Matthew Hilton (boxer)

Matthew Hilton (born December 27, 1965) is a Canadian former boxer[1] from Montreal, Quebec and one of the four brothers from the fighting family Hilton.

He started boxing professionally in early 1983, and while doing so lived (along with his father/trainer and other family members) a nomadic lifestyle, moving from place to place in a 'movable trailer.'

Fighting style

It was tough growing up for Hilton, but he transferred that toughness to the ring, at least as his career started. Though Matthew had decent boxing skills for a brawler, he preferred to press forward, back up his opponents, and detonate his punishing left hooks, and powerful overhand rights. Two of the big names he faced in his rise to stardom were former 3-time world champion Wilfred Benítez and former world middleweight champion Vito Antuofermo, who both fell victim to his devastating KO power. He won the IBF junior middleweight title, and brought Canada its first world boxing title since the 1940s, with a 15-round unanimous decision over defender Buster Drayton[1] on ABC in Montreal, June 27, 1987, which was also named KO Magazines TV Fight of the Year for 1987. He made one defense on the Tyson-Biggs undercard on HBO in October of that year, busting and bruising up a totally outclassed Jack Callahan before the referee called things off after two rounds. His next fight was an exciting non-title bout on ESPN in the middleweight division against Paul Whitaker of New Orleans, who was knocked down and brutally battered by Hilton before being KO'd in the fourth round. Matthew then apparently had the upper hand in the early going in his next defense - a November 1988 matchup with Robert Hines on Showtime.

After knocking a bloodied Hines down twice, he let Hines back in the fight, and Hines steadily hammered a very tired and not very well prepared Hilton in winning a come-from-behind 12-round unanimous decision, after which Hilton would be champ no more. Hilton admitted after the fight that he had sustained rib injury during training for that fight (Between rounds, Hilton could be heard telling his father that he couldnt throw his left hand). Matthew later rebounded with a lackluster (though controversial) draw against Fermin Chirino, a bout in which many felt that Matthew had won by a 10-round unanimous decision, followed by two more exciting bouts against journeyman Tim T. Williams (on ESPN), who was KO'd in round 10, and Tennessee toughman Knox Brown, who had only previously been down at the hands of John Mugabi, and was again floored by Hilton in a 10-round decision victory on the USA Network. His last crack at a title was on the Foreman–Cooney undercard in January 1990, when his eyes were again swollen shut by the punches of defending WBO middleweight titlist Doug DeWitt.

Injuries and Retirement

This time, though he fought gamely, Hilton was the loser not by decision but rather by 11th-round TKO when his father had seen enough and did not let him fight the last round. Hilton's eyes were both completely closed. His cutman only had ice to unswollen the eyes which ended to be ineffective. Because of that fight, he suffered from a retina injury which followed him for his next few fights before forcing him into retirement. He will receive many unsuccessful surgeries for his eyes. His career began to sputter during the 1990s, and, partly due to the various troubles plaguing the Hilton family, Hilton never was really able to regain his championship-level caliber. He said he's never been as much motivated for training after he won the IBF's belt against Buster Drayton.

Professional boxing record

32 Wins (24 knockouts, 8 decisions), 3 Losses (1 knockout, 2 decisions), 2 Draws
Result Record Opponent Type Round Date Location Notes
Loss 10-6-1 Canada Darrell Flint UD 10 27/05/1993 Canada Halifax Forum, Halifax, Nova Scotia 44-47, 41-48, 44-46.
Draw 15-10-1 United States Kevin Daigle PTS 10 11/02/1992 Canada Verdun, Quebec 95-95, 98-92, 94-96.
Win 15-3 United States Clarence White UD 10 12/11/1991 Canada Verdun Auditorium, Verdun, Quebec 95-92, 94-93, 94-93.
Win 38-21-2 United States Knox Brown UD 10 31/07/1990 Canada Northlands Agricom, Edmonton, Alberta 99-89, 99-89, 99-91.
Loss 31-6-4 United States Doug DeWitt RTD 11 15/01/1990 United States Atlantic City Convention Center, Atlantic City, New Jersey WBO World Middleweight Title. Doctor stopped the fight before the 12th round.
Draw 11-4-1 Venezuela Fermin Chirino PTS 10 19/12/1989 United States Caesars Atlantic City, Atlantic City, New Jersey 92-98, 96-94, 95-95.
Win 16-10-1 United States Tim Williams TKO 10 10/10/1989 United States Bally's Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Nevada Referee stopped the bout at 0:25 of the tenth round.
Loss 23-1-1 United States Robert Hines UD 12 04/11/1988 United States Las Vegas Hilton, Las Vegas, Nevada IBF World Light Middleweight Title. 110-116, 111-112, 111-114.
Win 23-1 United States Paul Whittaker TKO 4 29/07/1988 United States Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada Referee stopped the bout at 0:15 of the fourth round.
Win 23-0 United States Jack Callahan TKO 2 16/10/1987 United States Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey IBF World Light Middleweight Title. Referee stopped the bout at 3:00 of the second round.
Win 32-9-1 United States Buster Drayton UD 15 27/06/1987 Canada Montreal Forum, Montreal, Quebec IBF World Light Middleweight Title. 146-139, 144-140, 147-138.
Win 9-0 Canada Muhammad Eltassi TKO 2 29/04/1987 Canada Paul Sauve Arena, Montreal, Quebec Referee stopped the bout at 2:19 of the second round.
Win 9-6 United States William "Crystal Kid" Clayton KO 2 12/12/1986 United States Madison Square Garden, New York City Clayton knocked out at 1:41 of the second round.
Win 3-2-1 United States Franklin Owens TKO 2 22/11/1986 United States Las Vegas Hilton, Las Vegas, Nevada Referee stopped the bout at 1:23 of the second round.
Win 10-9 United States Aniseto Ramos PTS 10 13/06/1986 United States Madison Square Garden, New York City
Win 12-2 United States Bobby McCorvey KO 1 20/05/1986 United States Madison Square Garden, New York City McCorvey knocked out at 1:50 of the first round.
Win 13-13-1 United States Bruce Jackson TKO 5 19/04/1986 United States Las Vegas Hilton, Las Vegas, Nevada Referee stopped the bout at 3:00 of the fifth round.
Win 49-4-1 Puerto Rico Wilfred Benitez KO 9 15/02/1986 Canada Paul Sauve Arena, Montreal, Quebec Benitez knocked out at 2:59 of the ninth round.
Win 50-6-2 Italy Vito Antuofermo RTD 4 20/10/1985 Canada Montreal Forum, Montreal, Quebec Antuofermo retired after the fourth round.
Win 2-10 United States Lopez McGee TKO 4 06/09/1985 United States Tamiami Fairgrounds Auditorium, Miami, Florida Referee stopped the bout at 1:44 of the fourth round.
Win 7-8-2 Dominican Republic Roberto Hernandez TKO 9 29/04/1985 United States Buffalo Memorial Auditorium, Buffalo, New York Referee stopped the bout at 0:38 of the ninth round.
Win 20-0 Brazil Francisco De Jesus UD 10 22/01/1985 Canada Montreal Forum, Montreal, Quebec 100-90, 98-93, 99-93.
Win 22-6 United States Bill "Fireball" Bradley RTD 3 11/12/1984 Canada Paul Sauve Arena, Montreal, Quebec Bradley retired at the end of the third round.
Win 13-31 United States Sam Gervins UD 10 14/10/1984 Canada Montreal Forum, Montreal, Quebec 100-94, 99-92, 100-90.
Win 0-2 Haiti Ronald Thermidor TKO 2 10/07/1984 Canada Montreal Forum, Montreal, Quebec Referee stopped the bout at 1:59 of the second round.
Win 29-5-1 United States Nino Gonzalez KO 8 01/06/1984 Canada Montreal Forum, Montreal, Quebec Gonzalez knocked out at 2:59 of the eighth round.
Win 10-14-1 Guyana Reggie Ford TKO 1 30/04/1984 Canada Hall de l'Exposition, Quebec City, Quebec Referee stopped the bout at 1:30 of the first round.
Win 5-1 Canada Eddie Hollett TKO 5 04/12/1983 Canada Montreal Forum, Montreal, Quebec Referee stopped the bout at 1:29 of the fifth round.
Win 6-5-1 United States Hardy Jones RTD 5 10/11/1983 Canada Paul Sauve Arena, Montreal, Quebec Jones retired after the fifth round.
Win 0-11-2 United States Frank Mackey TKO 3 23/08/1983 Canada Le Carrefour Sports Centre, Laval, Quebec Referee stopped the bout at 1:09 of the third round.
Win 4-4-1 United States Harold France KO 3 29/07/1983 Canada Cornwall, Ontario
Win 6-15-2 Canada Clinton Harris KO 4 21/06/1983 Canada Paul Sauve Arena, Montreal, Quebec Harris knocked out at 1:20 of the fourth round.
Win 9-12-3 United States Mike Essett UD 6 24/05/1983 Canada Paul Sauve Arena, Montreal, Quebec 60-53, 60-53, 60-55.
Win 1-1 Canada Jacques DeBlois TKO 3 26/04/1983 Canada Paul Sauve Arena, Montreal, Quebec Referee stopped the bout at 1:47 of the third round.
Win 10-23-1 United States Frank Minnigan UD 4 29/03/1983 Canada Paul Sauve Arena, Montreal, Quebec 40-35, 40-35, 40-36.
Win 1-7 United States Adrian Green TKO 3 15/02/1983 Canada Paul Sauve Arena, Montreal, Quebec Referee stopped the bout at 2:01 of the third round.
Win 4-5 Canada Denis Brisson TKO 2 25/01/1983 Canada Paul Sauve Arena, Montreal, Quebec Referee stopped the bout at 2:42 of the second round.
Achievements
Preceded by
Buster Drayton
IBF Light Middleweight boxing champion
June 27, 1987 4 November, 1998
Succeeded by
Robert Hines
Sporting positions
Preceded by
Davey Moore
22
Youngest Junior Middleweight Champion
21

June 27, 1987 February 5, 1989
Succeeded by
Darrin Van Horn
20

References

  1. 1 2 Berger, Phil (4 November 1988). "Boxing; Hearns Has Shot at 5th Title". New York Times. Retrieved 26 February 2011.
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