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Former WBF Intercontinental
Super Welterweight Champion
Matthew “Hollywood” Charleston
was not quite
a world-class boxer, but
between his debut in November
1990 and his final fight in
January 2008 he fought plenty of
world-class operators. Some
would say too many.
Charleston was born on December
22 1967 in the state of Georgia,
and so had not yet turned 23
years old when he started his
career as a prize-fighter, with
little fanfare, on a small show
at the Libra Ballroom in
Atlanta-suburb Decatur, against
fellow debutant Anthony Kyle.
Things started promising for the
lanky Charleston, as he stopped
Kyle in the very first round,
and Decatur would become a good
place for him to ply his trade
in the early part of his career,
when he was still a prospect. In
fact, in less than two years he
fought there on twelve
occasions, winning every time.
While he was not matched against
the best of opposition,
Charleston still did well to
build a nice-looking 18-0 (8)
record on the US southern
circuit, backed by promoter
Jerry Hill, winning fights in
places such as Doraville,
Georgia, Nashville, Tennessee,
Demopolis, Alabama, and of
course Decatur.
Most of his opponents had less
than impressive records, but he
did overcome respectable
challenges from Victor Sanchez
(5-1) and Terry Acker (10-2),
and captured the Southern Boxing
Association Junior Middleweight
(Super Welterweight) title along
the way.
But despite boxing on shows that
also featured former Heavyweight
champions Pinklon Thomas and
Leon Spinks, it was a big step
up for Charleston when he
challenged Wayne “Troubleman”
Powel (30-4-2) for the
Detroit-born Texans NABF title
on April 29, 1993 at the
Sheraton Kensington Hotel in
Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Powel was indeed trouble for
Charleston, who was completely
overwhelmed by the more powerful
man. After three knock-downs in
the second round, the fight was
waved off and Charleston had
suffered his first loss in the
paid ranks in devastating
fashion.
But Charleston would not have
much time to dwell on the
defeat, as he quickly jumped on
an opportunity to resurrect his
career. Just over two months
later, on July 10, he fought
Floyd Peavy (16-6) for the
vacant WBF Intercontinental
Super Welterweight title at the
Orange County Convention Center
in Orlando, Florida.
In a true “Make-or-Break” fight
for both boxers, Peavy also
coming off a decisive loss,
Charleston proved to be a notch
above his adversary and didn’t
look like a boxer who was more
or less destroyed in his last
outing. With sharp combinations
and strong determination, he
knocked Peavy out in four
rounds.
But, if Charleston found new
confidence in his performance
against Peavy, it would soon be
shattered. He returned to the
ring the following November, in
Mobile Alabama, against
perennial contender and
fan-favorite “Jesse” James
Hughes (16-5), and was knocked
out in three rounds.
Three months on he was matched
with future WBA World
Middleweight Champion Julio
Cesar Green (15-1). The fight,
in Saint Louis on February 12,
1994, was scheduled to be for
Green´s NABF Light Middleweight
(Super Welterweight) belt, but
went ahead as a non-title bout
when both boxers failed to make
weight.
In this fight it became clear
that any hopes for Charleston to
reach world level, much less
become a world champion, were
unrealistic. The New York-based
Dominican was too good, too
strong, too fast and too hungry,
and stopped Charleston already
in the first round.
But in April, Charleston
rebounded with a decision
victory over Charles Daughtry
(6-6-1), setting up a defense of
his WBF Intercontinental title
in August against undefeated
Rhett McAdams (8-0) in
Louisiana. And Charleston had
one good performance left in
him, as he retained his title by
ninth round stoppage.
November 7, 1994, appears to be
the night when Charleston
finally gave in and accepted
that if he were to continue his
career, it would be as a
stepping-stone for more talented
boxers. Fighting at
Middleweight, he was knocked out
in the second round by future
WBO world titlist Lonnie Bradley
(16-0) at the Great Western
Forum in Inglewood.
With very brave management, he
fought again already in January
of 1995, as a Light Heavyweight,
getting dominated and stopped in
nine rounds by mediocre
Australian John “Rocky” Marceta
(10-3-2), broadcast live on USA
Tuesday Night Fights from
Atlantic City.
During the cause of the next
thirteen years, Charleston
fought sporadically. He won a
few easy fights against
over-matched opponents, but was
beaten many more times, fighting
as high as Heavyweight, by the
likes of future and former world
champions Montell Griffin
(22-0), Alfred Cole (27-2),
Wayne Braithwaite (15-0) and
Michael Nunn (56-4).
When he entered the Lonnie
Bradley fight he was still the
WBF Intercontinental Super
Welterweight champion, only 26
years old and held a respectable
21-4 professional record. When
he fought for the last time, a
decision loss to Will McIntyre
(38-4-1) in January 2008, he was
forty and had not won since
August 2000.
Charleston retired with a final
record of 25-18 (10), going 7-18
in his last twenty-five fights.
What started so promising, ended
sadly with Matthew Charleston as
just another recognizable name
on the record of prospects and
former champions looking to stay
busy with, for them, a safe
fight.
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