Matthew Hilton (boxer)

Matthew Hilton (born December 27, 1965) is a Canadian former boxer who was the IBF light-middleweight champion of the world. He is the younger brother of former super middleweight world champion, Dave Hilton Jr.

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 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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> 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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> 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 couldn't 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 swollen completely closed. His cutman only had ice to decrease the swelling, which was ineffective. Because of that fight, he suffered a retina injury which followed him for his next few fights before forcing him into retirement. Hilton received 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 never was much motivated for training after he won the IBF's belt against Buster Drayton.

Professional boxing record

Template:Abbr	Result	Record	Opponent	Type	Round, time	Date	Location	Notes
37	Template:No2Loss	Template:Nowrap	Darrell Flint	UD	10 (10)	27/05/1993	Template:Small
36	Template:DrawDraw	32–2–2	Kevin Daigle	SD	10 (10)	11/02/1992	Template:Small
35	Template:Yes2Win	32–2–1	Clarence White	UD	10 (10)	12/11/1991	Template:Small
34	Template:Yes2Win	31–2–1	Knox Brown	UD	10 (10)	31/07/1990	Template:Small
33	Template:No2Loss	30–2–1	Doug DeWitt	RTD	11 (12)	15/01/1990	Template:Small	Template:Small
32	Template:DrawDraw	30–1–1	Fermin Chirino	SD	10 (10)	19/12/1989	Template:Small
31	Template:Yes2Win	30–1	Tim Williams	TKO	10 (10)	10/10/1989	Template:Small
30	Template:No2Loss	29–1	Robert Hines	UD	12 (12)	04/11/1988	Template:Small	Template:Small
29	Template:Yes2Win	29–0	Paul Whittaker	TKO	4 (10)	29/07/1988	Template:Small
28	Template:Yes2Win	28–0	Jack Callahan	RTD	2 (15)	16/10/1987	Template:Small	Template:Small
27	Template:Yes2Win	27–0	Buster Drayton	UD	15 (15)	27/06/1987	Template:Small	Template:Small
26	Template:Yes2Win	26–0	Muhammad Eltassi	TKO	2 (10)	29/04/1987	Template:Small
25	Template:Yes2Win	25–0	William Clayton	KO	2 (10)	12/12/1986	Template:Small
24	Template:Yes2Win	24–0	Franklin Owens	TKO	2 (10)	22/11/1986	Template:Small
23	Template:Yes2Win	23–0	Aniseto Ramos	PTS	10 (10)	Jun 13, 1986	Template:Small
22	Template:Yes2Win	22–0	Bobby McCorvey	KO	1 (10)	20/05/1986	Template:Small
21	Template:Yes2Win	21–0	Bruce Jackson	RTD	5 (10)	19/04/1986	Template:Small
20	Template:Yes2Win	20–0	Wilfred Benítez	KO	9 (10)	15/02/1986	Template:Small
19	Template:Yes2Win	19–0	Vito Antuofermo	RTD	4 (10)	20/10/1985	Template:Small
18	Template:Yes2Win	18–0	Lopez McGee	TKO	4 (10)	06/09/1985	Template:Small
17	Template:Yes2Win	17–0	Roberto Hernandez	TKO	9 (10)	29/04/1985	Template:Small
16	Template:Yes2Win	16–0	Francisco De Jesus	UD	10 (10)	22/01/1985	Template:Small
15	Template:Yes2Win	15–0	Bill Bradley	RTD	3 (10)	11/12/1984	Template:Small
14	Template:Yes2Win	14–0	Sam Gervins	UD	10 (10)	14/10/1984	Template:Small
13	Template:Yes2Win	13–0	Ronald Thermidor	TKO	2 (10)	10/07/1984	Template:Small
12	Template:Yes2Win	12–0	Nino Gonzalez	KO	8 (10)	01/06/1984	Template:Small
11	Template:Yes2Win	11–0	Reggie Ford	TKO	1 (10)	30/04/1984	Template:Small
10	Template:Yes2Win	10–0	Eddie Hollett	TKO	5 (10)	04/12/1983	Template:Small
9	Template:Yes2Win	9–0	Hardy Jones	RTD	5 (8)	10/11/1983	Template:Small
8	Template:Yes2Win	8–0	Frank Mackey	TKO	3 (6)	23/08/1983	Template:Small
7	Template:Yes2Win	7–0	Harold France	KO	3 (6)	29/07/1983	Template:Small
6	Template:Yes2Win	6–0	Clinton Harris	KO	4 (6)	21/06/1983	Template:Small
5	Template:Yes2Win	5–0	Mike Essett	UD	6 (6)	24/05/1983	Template:Small
4	Template:Yes2Win	4–0	Jacques DeBlois	TKO	3 (4)	26/04/1983	Template:Small
3	Template:Yes2Win	3–0	Frank Minnigan	UD	4 (4)	29/03/1983	Template:Small
2	Template:Yes2Win	2–0	Adrian Green	TKO	3 (4)	15/02/1983	Template:Small
1	Template:Yes2Win	1–0	Denis Brisson	TKO	2 (4)	25/01/1983	Template:Small

See also

• Notable boxing families
• List of world light-middleweight boxing champions

External links

• Template:Boxrec