Courtney Burton

Courtney Lee Burton (born June 28, 1978, South Bend, Indiana) is an American retired professional boxer from Benton Harbor, Michigan who fought in the lightweight and welterweight divisions.

Throughout his career Burton was known as a switch-hitter being able to fight either orthodox or southpaw, he stood 5' 9" though many boxing records have him listed at 5' 7".

At the age of eight, Burton was involved in a street fight on the hard streets of Benton Harbor when three boys jumped on him in which one pulled out a bat and struck Burton across his back. Napoleon Lark (a local boxing trainer) was driving around in his car and spotted the fight and stopped it. Lark drove Burton home and asked Burton would he like to learn how to defend himself and Burton agreed. Courtney began competing in amateur boxing, and Lark and his wife Thelma eventually became Courtney and his younger brother's legal guardians.

Burton was a superb amateur boxer, winning the Silver Gloves competition three times, the Junior Olympics back to back (in 1993 at 139 lbs. and 1994 at 147 lbs.), he was a two time International World Champion, and in 1994 he won the 156 lbs. title and was voted the "Outstanding Boxer of the Event" at the World Championships in Germany. Burton earned a spot on the famous 1996 Olympic boxing team but suddenly declined participating in the 1996 Olympics. He finished his amateur career with a record of (87-4) although he states he had a lot more fights as an amateur and had a career record of (139-16).

Courtney Burton began his professional career in 1996 against Sam Mahmoud in Waukegan, Illinois, Burton won by majority decision. After his debut fight Burton would quit boxing for a while due to his longtime trainer and father-figure Napoleon Lark convincing Burton to go back to school and receive his G.E.D., after Burton dropped out of high school when he was 16 (in which at the time he had quit boxing too.) Burton agreed to do so and completed his schooling and returned to the ring 3 years later in 1999 and faced Nelson Hernandez at the Civic Center in La Porte, Indiana, Burton won by unanimous decision.

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