Tony Burton
| Tony Burton | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Anthony Burton March 23, 1937 Flint, Michigan, US |
| Died | February 25, 2016 (aged 78) Menifee, California, US |
| Cause of death | Complications from Pneumonia |
| Occupation | Actor, boxer, football player |
| Years active | 1957–2007 |
| Spouse(s) | Rae Burton (unknown dates) Aurelian Burton (unknown dates; his death) |
| Children | 4 |
Anthony "Tony" Burton (March 23, 1937 – February 25, 2016) was an American actor, boxer, and football player. He was known for his role as Tony "Duke" Evers in the Rocky franchise. Only he, Sylvester Stallone and Burt Young are the actors who have appeared in every Rocky installment (not counting Creed).
Burton was born in Flint, Michigan. He had a younger sister named Loretta. A Flint Northern High School graduate, he was a Michigan Golden Gloves heavyweight boxing champion and two-time all-state football player. At Northern, he played halfback. In 1954, he scored 13 touchdowns and led his team in scoring. Many of his scoring runs were of 50 yards or more. He gained 820 yards rushing that year, and one of his runs was for 95 yards. That same year, he was selected to the first teams of the All City and All Valley teams as a halfback. He was also chosen as an All State honorable mention. He was the team's co-captain and Most Valuable Player. Burton led his team in yards gained and receiving yards. In one game against Grand Rapids Catholic, he gained 213 total yards. At Northern, Burton was also the leading baseball pitcher, pitching the team to the city championship title.
Burton's boxing career included the Flint Golden Gloves light heavyweight championship in 1955 and 1957. Burton won the State Golden Gloves Light Heavyweight Championship in 1957 and lost in the Chicago Tournament of Champions semi-finals. He fought as a professional boxer in 1958 and 1959. During that time he was knocked out by knockout artist, Lamar Clark, who holds the record for most consecutive knockouts at 44.
Life after boxing, minus any marketable skills or a high school diploma, proved a poor formula for success, and before long, Burton wound up in prison, doing three and a half years for robbery at the California Institution for Men in Chino, California. In the end, it proved a valuable experience as Burton recounted to NEA's Frank Sanello in March 1988:
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