Receiving the Life Time Achievement Award from the Ohio State Former Boxers And Associates, lnc. will be presented to Paul Buckner for his outstanding dedication to boxing. Buckner was inspired by his Godmother‘s son. legendary Cleveland middleweight boxer Chuck Hunter. During the 1940’s and 1950‘s Hunter fought and beat many of the middleweight contenders of that era. His opponents real like a list of Who‘s Who in boxing with such boxers as Bobo Olson, Harold Johnson, Jake LaMotta, Tommy Yarosz, Bob Satterfield. California Jackie Wilson, Tommy Bell and Jimmy Doyle.

At 12 years old, Buckner started his amateur boxing career with the renown boxing trainer Jesse Levels at the old K.Y. Benson Boys Town. While training at K.Y. Benson Boys Town. The outstanding professional welterweight boxer Cecil Shorts, became his mentor. Shorts took Buckner to famous Johnny Papke’s Big Ten Gym where Buckner began to train with the legendary Clint Martin. The old Big Ten Gym was a gym located at E. 14th Street and Carnegie Ave. which at the time was comparable to Gleason’s Gym and Stillman‘s Gym. lt was a gym where all the professional boxers and out standing amateur boxers trained.
In 1963, Buckner won the Cleveland Golden Gloves District middleweight championship by defeating Doyle Baird and Nestor Malone. Baird went on to become an outstanding middleweight professional boxer fighting former world middleweight champion, Nino Benvenuti. twice. In 1964, Buckner won the trophy for the “Comeback Fighter Of The Year.”
Buckner went to the semi-finals of the Olympic trials in Washington D.C. in 1964. His amateur boxing record is 36 wins and 6 losses.

Buckner and his wife. Ruby. have five children: Robert, Michael, Mario, Tazmon, Tara, and Cherise. Buckner attended the Cleveland Public Schools and completed his education at Thomas A. Edison High School. Buckner was a truck driver for 45 years, and a member of Teamsters Local 436. After 23 years as a truck driver with the Independence Excavating Company, Buckner retired in October 30, 2009 from the company with an outstanding driving record.

Buckner was inducted into the Ohio State Former Boxers and Associates, Inc. Hall of Fame in 2013.