WILSON AN ARTIST AT RINGSIDE
Hundreds of amateur and professional boxers in Minnesota and beyond have pictures of themselves and bouts in which they participated thanks to the dedication of one man, Clayton Don Wilson.
He was the fellow at ringside with the camera and flash recording the highlights and, in some cases, the lowlights of countless bouts over the years, a man many people recognized but perhaps did not know by name.
Wilson estimates he has taken 200,000 photos of boxers over the past 60 years, a staggering number for which he received no compensation but rendered as a sincere act of love for boxing and photography.
For the most part, Wilson blended into the background at amateur boxing tournaments and professional cards, but his face became familiar to anyone who attended fights on a frequent basis.
Naturally, he has seen and heard just about everything there is to witness in this particular sport, including the joys and disappointments of participants along with the humor that sometimes accompanies the sweet science.
In one case, Wilson was approached by a fighter who accused him of never photographing his bouts. “You’ve never taken a picture of me,’’ the fighter complained.
In a classic example of “be careful what you ask for,’’ Wilson promised to photograph the boxer in his upcoming bout. Yet, before the agreeable photographer could get settled at ringside for the fight, the fighter was stretched out on the canvas.
Nonetheless, Wilson kept his promise and photographed the fellow. “He wasn’t real happy with the photo,’’ Wilson said. “But what could I do. I promised him a picture.’’
So, there is humor, agony, beauty, triumph and defeat in what Wilson has captured over the years, a faithful rendition of what the sport has to offer in its many and varied aspects.
A native of Minneapolis, Wilson lives in Benson, Arizona, with his wife, Nan, but even now, at age 88, he travels to amateur tournaments in the American Southwest and Minnesota to follow his life-long passion.
He first started photographing boxing matches and fighters while in the Air Force in the early 1950s, boxing in tournaments himself as he had 10 years earlier in the Silver Gloves, while living in South Minneapolis, and during his service in the Air Force.
“I really got into photographing the fights in 1968 or 1969,’’ Wilson recalled. “I was at a card and saw someone shooting pictures. At the next card, he was there trying to sell the pictures to the fighters. I told Nan right then that I was going to start taking pictures myself and give them to the fighters.’’
Wilson always shoots in black and white and develops the photos himself. He says his methods produce better photos than those taken digitally today. However, his activities have been curtailed in recent years by new expectations from referees and officials.
“They don’t want me to use a flash because it distracts the fighters,’’ he said. “But I don’t get the same quality without a flash.’’ He regularly shot photos of the Upper Midwest Golden Gloves tournament until a couple of years ago when he was turned away because of the issue.
Yet, Wilson still attends various tournaments when he has the opportunity, and seems destined to continue as long as he is able to travel. For this lifetime of dedication to fighters at every level, the Minnesota Boxing Hall of Fame salutes Don Wilson for his generous contributions as part of our ninth ceremony honoring the people of our sport.
