There have been strangers and friends, students and parents, all of whom said the thought of a 45-year-old boxer was absurd.
But when Poulton, a Pittsfield resident, fights former Major League Baseball star Jose Canseco tonight on a Celebrity Boxing card at the Sheraton Hotel in Springfield, he'll have the whole bunch in the crowd. The seven-fight card begins at 8 p.m.
For a man who came to boxing trying to emulate his father, it's sure to be a special evening.
"My dad was an Army champion," Poulton said. "Ever since I saw his picture, this is what I've wanted to do."
Some were in Poulton's corner from the start. His uncle, Jeff Wood, has worked as one of his corner men for most of the past three years.
Others, understandably, have been more reluctant. While they believed in Poulton, they worried about him even more.
Todd's father, Jim, used to hide old photos of his boxing days, hoping his children would avoid falling into the same trap. He was a champion of his division while serving in the Army, but it was a skill he hoped he wouldn't pass down. Now, though, even he has taken to offering Poulton advice on how to get close to his much taller opponent.
"I didn't want my kids to be a part of it," Jim Poulton said. "What I learned was, the managers make the money and you
Parents, kids, uncles and friends will all there, however, watching Poulton face a first-class athlete for the first time -- even if Canseco, who is 0-1-1 in Celebrity Boxing, doesn't necessarily fit the bill as a top-notch fighter.
At 6-foot-5 and 250 pounds, Poulton compared him to Mount Everest and only came up to the top of his bottom lip as the pair performed the customary pre-match staredown. Poulton is 5-foot-10 and said he's trimmed down from the 220 pounds he fought at during his previous fight.
"I don't know too many people that would want to fight him," Poulton said.
When Poulton spoke at a press conference on Thursday about the possibility of a knockout, Canseco jokingly responded by saying it would take the entire room -- many of whom were Poulton friends or relatives.
"If that's what it takes," his mother, Donna, once ardently against the boxing, shouted out with a chuckle.
Both Poulton's son, Christian, and daughter, Lauren -- students at Wahconah Regional High School where Poulton used to coach track -- said fellow students have told them their father's quest is crazy.
Of course, they thought it was pretty cool, too.
"They all wish they could go," Christian said.
"When he first started, he said something like, ‘I'd like to fight Jose,' some day," Lauren said. "We all kind of thought, ‘Oh sure.' "
Poulton has often spoken about his difficulties with obsessive compulsive disorder, including how they wrecked a marriage and spurred suicidal thoughts. He often asked his children a question or called them multiple times to ensure that they were safe, urges that he's learned largely to control.
"I was taking a psychology class and it was just like Dad," said 22-year-old daughter Casey. "He came in to talk to class one day and told them his story firsthand. He had everyone in tears. ... Now, I'm going to start to cry."
Boxing was one obsession Poulton has yet to shake, just like other athletic urges in his life. Poulton was once a champion horseback rider, then a star hockey player that attended prep school.
"He overdoes it," his father, Jim said. "He goes to extremes to be on top."
Those extremes lasted through a number of public failures -- a potential fundraiser that flopped, a possible exhibition against his hero Vinny Paz at Wahconah Park, a match canceled due to injury and a rejected attempt to get his boxing license in Massachusetts.
"I'm excited for him," Casey said. "We never thought it would get this big. Of course, I'm nervous too, but I don't think there's anything worse than his OCD. If he's been able to fight that, he can win [tonight]. I have a lot of faith in my dad."
After Poulton failed to get his license and settled on Celebrity Boxing as an outlet, the stragglers jumped on board. The persistence Poulton displayed through the first four attempts cemented his family behind him in force.
His kids want him to enjoy his dream and his mother and father, knowing he'd be wearing headgear and fighting just three 1-minute rounds, feel more confident in his safety.
"I still wish we were going to go see a tennis match or something [today]," Donna Poulton said. "You wish it were something different. But when you see your child, your son or daughter, so excited about something, you have to support it."
To reach Chris Carlson: ccarlson@berkshireeagle.com, (413) 496-6251.
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