Bret Summers
Boxing

Bret Summers boxed from the mid-1970s to 1985 in over 400 matches. In 1976, at age 16, Bret won the U.S. National Amateur Championship and the North American Amateur Championship. Locally, Bret was an 11-time Washington state amateur champion in the 106-pound weight class. During this time, he competed with two other top amateurs from Washington state, Olympians Davey Armstrong and Robert Shannon. Between the ages of 8 and 22, Bret compiled a 340-40 record as an amateur. During that period, he fought several top amateurs, recording wins over 1974-75 National Amateur Champion, Claudell Atkins, and 1972 U.S. National Champion, Mike Hess.

After turning professional in May 1982, Bret won his first 22 fights, competing in bouts in Arizona, California, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey and Washington. He then lost his 23rd professional fight to the hard-hitting Chris Calvin, but rebounded with a knockout win in his next fight. At this point in his career he was ranked 11th in the world. Shortly thereafter, in late 1985, he fought Walter Sims, holder of a 13-2-2 career record, in an Everett, Washington bout. Though he lost the fight, Summers took the bout, now known as a “bloodbath”, the full ten rounds. Then in 1986, he went on to win two consecutive fights by knockout and, although he went on to lose two fights to highly ranked contenders, he remained a top contender. In April 1987, he fought Joe Frazier, Jr. Bret won the first three rounds but eventually lost the hard-fought match.

Having begun boxing at the age of 8, Summers retired at the age of 27 with a professional record of 28-3-1. Of his 28 wins, 18 were by knockout. Today, Arlington-resident Summers trains both professional and amateur fighters. Bret is well known for averaging 20 fights per year for 20 years, which is an incredible feat. He may be the last of the boxers who have fought in over 400 fights.