Background
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.".
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.".
lieutenant 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. He made one defense on the Tyson-Biggs undercard on Home Box Office 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 Entertainment and Sports Programming Network 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). 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.
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.