His ego can get blown up sometimes so that it's bigger than the beautiful St. Bernard pup that shares his Peck's Road home. There's not enough chalk in a teacher's classroom to draw a circle around the life of this enigmatic 48-year-old whose sandbox playmates over the past five years have included former baseball slugger Jose Canseco.
If you're going to travel with "The Punisher," then you need more than a seat belt. That's because the trip is going to be more like one of the big ticket thrill-and-spill rides they offer at Disney World. But when you hang around with someone whose life is consumed by obsessive compulsive disorder and a career in the ring as a celebrity boxer, then please don't shake your head in disbelief at the end of the day. It is, folks, exactly what you are picturing -- a life like few know or can understand.
Poulton is like a ripe peach caught in a blender with the setting on puree. Still, that blender can yield a potent concoction of both humility and passion. And every time the 1982 Wahconah Regional graduate steps into the ring, he hopes to put some attention on the disorder that he pretty much self-diagnosed about five years ago after suffering what he calls a nervous breakdown that ended his second marriage. It was on the heels of those dark days that the OCD was revealed. And the healing has been a work in progress ever since.
"I was in the second grade," said Poulton, relating a story he tells often. "We were learning how to use a ruler and the teacher asked me to point to the 7. But I could only point to the 6 or 8. She thought I was being a wise little kid. But I was in a sweat. I couldn't point to the odd number."
Anxiety fuels the fear. That's the OCD equation that Poulton better understands now. But through his younger years and into his high school days, he had to learn to dance around the devil's demands. He couldn't possibly wear an uneven number on any athletic uniform.
It's a very strange sort of anxiety. "You just feel something bad is going to happen," Poulton said.
Even when he runs to train, the distance must be 2, 4 or 6 miles. It's never 1 or 3 or 5. On those same training runs, Poulton used to go by a road sign that was crooked. He'd first run past the sign, and then up the road he would double back and circle the sign six times before continuing.
"You might not even notice it," Poulton added. "But if I came to your house and it was the first time, I would enter and then step out and enter again. I would do that because I thought it made the visit safer for me."
As a grammar school student, he would flick the lights on and off -- twice, not once -- when entering a room. And, of course, he was reprimanded often for his truant-like behavior that was both obsessive and compulsive. The signs were everywhere, but OCD was still a new frontier. Nobody knew, and during those days you wouldn't expect anyone to understand. All "The Punisher" knew was that he was being punished for behavior he didn't understand. And, it hurt. A chance to attend prep school on a hockey scholarship, college and two marriages were just a few of the many casualties along the way. His career in special education was also deep-sixed, and Poulton now collects disability checks.
"I'm not allowed to make any money off my celebrity fights," he said. "I always pick a charity in advance of each bout."
That a nervous breakdown didn't happen until the age of 42 was a testament to Poulton's sheer will and the love he has for his two daughters, Casey and Lauren, his son, Christian, and adopted stepson, Tyler. He also has a wide circle of supportive friends, many of whom knew him when he was just a quirky teen.
"It got more quirky as I got older," he said.
Jim Poulton, Todd's father, was an Army boxing champion in the late 1940s and early 1950s. So, boxing was already in "The Punisher's" DNA when he decided in his early 40s to pursue a professional career. The state boxing licensing board, however, would not allow his first scheduled bout because of his age. So, he turned to celebrity boxing and in the past handful of years has become what he calls a "B celebrity." He's received notoriety, in part, because of who he's fought -- Canseco's on that list -- and also because of the OCD factor. Few would argue that it's not a compelling storyline.
"Wearing headgear and using 16-ounce gloves," said Poulton, are the most significant differences between being pro and the celebrity game.
"Some people think celebrity boxing is choreographed in advance," said Poulton about the three, one-minute round matches against hopefully well-known opponents from the entertainment field. "But they are definitely not."
It's hard when you're around Poulton to know where the OCD ends and his Type A out-there personality begins. Is the boxing itself an obessive, compulsive passion? After all, he's 48. It's not a hobby most people his age have. Even Poulton's not sure.
"It's like 50-50," he said, adding that the facial tattoo around his right eye was solely a "marketing" tool and not the result of any disorder issues. "And I love raising money for charity."
Poulton hopes to be in the ring again locally this summer. He knows that his efforts put the spotlight on OCD and the challenges of dealing with it. That, for now, is reason enough to train.
But how much longer can the show go on?
"I don't know," he said. "Maybe until I'm 50. Or maybe until someone writes a book or makes a movie."
But if that never happens, he's already defeated some of the odds. Well, you know, the even ones at least.
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"Todd Poulton Fights In & Out Of The Ring" By Barbara Pinnella, Pound4Pound.com
Story was published in June, 2009 on the Boxing Web Site - Pound4Pound.com
In the boxing world Todd Poulton isn’t a household name. In fact, I would wager that most people have never even heard of him. But Poulton is looking to make a name for himself this Saturday when he makes his professional debut at age 45. Yes, you read that correctly, Todd is 45 years old. He will fight on Celebrity Boxing 9: Survival.
Survival is an accurate name for a boxing event that Poulton is involved in, for his biggest fight has been with OCD, Obsessive/Compulsive Disorder. While he has always wanted to be a boxer, there was one thing that kept him from pursuing his dream for all these years.
“Fear,” he replied simply. “Fear is the fuel that gets the OCD going. I remember winning a Division One hockey scholarship when I was in the twelfth grade at Phillips Exeter Academy and I went around with that letter. I was so happy saying ‘This is where I’m going! This is where I’m going!’. But deep down inside, as I ran around with that letter, showing my neighbors, I knew I wasn’t going. And I didn’t.”
But was there any chance that Todd would skip doing Celebrity Boxing? Nope, none. Poulton is still surprised and excited when he thinks about how all this has fallen together. “It’s absolutely unreal,” he told me. “This was something that started out as a little charity match with a local friend of mine, and resulted in me meeting A.J. (Vittone, announcer and now trainer/manager), and A.J. knowing the connections he does and, wow.”
Two years ago, when he was 43, Todd was supposed to have his first professional fight in the state of Massachusetts, but one week before that was to take place the state took his license and would not let him fight. Legally in that state, a fighter cannot have reached the age of 36 and turn pro. Had he had a pro career in his younger years things would have been different.
Poulton has not been sitting idol, and is in great shape. “My mother’s a nurse, and she’s still hoping that a doctor will say ‘No, no, no, you’re way too old’,” he laughed. “But the EEG and the EKG, and all the tests that they run come back like I’m in my twenties. So in a way the OCD has actually been very good because I train hard, I keep fit, and I stay away dangerous things that aren’t good for my body.”
Todd’s opponent will be Chris George, a 6’2”, 230-pounder from Aston, Pennsylvania. Poulton will be the smaller man at 5’10” and 220 pounds, and will fight out of the town of Pittsfield, Massachusetts. Years ago, when he fought as an amateur on the “Club/Bar Room” scene he had a record of 7-0 with 4 KOs. Even though this will be his first time on Celebrity Boxing, he has been signed to do five fights.
While Todd will finally get to capture his dream when he steps through the ropes, he has been living with his Obsessive/Compulsive Disorder for his entire life, and it is important to him to speak about it, both to educate others and to help himself through it. While there are many different forms of this disorder, one of his major hang-ups is with odd numbers. “I found this out when I was in second grade,” he explained. “The teacher was going around the room asking us to point to different measurements on a ruler and she told me to point to the seven. I knew where that seven was, but I could not make my finger go to that seven. I eventually found that out through what they call Cognitive Behavior Therapy. That’s really where it started.”
That is definitely not where it ended, however. “I used to have a mileage sheet I had to use, (and he was quick to point out that he never cheated the system, only himself), and if I went 13 miles I would write down 0/12, because that was an even number. The one would bother me a little bit, but because the one and the two were 12, I could do it.
“Here is what’s absolutely incredible about this disorder. In the last seven years, they pulled up all my reports, and they never found an odd number on it. If that doesn’t tell you something…”
Todd has a daughter who is headed into doctorate school, and when she would mention to her professors in psychology classes that her dad suffers from OCD, he would come in and be the class project on OCD. Or, as he joked, “a guinea pig. I started out at one college and then another college, and now I speak at seven or eight different colleges.”
But as I mentioned earlier, all the talking about it helps Todd. “It’s a very hidden disorder, and people think that if they show their quirks, as we call it, people are going to think they’re retarded, because it’s considered a mental illness. People today don’t want to be labeled anything.”
Several well-known people have discussed their battle with OCD, two of them being soccer star David Beckham and comedian Howie Mandel. Poulton is happy that people who are in the public eye have helped bring this disorder to the forefront, and wishes that others would not be afraid to talk about it, for the more information gets out there the better it is for all of those who are affected.“I’ll tell you where it makes it hard. I taught for 27 years in special education and I just lost my job recently, what with job cuts and all. It’s hard for me to find a job right now because I went public with this three years ago, and it kind of went all over the country. I’ve had interviews where they ask me to explain a little bit about my OCD, and then I never get the job.
“Half my life has been spent devoting my time and energy to people with handicaps. It kind of stinks to know that people are shying away from hiring me, even though I have an incredible work record, never been in trouble with the law, am a role model in the community – and yet I can’t get a job. And I am more clear and focused right now, because of my medication, and the Cognitive Behavior Therapy. It took 17 months to learn how to deal with this – when my brain is telling me one thing and I know it’s silly. Now I don’t have to go check the stove, or turn the light switch on an even amount of times.”
But with the victories are also things that have not yet been overcome. “Here are two things that I haven’t gotten over yet. I have never, ever, owned a cell phone, and I have never touched a computer, because in my world those two things represent danger; that something could happen to my kids. But this is a real thing. It’s like an alcoholic. People say just stop drinking, but it’s not that easy. I guess they could tell me to stop OCDing!”
Relationships have been difficult. When someone already prone to this disorder reaches the age of 40 or so, it is not uncommon for the OCD to manifest itself in different ways, and his second wife could not deal with it. “She had no idea what was going on, she knew it was freaky, and she left me.
“It was unfortunate, but now as I look at it, I have custody of my daughters, I’m a great dad, I’m a very good person, and I have OCD – OK! And now I’m in Celebrity Boxing!”
Which is exactly where he wants to be. And Todd is not alone, as now Vittone is also the manager of “Sugar” Ray Leonard, Jr.
I hope that you will watch Poulton’s fight, along with the main event between Jonny Fairplay and Michael Lohan. It will be broadcast LIVE on internet PPV Saturday night at 8:00 p.m. The Internet broadcast will be available at www.tvbydemand.com, and will cost $6.99 to view live.
Todd is on the road to winning his battle with OCD. I wish him luck and hope that he also wins his fight – in the second round, of course!
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"Ex-Red Sox Slugger Jose Canseco to fight Pittsfield, MA Native Todd Poulton as feature on Celebrity Boxing card in Springfield", by Patrick Johnson
Story originally published in the September 30, 2009 edition of The Springfield Republican
SPRINGFIELD
It’s billed as a modern battle of David vs. Goliath, but the Nov. 6 “celebrity boxing” match in downtown Springfield between former baseball slugger, one-time Madonna boy-toy and steroid user Jose Canseco and Pittsfield native Todd Poulton could be better described as “Jose vs. who?”
The three-round match, planned for 8 p.m. in the Sheraton Springfield at Monarch Place, was announced Tuesday by the Celebrity Boxing Federation.
The fight, the main event in an as yet undetermined night of fisticuffs between former child stars, reality show cast-offs and tabloid fodder from days gone by, is likely not going to eclipse memories of “The Thrilla in Manilla,” “The Rumble in the Jungle,” or even the best parts of Rocky III, IV or V.
Damon Feldman, president of the Celebrity Boxing Federation, said he expects a good draw for the event, the first the federation has put on in Massachusetts. It has staged several fights in New York, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles, he said.
The 45-year-old Canseco’s name recognition, Poulton’s ties to Western Massachusetts, and the curiosity factor of watching the famous and semi-famous smack each other around should combine to draw ticket-payers to the 700-seat hall, he said.
The cost? Thirty dollars general admission, $50 ringside. Another Canseco fight vs. former child star Danny Bonaduce of 1970s TV show “The Partridge Family” drew 3,000 people, he said. The two fought to a draw, although Feldman said Canseco was robbed by the judges.
The Celebrity Boxing Federation falls into the category of “sports entertainment,” not unlike the World Wrestling Federation although on a much smaller scale, he said.
“We’re the WWE of boxing,” he said. It’s for that reason that the matches do not need sanctioning by the state Boxing Commission, he said.
The bouts, three rounds of one minute each featuring fighters with heavy 18-ounce gloves and headgear, qualify as exhibitions, not actual boxing matches, he said.
Terrel Harris, director of communications for the state Executive Office of Public Safety, which oversees the Boxing Commission, said the commission determined the event was not boxing but entertainment.
Feldman said Canseco is one of the fight’s bigger names and better known actual athletes having played for the Oakland A’s, the Boston Red Sox and other teams.
Other talent includes past and present tabloid fodder such as Bonaduce, Tonya Harding, John Wayne Bobbitt, and Joey Buttafuco. The celebrity stable even Rodney King, he of the notorious Rodney King beating that set off the South Central riots in Los Angeles in the early 1990s. King was pitted against a retired police officer in a recent match in Philadelphia, Feldman said. “He won.”
Poulton, a lifelong sufferer of obsessive compulsive disorder, turned to boxing in his early 40s to beat the effects of the psychological disorder. His pro debut in Worcester in 2007 was halted days before the bout when the state Boxing Commission enforced a rule banning any boxer from making a pro debut after age 36. The resulting controversy made Poulton a celebrity of sorts, which was apparently good enough for the Celebrity Boxing Federation.
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Stoppage gives Todd Poulton victory in second round
By BARBARA PINNELLA, MOP Squad
Jun 26, 2009
Last week I did an interview with the 45-year-old boxer Todd Poulton. He was scheduled to make his professional debut this past Saturday against Chris George, a man 17 years his junior. The fight was one of many on the card of Celebrity Boxing 9: Survival.
You might remember that Todd suffers from OCD, and one of his major problems is with odd numbers. He told me that he really wanted to end the fight in the second round.
Well, he did just that, as Referee Jack McCaffery stopped the fight 30 seconds into round two after Poulton delivered a series of vicious body shots that lifted George off the ground several times (like Rocky Balboa did to Apollo Creed in the first Rocky film) and left him wincing in pain and buckling against the ropes.
Poulton was signed for five fights, and his next one will be on July 24. another fighter on the card will be his stablemate, Sugar Ray Leonard, Jr.
Baseball’s Jose Canseco will also be on the card.Congratulations Todd!
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"Todd Poulton Headlines Rivera Promotions Card"
Story originally published on September 11, 2007 on boxingscene.com
WORCESTER
Rivera Promotions, the newest boxing promotion company in New England, will launch its first show Sept. 21 at the National Guard Armory in Worcester with an exciting card featuring two local heavyweights making their professional debuts.
The main event will feature Todd Poulton, a resident of Pittsfield who his accomplishing his lifelong dream to box in a professional match. Poulton is also fighting for charity, hoping the event will raise awareness of the stresses of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, an ailment that he has suffered throughout his adult life.
Also, West Boylston heavyweight Keith Bianchini, 26, will make his professional debut after a stellar amateur career. Bianchini, who won by knockout only 30 seconds into his last match, is also following his dream of turning professional.
“He’s a tough kid who is ready to step to the next level,” said Sean “The Irish Express” Fitzgerald, a former professional fighter who trains Bianchini.
The card will also include Chuck Shearns, an Auburn supper middleweight appearing in his second professional fight. Shearns won in his debut in March via a fourth-round knockout.
Other exciting fights will be announced at a later date.
“Rivera Promotions’ goal all along was to showcase the local boxing talent and the spirit of boxing in Massachusetts, and we’re proud to say we’re doing just that in our first show,” said three-time world champion José Antonio Rivera, president of Rivera Promotions.
“Fans can expect the best in boxing entertainment in a professional forum run by dedicated people,” Rivera said. “This is going to be a momentous first show.”
Rivera, a veteran of the sport and active professional boxer, formed Rivera Promotions earlier this year with the goal of guiding the careers of local, committed boxers and rebuilding the sport of boxing in the New England area.
The National Guard Armory is located at 701 Main St. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the first bought is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Tickets to the event are $25 and are available at Camp Fitzy’s boxing gym, 70 Webster St., Worcester.
By Akeem Glaspie
[email protected]
@TheAkeemGlaspie on Twitter
POSTED: 08/26/2016
PITTSFIELD - Dalton native Todd "The Punisher" Poulton will end his celebrity boxing career on top, announcing his retirement after a third-round knockout of "Dangerous" Daniel Evans at Wahconah Park on Friday.
Poulton unleashed a flurry of punches late in the round, connecting with a powerful cross to Evans' chin, dropping him to the canvas. Poulton ends his career with a 12-1 record.
"That fighter is so strong," Poulton said of Evans. "I give my shirt off to that guy. He was a great fighter. ... My hand is broke I hit him so hard, but he just didn't want to go [down].
"But this is it, I'm all done. I've got to train kids."
Poulton was overcome with emotion after the fight as friends and family gathered around to congratulate him. He's donating the purse of the fight to Christian Vonberg, a Wahconah Regional High School student that's battling brain cancer. Vonberg entered the ring after the fight to celebrate with Poulton as well.
The bout was the penultimate event of "Wrestling Under the Stars" and over 2,000 people gathered at historic Wahconah Park to take in the event. Many young fans were dressed in wrestling shirts, masks and face paint, chanting loudly throughout. Poulton's nephew, Matthew 12, of Brunswick, Maine, was delighted when "The Punisher" delivered the knockout blow.
"It was really cool — that last move — he ducked under the swing and knocked him out," the younger Poulton said. "I didn't know what was going to happen.
When I saw [Evans] go down, I wasn't expecting it. But I was really happy."
Local boxer Todd "The Punisher" Poulton teaches kids that to get where he is today, he never got into drinking or drugs before his fight at the end of a "Wrestling Under the Stars" wrestling event hosted by Northeast Wrestling at Wahconah Park in Pittsfield.
Former WWE stars Jeff and Matt Hardy wrestled in separate singles matches, with both winning. WWE star Mick Foley made a cameo appearance, assisting Jerry "The King" Lawler in his victory. Lawler and Cody Rhodes seemed to draw the loudest ovations from the crowd. Jushin "Thunder" Liger and Mandy Leon won a co-ed tag team match, as well.
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Todd 'The Punisher' Poulton leaning on experience for Wrestling Under the Stars boxing match
By Akeem Glaspie
[email protected]m
@TheAkeemGlaspie on Twitter
POSTED: 08/25/2016
PITTSFIELD - Confidence is high on both sides as Dalton native Todd "The Punisher" Poulton prepares to fight "Dangerous" Daniel Evans in a celebrity boxing match at Wahconah Park tonight.
The bout is part of the "Wrestling Under the Stars" series and will be the headlining event.
Evans wrestles in Northeast Wrestling, but he has experience as an underground boxer as well, going 5-0-1. Poulton, 52, is the more experienced fighter with 12 celebrity boxing matches under his belt, but Evans said he has a physical advantage over the older Poulton.
"I'm definitely bigger, a lot stronger and younger [than Poulton]," he said. "I'm training at my best and he won't be at the same level. I don't underestimate anyone, but I've got pretty good confidence about the fight."
Poulton may be older, but he said he's been training hard for the fight, dropping about 40 pounds in preparation. He added that his experience in the ring against the likes of Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake and Jose Canseco will have him prepared to face Evans.
"He's a wrestler," Poulton said of Evans. "He's no Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake, a guy in the class of a Hulk Hogan. He's a street fighter with a wide stance. He's got me on years, but with age comes wisdom. ... "Dangerous" Danny Evans — who is he?"
Poulton said he'll have his breathing coach Paul Therrien and local coaching legend Paul Procopio in his corner during the fight. He credited Therrien with helping him battle the effects of adult asthma, and said Procopio's calming presence will help him control his adrenaline when he's back in his corner. "The
Punisher" said he wants to fight under control, but he knows a good offense may be his best defense.
"Round 1 I'm going to see what he's got," he said. "My defense hasn't been great, I'm going to take shots, but I enjoy getting hit. I like to taste my blood and go nuts.
"I've had people who wanted me to be more of a boxer, but once the bell rings I want to go and rip your head off."
Regardless of the outcome, Poulton said he's honored to return to Wahconah Park and fight for a good cause. He's donating the purse to Christian Vonburg of
Hinsdale, a senior at Wahconah who is battling brain cancer.
"If I get beat, I'll leave my heart in the ring because I'm fighting for an incredible cause. Christian's had over 100 operations, imagine being Christian Vonburg. ... I'm trying to deliver a knockout for him. They'll see a Tasmanian devil in the ring."
Three-time WCWA heavyweight champion Jerry "The King" Lawler, Jushin "Thunder" Liger, Mick Foley and Cody Rhodes, son of WWE Hall Of Fame wrestler Dusty Rhodes, will be part of the undercard. An autograph session will be held at 4:30 p.m, and the first bell is scheduled for 7. Poulton-Evans will be at about 9.
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Todd Poulton stung by stingray, but still on track for Wahconah Park boxing match
Berkshire Eagle Staff
[email protected]
@EagleSportsZone on Twitter
POSTED: 08/16/2016
PITTSFIELD - Dalton, MA native Todd "The Punisher" Poulton had a slight scare while preparing for his upcoming celebrity boxing match against "Dangerous" Daniel Evans.
The match is the headlining event of "Wrestling Under the Stars" at Wahconah Park on Aug. 26, but while he was training for the bout in Myrtle Beach, S.C.,
Poulton was injured by a stingray, resulting in a trip the Tidelands Waccamaw Community Hospital last Thursday.
Poulton said he had a one-inch barb removed from his foot, and after receiving a tenus shot and medication, he was left to deal with the painful aftereffects of the barb's poison.
"I thought it was a shark attack," he said. "I thought my foot was gone. I thought something clamped down on me and took my foot."
The incident happened about 50 yards from the shore. After being stung, a lifeguard helped rescue Poulton and get him medical attention. At the hospital, the doctor made a small incision in Poulton's foot to remove the barb.
The Wahconah Regional High School graduate wanted to keep the bloody barb as a keepsake, but ultimately decided against it.
After taking a day off to rest, he resumed training, which consists mostly of light cardio and weight training.
"I'm a quick healer," Poulton said of the attack that he initially thought was much more serious. "It's just another thing I've got to fight through."
Poulton looks to improve his celebrity boxing record to 12-1. He's donating the purse to Christian Vonburg of Hinsdale, a senior at Wahconah who is battling brain cancer.
Other wrestlers involved in the undercard include three-time WCWA heavyweight champion Jerry "The King" Lawler, Jushin "Thunder" Liger, Mick Foley and Cody Rhodes, son of WWE Hall Of Fame wrestler Dusty Rhodes.
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Todd Poulton will box again at Wahconah Park
By Derek Gentile
[email protected]
@DerekGentile on Twitter
POSTED: 07/27/2016
PITTSFIELD -- The boxing bug has bitten Todd Poulton again.
Poulton, 52, has signed on to fight "Dangerous" Daniel Evans in a celebrity boxing match at Wahconah Park on Friday, Aug. 26.
The event, "Wrestling Under The Stars," is produced by Northeast Wrestling, and features seven wrestling matches on the undercard, according to promoter Michael Lombardi. The Poulton-Evans boxing match is the headline event.
The event will feature three rounds at one minute apiece.
Lombardi has promoted wrestling cards throughout the Northeast, including New York, Ohio, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts.
Other wrestlers involved in the undercard include three-time WCWA heavyweight champion Jerry "The King" Lawler, Jushin "Thunder" Liger, Mick Foley and Cody Rhodes, son of WWE Hall-Of-Famer Dusty Rhodes.
Both Poulton and Lombardi took pains to point out that while the wrestling matches will feature, as they usually do, preordained finishes, the boxing match will not.
"No, this is real," said Poulton in a recent interview. "I want to beat this guy."
"My guy doesn't want to lose, I promise you," said Lombardi.
Poulton is 11-1 in celebrity boxing matches. His last bout was in 2011.
As he often does, Poulton will be donating his entire purse for a local cause. In this case, he is donating the purse to Christian Vonburg of Hinsdale, a senior at Wahconah Regional High School who is battling brain cancer.
"He's a fighter," said Poulton of Vonburg. "He was diagnosed at five, and he was given only a few years. But next spring, he will be graduating from high school.
"So I'm doing this fight for him, and to help knock out brain illnesses."
Evans is a wrestler now, but, according to Lombardi, he boxed in the Golden Gloves program as a young man.
"He has some experience in the boxing ring," said Lombardi of Evans.
Evans is also 27, almost half Poulton's age.
"I've been training hard," said Poulton, when asked if he feels ready for the bout. He has been training with former welterweight and super welterweight champion Jose Antonio Rivera for several months.
"I'm ready. I'm going to beat this guy," Poulton said.
Poulton will be throwing out the first pitch at the last Pittsfield Suns home game on Friday, Aug. 5.
For ticket information, go to www.northeastwrestling.com or www.pittsfieldsuns.com.
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"Pittsfield resident Todd Poulton brings his memorable mug to TV's Sleepy Hollow"
by Jenn Smith of The Berkshire Eagle
Story published on January 26, 2015
PITTSFIELD
Todd Poulton's got a memorable face.
Within 30 minutes of his fiancée, Melinda Tarjick, sending them a few headshots taken with a cellphone camera, Poulton was cast as an extra for the Fox Television series, "Sleepy Hollow." The show puts Washington Irving's characters Ichabod Crane and the Headless Horseman into a modern supernatural drama.
Poulton's expected to appear in Monday night's new episode, which airs at 9 p.m.
You won't hear his voice, but in the bar scene he filmed, you might see him playing the "suspicious guest," marked by the two-toned blue tattoo scrolled onto the right side of his face. For the scene, his hair was mussed "like a werewolf," Poulton said. Costumers dressed him in a purple shirt and long black coat, and he was given an electronic cigar to smoke, reinforcing his appearance as a dangerous-looking bloke.
Todd Poulton shows off some pages from his scrapbook of boxing accomplishments. Poulton, 50, has been been managing life with OCD, and has worked to raise awarness about it through talks and celebrity boxing matches. "When you look at a guy like me, most people look scared," said Poulton, whose various career roles have included contending spots on celebrity boxing tours. Poulton, who also goes by his stage name, "The Punisher," convinced Wesley Lamore at Pittsfield's Intradermal Designs to give him the facial ink so he could mimic the infamous look of now retired professional boxer Mike Tyson.
But Poulton's looks can be deceiving, as the "Sleepy Hollow" crew quickly discovered. For his scene, they directed him to take a drag on the e-cigar. Seconds later, the tanned, burly, 200-plus-pound 50-year-old was doubled over, choking and coughing like an adolescent.
Poulton remembered the director yelling at him, "Cut! Hey Face Tattoo Guy, what's the matter with you? You never smoked before?"
The boxer laughed, recounting the incident. "'No,' I told him. And that's the absolute truth."
Lauren Poulton, 22, grew up in the Berkshires with her father and two siblings, Casey and Christian, and now lives in Durham, N.C. She describes her dad as "outgoing, lovable and kindhearted."
"I want people to know that if you judge him purely on his loud, outgoing personality or his face tattoo, you are missing out," Lauren said.
"He was a teacher of special education when I was growing up and it really made me admire him as a person because I saw how much he cared for other people. He taught me to treat everyone with the same amount of respect and that the most important thing in life is to do good for other people," she said.
Todd Poulton's looks and antics combined have, in recent years, given him some local, regional, even national press on the boxing and entertainment circuits. Through this exposure, he's also been able to highlight the fact that his actions, well-intentioned or misunderstood, are spurred by what he describes as his "biggest rival" — OCD.
Poulton's part of 1 percent of the population in the United States affected by obsessive-compulsive disorder. That's about 2.2 million adults ages 18 and older, according to statistics reported by the National Institute of Mental Health.
Symptoms of this disorder have been highlighted in mainstream media, from "Deal or No Deal" game show host Howie Mandel's fear of germs and contamination to numerous network shows about the compulsion known as hoarding, which ties into the fear of letting things go.
While the symptoms may seem fascinating and quirky to some people, for the individuals who find themselves obsessing over specific thoughts, or feeling uncontrollably compelled to do certain things, OCD can make life a very scary and painful existence.
Clinical Psychologist Aaron Sardell, Psy.D., has been the director of The Counseling Center in the Berkshires since 2010.
"The challenge of OCD is how disruptive it becomes in people's daily lives," Sardell said.
A symptom like hoarding, for example, can present serious environmental health problems. The symptom known as "checking behavior," something Poulton has been affected by, compels people with OCD to repeatedly check on certain things, like their house, or the bumps they hit in the road, until they're convinced that nothing has been harmed or damaged.
In Poulton's case, his behaviors caused him to leave a full-time job he loved.
Since the 1980s, Poulton's work has been with youths and adults who face significant challenges, from physical and cognitive disabilities to trauma and abuse.
Retired Wahconah Regional High School math teacher and athletics coach, Paul Procopio has been a longtime colleague and friend of Poulton's.
"Todd and I go way back, before the tattoos," Procopio said.
As a youth, Poulton was a modest boy from the Dalton hilltowns. He won equestrian show awards and in had a knack for hockey.
Procopio said Poulton and his siblings inherited a strong set of values and faith from their parents, James and Donna, both active in volunteering their time and talents.
After graduating from Wahconah, Poulton went back to the district to work as a track and field coach and also work with children with special needs.
"In a school setting he was fabulous," Procopio said.
He recalls Poulton's particular focus working with a pair of brothers attending Nessacus Middle School. They had severe physical limitations due to complications with multiple sclerosis. Poulton used his strength to literally carry the boys through classes and field trips so they could enjoy life.
Poulton said as he got older, his ODC symptoms became more prevalent, particularly as he experienced losses in his life, such as when those boys he cared for died from MS, and his first marriage failed, and he struggled with weight between the mid-1980s and '90s.
Poulton went on to hold jobs with Hillcrest Educational Centers and Berkshire County ARC, but by the early 2000s, his "checking behaviors" — leaving for work but having to turn around to check that the house was secure, multiple times — became a chronic issue of tardiness and failure to show. He was forced to stop working.
Poulton's older daughter, Casey Garavito, 27, a physical therapist now working in Myrtle Beach, S.C. said, "Growing up we always picked fun at Dad for having to do what we called his 'twosies,' which meant if something struck him as odd or bothered him he would have to turn around and do it twice. It wasn't until around 2005 when he was officially diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder, that I really started to research the disease and even found that I carried many similar traits."
Today, she credits his advocacy and says, "My hope for him is that he continues to actively participate in the battle against the mental health stigma and continues to find inner peace."
Poulton is now treated through combined behavioral therapy counseling and medication. "It's because of this, I believe I'm still alive," he said.
And though he's on disability from working, he keeps active by doing things like coaching kids and adults pro bono in his home gym, and taking on different hobbies and boxing benefits for charity.
Kathy Armstrong said her grandson Kyntrell Daniels, 9, has not only benefited from Poulton's coaching, but his mentorship. Poulton told Daniels that he'll only help him with his boxing if Daniels helps his grandparents around the house and keeps his grades up.
"Kyntrell idolizes Todd. He listens," said Armstrong, who noted that her grandson recently earned a "most improved student" award.
Poulton currently plans on moving to Myrtle Beach to be closer to his children, and to continue to find ways to help people through athletic training and charitable activities.
"My job today is trying to stay mentally focused and get the word out there to never, never give up on your dreams, no matter what you suffer from, and be a productive member in your community," Poulton said.
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"Another test for Poulton, This time, a former Heavyweight Champ"
by Akeem Glaspie of The Berkshire Eagle
Story published on March 22, 2014
LENOX
A trip to Cracker Barrel, a case of mistaken identity, and a game of checkers led to a June match that could be the last fight of local boxer Todd Poulton's career.
When Poulton went to the Myrtle Beach, S.C., restaurant, he thought he stumbled upon a chance meeting with former heavyweight boxer George Foreman. It was not Foreman; it was, however, one-time heavyweight champion James "Bonecrusher" Smith.
"I had no idea I was going to run into this guy," Poulton said. "When I saw him, I said this is my chance."
After introducing himself to the former champion, Poulton let Smith know that he was a boxer as well.
Poulton said Smith was skeptical of him at first, but, after looking him up online, Smith confirmed that Poulton was in fact who he said he was.
"He asked me to do a three-round exhibition," Smith said. "I said, ‘Todd, do you have any experience?' "
Poulton said no, but that he was a celebrity boxer.
Smith replied, "I'm the first person to take Mike Tyson 12 rounds, when he was a fighter, not a biter. You could get hurt."
Poulton was not deterred, and the fight was soon set for June 14. After coming up with an agreement that the fight would benefit Smith's charity Cham pion for Kids, and his Do Right Challenge and summer camp, Smith agreed to the fight on one condition: Poulton had to beat him in a game of checkers.
Poulton won the game, and the fight was official.
Upon hearing that Poulton set up the fight, friend and sparring partner Mike Wilks of Pittsfield was surprised, but he said that's part of Poulton's take-on-all-comers personality.
"This has been a lifelong dream for Todd to box," Wilks said. "I know Todd's got a good heart, and he's always doing things for other people. This is his way of giving back a little bit."
Poulton's celebrity boxing career has taken him into the ring with former Major League Baseball player Jose Canseco, and former WWE wrestler Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake.
Poulton's friends and family know he'll take on all challengers, but his father James Poulton will not mind when Todd hangs up his gloves after his fight against Bonecrusher.
"He promised before that his last fight was going to be his last fight," James said. "His mother and I have been going through this since he started. ... There's always a risk factor in any combative sport. I hope they keep it cool, and have a nice program."
The fight will cap a three-day event for Smith's charity, which begins June 12 with a book writing seminar, followed by sessions led by former NFL and NBA athletes.
The proceeds to the fight go to Smith's charity, but Poulton is actively raising funds for his Knocking Out Mental Illness charity as well.
When Poulton finally hangs up his gloves, he said he'll continue to work with local youth such as Golden Gloves youth fighter Kyntrell Daniels of Pittsfield, teaching boxing, and working with manager A.J. Vittone to promote his own promotion company with the members of Team Poulton.
When the final towel is thrown in, Poulton said he wants to be remembered for his work in the community.
"I come across as the face tattoo guy, maybe he's nuts, but my heart is in the right place," he said. "It's always about charity."
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"Boxer aims punches at his OCD" By Brian Sullivan, Special to The Berkshire Eagle
Story published in the May 31, 2012 edition of The Berkshire Eagle
PITTSFIELD
Todd "The Punisher" Poulton can come off as a raving lunatic or a heady self-promoter. He can be a pain in the butt or the best friend you would ever want to have. There are people who think that the only thing Poulton punishes is your senses. He can be that frenetic, that demanding and behave that much outside the box. His ego can get blown up sometimes so that it's bigger than the beautiful St. Bernard pup that shares his Peck's Road home. There's not enough chalk in a teacher's classroom to draw a circle around the life of this enigmatic 48-year-old whose sandbox playmates over the past five years have included former baseball slugger Jose Canseco.
If you're going to travel with "The Punisher," then you need more than a seat belt. That's because the trip is going to be more like one of the big ticket thrill-and-spill rides they offer at Disney World. But when you hang around with someone whose life is consumed by obsessive compulsive disorder and a career in the ring as a celebrity boxer, then please don't shake your head in disbelief at the end of the day. It is, folks, exactly what you are picturing -- a life like few know or can understand.
Poulton is like a ripe peach caught in a blender with the setting on puree. Still, that blender can yield a potent concoction of both humility and passion. And every time the 1982 Wahconah Regional graduate steps into the ring, he hopes to put some attention on the disorder that he pretty much self-diagnosed about five years ago after suffering what he calls a nervous breakdown that ended his second marriage. It was on the heels of those dark days that the OCD was revealed. And the healing has been a work in progress ever since.
"I was in the second grade," said Poulton, relating a story he tells often. "We were learning how to use a ruler and the teacher asked me to point to the 7. But I could only point to the 6 or 8. She thought I was being a wise little kid. But I was in a sweat. I couldn't point to the odd number."
Anxiety fuels the fear. That's the OCD equation that Poulton better understands now. But through his younger years and into his high school days, he had to learn to dance around the devil's demands. He couldn't possibly wear an uneven number on any athletic uniform.
It's a very strange sort of anxiety. "You just feel something bad is going to happen," Poulton said.
Even when he runs to train, the distance must be 2, 4 or 6 miles. It's never 1 or 3 or 5. On those same training runs, Poulton used to go by a road sign that was crooked. He'd first run past the sign, and then up the road he would double back and circle the sign six times before continuing.
"You might not even notice it," Poulton added. "But if I came to your house and it was the first time, I would enter and then step out and enter again. I would do that because I thought it made the visit safer for me."
As a grammar school student, he would flick the lights on and off -- twice, not once -- when entering a room. And, of course, he was reprimanded often for his truant-like behavior that was both obsessive and compulsive. The signs were everywhere, but OCD was still a new frontier. Nobody knew, and during those days you wouldn't expect anyone to understand. All "The Punisher" knew was that he was being punished for behavior he didn't understand. And, it hurt. A chance to attend prep school on a hockey scholarship, college and two marriages were just a few of the many casualties along the way. His career in special education was also deep-sixed, and Poulton now collects disability checks.
"I'm not allowed to make any money off my celebrity fights," he said. "I always pick a charity in advance of each bout."
That a nervous breakdown didn't happen until the age of 42 was a testament to Poulton's sheer will and the love he has for his two daughters, Casey and Lauren, his son, Christian, and adopted stepson, Tyler. He also has a wide circle of supportive friends, many of whom knew him when he was just a quirky teen.
"It got more quirky as I got older," he said.
Jim Poulton, Todd's father, was an Army boxing champion in the late 1940s and early 1950s. So, boxing was already in "The Punisher's" DNA when he decided in his early 40s to pursue a professional career. The state boxing licensing board, however, would not allow his first scheduled bout because of his age. So, he turned to celebrity boxing and in the past handful of years has become what he calls a "B celebrity." He's received notoriety, in part, because of who he's fought -- Canseco's on that list -- and also because of the OCD factor. Few would argue that it's not a compelling storyline.
"Wearing headgear and using 16-ounce gloves," said Poulton, are the most significant differences between being pro and the celebrity game.
"Some people think celebrity boxing is choreographed in advance," said Poulton about the three, one-minute round matches against hopefully well-known opponents from the entertainment field. "But they are definitely not."
It's hard when you're around Poulton to know where the OCD ends and his Type A out-there personality begins. Is the boxing itself an obessive, compulsive passion? After all, he's 48. It's not a hobby most people his age have. Even Poulton's not sure.
"It's like 50-50," he said, adding that the facial tattoo around his right eye was solely a "marketing" tool and not the result of any disorder issues. "And I love raising money for charity."
Poulton hopes to be in the ring again locally this summer. He knows that his efforts put the spotlight on OCD and the challenges of dealing with it. That, for now, is reason enough to train.
But how much longer can the show go on?
"I don't know," he said. "Maybe until I'm 50. Or maybe until someone writes a book or makes a movie."
But if that never happens, he's already defeated some of the odds. Well, you know, the even ones at least.
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"Todd Poulton Fights In & Out Of The Ring" By Barbara Pinnella, Pound4Pound.com
Story was published in June, 2009 on the Boxing Web Site - Pound4Pound.com
In the boxing world Todd Poulton isn’t a household name. In fact, I would wager that most people have never even heard of him. But Poulton is looking to make a name for himself this Saturday when he makes his professional debut at age 45. Yes, you read that correctly, Todd is 45 years old. He will fight on Celebrity Boxing 9: Survival.
Survival is an accurate name for a boxing event that Poulton is involved in, for his biggest fight has been with OCD, Obsessive/Compulsive Disorder. While he has always wanted to be a boxer, there was one thing that kept him from pursuing his dream for all these years.
“Fear,” he replied simply. “Fear is the fuel that gets the OCD going. I remember winning a Division One hockey scholarship when I was in the twelfth grade at Phillips Exeter Academy and I went around with that letter. I was so happy saying ‘This is where I’m going! This is where I’m going!’. But deep down inside, as I ran around with that letter, showing my neighbors, I knew I wasn’t going. And I didn’t.”
But was there any chance that Todd would skip doing Celebrity Boxing? Nope, none. Poulton is still surprised and excited when he thinks about how all this has fallen together. “It’s absolutely unreal,” he told me. “This was something that started out as a little charity match with a local friend of mine, and resulted in me meeting A.J. (Vittone, announcer and now trainer/manager), and A.J. knowing the connections he does and, wow.”
Two years ago, when he was 43, Todd was supposed to have his first professional fight in the state of Massachusetts, but one week before that was to take place the state took his license and would not let him fight. Legally in that state, a fighter cannot have reached the age of 36 and turn pro. Had he had a pro career in his younger years things would have been different.
Poulton has not been sitting idol, and is in great shape. “My mother’s a nurse, and she’s still hoping that a doctor will say ‘No, no, no, you’re way too old’,” he laughed. “But the EEG and the EKG, and all the tests that they run come back like I’m in my twenties. So in a way the OCD has actually been very good because I train hard, I keep fit, and I stay away dangerous things that aren’t good for my body.”
Todd’s opponent will be Chris George, a 6’2”, 230-pounder from Aston, Pennsylvania. Poulton will be the smaller man at 5’10” and 220 pounds, and will fight out of the town of Pittsfield, Massachusetts. Years ago, when he fought as an amateur on the “Club/Bar Room” scene he had a record of 7-0 with 4 KOs. Even though this will be his first time on Celebrity Boxing, he has been signed to do five fights.
While Todd will finally get to capture his dream when he steps through the ropes, he has been living with his Obsessive/Compulsive Disorder for his entire life, and it is important to him to speak about it, both to educate others and to help himself through it. While there are many different forms of this disorder, one of his major hang-ups is with odd numbers. “I found this out when I was in second grade,” he explained. “The teacher was going around the room asking us to point to different measurements on a ruler and she told me to point to the seven. I knew where that seven was, but I could not make my finger go to that seven. I eventually found that out through what they call Cognitive Behavior Therapy. That’s really where it started.”
That is definitely not where it ended, however. “I used to have a mileage sheet I had to use, (and he was quick to point out that he never cheated the system, only himself), and if I went 13 miles I would write down 0/12, because that was an even number. The one would bother me a little bit, but because the one and the two were 12, I could do it.
“Here is what’s absolutely incredible about this disorder. In the last seven years, they pulled up all my reports, and they never found an odd number on it. If that doesn’t tell you something…”
Todd has a daughter who is headed into doctorate school, and when she would mention to her professors in psychology classes that her dad suffers from OCD, he would come in and be the class project on OCD. Or, as he joked, “a guinea pig. I started out at one college and then another college, and now I speak at seven or eight different colleges.”
But as I mentioned earlier, all the talking about it helps Todd. “It’s a very hidden disorder, and people think that if they show their quirks, as we call it, people are going to think they’re retarded, because it’s considered a mental illness. People today don’t want to be labeled anything.”
Several well-known people have discussed their battle with OCD, two of them being soccer star David Beckham and comedian Howie Mandel. Poulton is happy that people who are in the public eye have helped bring this disorder to the forefront, and wishes that others would not be afraid to talk about it, for the more information gets out there the better it is for all of those who are affected.“I’ll tell you where it makes it hard. I taught for 27 years in special education and I just lost my job recently, what with job cuts and all. It’s hard for me to find a job right now because I went public with this three years ago, and it kind of went all over the country. I’ve had interviews where they ask me to explain a little bit about my OCD, and then I never get the job.
“Half my life has been spent devoting my time and energy to people with handicaps. It kind of stinks to know that people are shying away from hiring me, even though I have an incredible work record, never been in trouble with the law, am a role model in the community – and yet I can’t get a job. And I am more clear and focused right now, because of my medication, and the Cognitive Behavior Therapy. It took 17 months to learn how to deal with this – when my brain is telling me one thing and I know it’s silly. Now I don’t have to go check the stove, or turn the light switch on an even amount of times.”
But with the victories are also things that have not yet been overcome. “Here are two things that I haven’t gotten over yet. I have never, ever, owned a cell phone, and I have never touched a computer, because in my world those two things represent danger; that something could happen to my kids. But this is a real thing. It’s like an alcoholic. People say just stop drinking, but it’s not that easy. I guess they could tell me to stop OCDing!”
Relationships have been difficult. When someone already prone to this disorder reaches the age of 40 or so, it is not uncommon for the OCD to manifest itself in different ways, and his second wife could not deal with it. “She had no idea what was going on, she knew it was freaky, and she left me.
“It was unfortunate, but now as I look at it, I have custody of my daughters, I’m a great dad, I’m a very good person, and I have OCD – OK! And now I’m in Celebrity Boxing!”
Which is exactly where he wants to be. And Todd is not alone, as now Vittone is also the manager of “Sugar” Ray Leonard, Jr.
I hope that you will watch Poulton’s fight, along with the main event between Jonny Fairplay and Michael Lohan. It will be broadcast LIVE on internet PPV Saturday night at 8:00 p.m. The Internet broadcast will be available at www.tvbydemand.com, and will cost $6.99 to view live.
Todd is on the road to winning his battle with OCD. I wish him luck and hope that he also wins his fight – in the second round, of course!
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"Ex-Red Sox Slugger Jose Canseco to fight Pittsfield, MA Native Todd Poulton as feature on Celebrity Boxing card in Springfield", by Patrick Johnson
Story originally published in the September 30, 2009 edition of The Springfield Republican
SPRINGFIELD
It’s billed as a modern battle of David vs. Goliath, but the Nov. 6 “celebrity boxing” match in downtown Springfield between former baseball slugger, one-time Madonna boy-toy and steroid user Jose Canseco and Pittsfield native Todd Poulton could be better described as “Jose vs. who?”
The three-round match, planned for 8 p.m. in the Sheraton Springfield at Monarch Place, was announced Tuesday by the Celebrity Boxing Federation.
The fight, the main event in an as yet undetermined night of fisticuffs between former child stars, reality show cast-offs and tabloid fodder from days gone by, is likely not going to eclipse memories of “The Thrilla in Manilla,” “The Rumble in the Jungle,” or even the best parts of Rocky III, IV or V.
Damon Feldman, president of the Celebrity Boxing Federation, said he expects a good draw for the event, the first the federation has put on in Massachusetts. It has staged several fights in New York, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles, he said.
The 45-year-old Canseco’s name recognition, Poulton’s ties to Western Massachusetts, and the curiosity factor of watching the famous and semi-famous smack each other around should combine to draw ticket-payers to the 700-seat hall, he said.
The cost? Thirty dollars general admission, $50 ringside. Another Canseco fight vs. former child star Danny Bonaduce of 1970s TV show “The Partridge Family” drew 3,000 people, he said. The two fought to a draw, although Feldman said Canseco was robbed by the judges.
The Celebrity Boxing Federation falls into the category of “sports entertainment,” not unlike the World Wrestling Federation although on a much smaller scale, he said.
“We’re the WWE of boxing,” he said. It’s for that reason that the matches do not need sanctioning by the state Boxing Commission, he said.
The bouts, three rounds of one minute each featuring fighters with heavy 18-ounce gloves and headgear, qualify as exhibitions, not actual boxing matches, he said.
Terrel Harris, director of communications for the state Executive Office of Public Safety, which oversees the Boxing Commission, said the commission determined the event was not boxing but entertainment.
Feldman said Canseco is one of the fight’s bigger names and better known actual athletes having played for the Oakland A’s, the Boston Red Sox and other teams.
Other talent includes past and present tabloid fodder such as Bonaduce, Tonya Harding, John Wayne Bobbitt, and Joey Buttafuco. The celebrity stable even Rodney King, he of the notorious Rodney King beating that set off the South Central riots in Los Angeles in the early 1990s. King was pitted against a retired police officer in a recent match in Philadelphia, Feldman said. “He won.”
Poulton, a lifelong sufferer of obsessive compulsive disorder, turned to boxing in his early 40s to beat the effects of the psychological disorder. His pro debut in Worcester in 2007 was halted days before the bout when the state Boxing Commission enforced a rule banning any boxer from making a pro debut after age 36. The resulting controversy made Poulton a celebrity of sorts, which was apparently good enough for the Celebrity Boxing Federation.
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Stoppage gives Todd Poulton victory in second round
By BARBARA PINNELLA, MOP Squad
Jun 26, 2009
Last week I did an interview with the 45-year-old boxer Todd Poulton. He was scheduled to make his professional debut this past Saturday against Chris George, a man 17 years his junior. The fight was one of many on the card of Celebrity Boxing 9: Survival.
You might remember that Todd suffers from OCD, and one of his major problems is with odd numbers. He told me that he really wanted to end the fight in the second round.
Well, he did just that, as Referee Jack McCaffery stopped the fight 30 seconds into round two after Poulton delivered a series of vicious body shots that lifted George off the ground several times (like Rocky Balboa did to Apollo Creed in the first Rocky film) and left him wincing in pain and buckling against the ropes.
Poulton was signed for five fights, and his next one will be on July 24. another fighter on the card will be his stablemate, Sugar Ray Leonard, Jr.
Baseball’s Jose Canseco will also be on the card.Congratulations Todd!
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"Todd Poulton Headlines Rivera Promotions Card"
Story originally published on September 11, 2007 on boxingscene.com
WORCESTER
Rivera Promotions, the newest boxing promotion company in New England, will launch its first show Sept. 21 at the National Guard Armory in Worcester with an exciting card featuring two local heavyweights making their professional debuts.
The main event will feature Todd Poulton, a resident of Pittsfield who his accomplishing his lifelong dream to box in a professional match. Poulton is also fighting for charity, hoping the event will raise awareness of the stresses of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, an ailment that he has suffered throughout his adult life.
Also, West Boylston heavyweight Keith Bianchini, 26, will make his professional debut after a stellar amateur career. Bianchini, who won by knockout only 30 seconds into his last match, is also following his dream of turning professional.
“He’s a tough kid who is ready to step to the next level,” said Sean “The Irish Express” Fitzgerald, a former professional fighter who trains Bianchini.
The card will also include Chuck Shearns, an Auburn supper middleweight appearing in his second professional fight. Shearns won in his debut in March via a fourth-round knockout.
Other exciting fights will be announced at a later date.
“Rivera Promotions’ goal all along was to showcase the local boxing talent and the spirit of boxing in Massachusetts, and we’re proud to say we’re doing just that in our first show,” said three-time world champion José Antonio Rivera, president of Rivera Promotions.
“Fans can expect the best in boxing entertainment in a professional forum run by dedicated people,” Rivera said. “This is going to be a momentous first show.”
Rivera, a veteran of the sport and active professional boxer, formed Rivera Promotions earlier this year with the goal of guiding the careers of local, committed boxers and rebuilding the sport of boxing in the New England area.
The National Guard Armory is located at 701 Main St. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the first bought is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Tickets to the event are $25 and are available at Camp Fitzy’s boxing gym, 70 Webster St., Worcester.