Matthew Wilton impresses after Frampton world title win

Photograph: Irish-boxing.com

Carl Frampton comprehensively outpoints Kiko Martinez for the world title in front of 16,000 delirious supporters and cements his name into Irish boxing history. Follow that. One man who had to try was Belfast light-welterweight Matthew Wilton who came on in a four-rounder after the main event. To his credit Matthew not only kept his cool and motivation but posted one of his most impressive boxing performances to date en route to a 40-36 shutout of Poland’s Adam Cieslak.

“It was a good performance and I caught him with every jab, near enough, that I threw,” smiled Wilton. “There are still some learning points but that’s all part of it really. It was hard getting motivated there for the last 15 minutes. It sort of took forever. We were meant to be on before Eamonn, then it was after Eamonn and then it was before McCullough.”

Matthew reckons that his increased sparring and gym work with Bernardo Checa is beginning to bear fruit. The young slickster nicknamed ‘Speedy’ has amassed a solid record boxing on the thriving Irish boxing scene.

“I’ve been sparring a lot lately and I was sparring Eamonn in the build-up to tonight before I actually got the call in for the fight so I was motivated anyway. I was trying to watch Frampton over a wall but I didn’t get to see much so I’ll have to go home and watch it.

“He [Cieslak] was a boy with a winning record so we can’t really ask for much more. I came in late, at three weeks’ notice, and sold over 500 tickets so I hope they’ll have me back anyway.”

Matthew is not sure what will come next. He was seated ringside in the Red Cow Moran hotel on Friday night to see Dublin’s rising stars duke it out. Wilton had been hoping to get on that show himself but being staged on the Friday night meant he was unable to take part due to BBBofC regulations.

“If it had been on the Saturday then I would’ve been fighting on it but you have to have seven days in between. I’m very pleased though, no cuts either,” he added.