Respect Harry "Kid" Matthews

Jack Hurley was one of the greatest boxing men ever and did a masterful job in managing Harry "Kid" Matthews. Before hooking up with Hurley, Matthews did have a fine record while using a "safety-first" boxing style, but he wasn't making much of living doing it. According to one source, Matthews made only $150. in his last bout before hooking up with Hurley. At first, Hurley was reluctant to take Matthews on because of Matthew's "safety-first" boxing style. But Matthews readily adopted the Hurley method of boxing with Hurley instructing him, which resulted in Matthews having an aggressive and a crowd-pleasing fighting style.

Under Hurley's management, Matthews would go on to be one of the best gate attractions in boxing at the time, notably in the Pacific Northwest area. Even with Hurley getting fifty percent of Matthews' purses, Matthews was making a lot of money, much of it due to Hurley being a very tough negotiator. In fairness, Hurley paid the expenses out of his end of the purse.

In regards to Matthews fighting in the heavyweight division as essentially an overblown middleweight, it paid off handsomely for both Matthews and Hurley in terms of making money. It is true that Matthews was knocked by Rocky Marciano in short order, but Matthews actually did quite well fighting heavyweight for most part. Even when fighting Don Cockell while being outweighed by about thirty pounds, Matthews was very competitive in those bouts and made a lot of money for the time.

In regards to Matthews not fighting Joey Maxim for Maxim's world light-heavyweight title, Hurley was very wary about matching his fighters with opponents who had "safety-first" boxing styles. It wasn't necessarily that Hurley felt his fighters couldn't win against "safety-first" fighters like Maxim. Hurley simply didn't want his fighters to look terrible or to be in fights that stunk out the joint, something which would hurt his fighters as gate attractions.

By all accounts, Matthews was very grateful to Hurley. As noted before, Matthews became a terrific gate attraction and made a lot of money while being managed by Hurley.

- Chuck Johnston

 

Jack Hurley is considered to be one of the shrewdest managers of all time.He was offered a lhvy title shot against Maxim but, believing Mathews would lose to him opted for the bigger purse against Marciano.
Mathews fought Muscato in 1950 , it was Muscato's last fight Muscato was briefly number 10 in 1947 3 years earlier he was unranked when he fought Mathews and having his last fight .Nardico was 176lbs for his fight with Mathews, hardly a ranked heavyweight!
Marshall was37 years old having his last fight, having been ko'd in his previous 2, he was done. Mathews fought Beshore 3 times once in 51 and twice in 53,Beshore was not ranked at the time of any of the 3 fights. Mathews beat a still ridiculously ranked at no 2 Layne.Layne was never the same after the Marciano fight he had lost to nobody Willie James 11-2-1, 3 months earlier James floored him3 times! .Mathews beat an ailing Charles whom Marciano had also ruined.Charles had won just 2 of his last 5 fights against nobodies and would be slung out ot the ring in his next fight for persistent holding we was not only over the hill, he was halfway up the next one! Mathews never beat a ranked heavyweight.His best win was over crude but powerful Murphy as lightheavy.Mathews was never a great fighter . he was a good one who was hyped up carefully matched and then exposed when they went for the big $$$.

 

Mathews had 104 fights and a weight advantage in 32 of them.You said Mathews beat ranked heavyweight contenders and named them,the only one who was ranked when he met them was Layne and he clearly shouldn't have been!Mathews is a lot like Lastarza ,his record, looks good superficially ,but close inspection showed he was very carefully managed. Charles was not ranked he had lost his end of year no10 ranking when he lost to McMurtry.

 

He fought 3 of the Murderers Row he lost 2 of them and beat the other who was 37 had been ko'd in his previous 2 fights and having his last fight.You need to read John Ochs trilogy about Jack Hurley to get up to speed on Hurley and Mathews.

 

I have repeatedly read his contemporaries refer to him as a hype job... especially Archie Moore. But I'm going to get to the Matthews' years soon in the Hurley trilogy and am trying to keep an open mind.

 

The Chase fight was a snore bore in which Chase never really opened up.

Jack Chase, Denver, today held a victory over the cagey Harry Matthews, Seattle, without even swinging into high gear in their bout at Legion Stadium last night. Chase and Matthews dodged each other and hedged for 10 rounds with Chase finally bagging the decision. Chase, 157 1/2, smashed Matthews to the canvas for a one count in the 9th and moved on to capture the 10th. Matthews, 161, landed a few jabs at Chase but Chase took the bout by forcing the fight throughout." -United Press
Retrieved from ‘https://boxrec.com/media/index.php?title=Jack_Chase_vs._Harry_Matthews&oldid=828426’
. I highly recommend Springs Toledo's Murderers Row for the inside story on this era.
This is his comment on the fight.
"He was knocked out for the third time in as many fights that year.Harry Kid Mathews ,who didn't stand a chance against Murderers Row in the early 1940's,threw a short left hook at the same time Lloyd did, only Mathews was shorter and faster."

 

Im giving you ringside fight reports and you don't want to believe them because they don't jive with your misguided opinion of a hyped West Coast fighter whose own manager told him," you don't know how to fight yet."

I can make a fighter out of you.You've got to forget everything you think you know,and start from the bottom,It'll take months,many months,but if you do as I say,you'll be a fighter,which is more than you are now."
Hurley told referee Harry Kessler ,"when I first saw Mathews,I told him,.The first thing you must do is learn is not to be afraid.That's why you've been running- you're afraid of getting hit.You started like that ,and in ten years it's grown on you.You don't know how to fight.You are a fencer and a runner,not a fighter,we'll start with fundamentals". Mathews had confined himself to 2 meals a day to keep his weight dow.Hurley put him on 3 and introduced staek into his diet.
Hurley had taught Billy Petrolle and he applied the same methods to Mathews.tying his arm to his side, and tying his legs to improve his footwork,he basically rebuilt him. Hurley had his sights set on Lamotta, but Jake's brother Joey vetoed the match.
You're impressed that Mathews beat a 37 years old Muscato having his last fight? Why? Muscato had only been briefly ranked no 10 and that was 3 years before! Jim Norris offered Hurley matches for Mathews against Maxim and Satterfield,[ Satterfield was without an opponent when Lamotta pulled out at the last minute.] Hurley turned down both fights.

 

There is no doubt that Marshall was a shell of his former self. As McVey pointed out, it was his last fight and he had been losing as much as winning for the prior several years. So, there is no question Matthews' victory over Marshall should be discounted.

I'll continue this post with comments about Harry's fights against Booker and Chase when I return from driving my wife to work. I didn't mean to post this yet, but inadvertently clicked something I shouldn't have.