Eddie Booker facts for kids

Hilton Edward Booker (born November 5, 1917 – died January 26, 1975) was a talented American boxer. He was active in the boxing world during the 1930s and 1940s.

A Member of "Murderers' Row"

Booker was part of a famous group of boxers known as "Murderers' Row". This group included other amazing Black boxers like Charley Burley, Holman Williams, and Jack Chase. These fighters were incredibly skilled. However, many top boxers of that time avoided fighting them. This was because of their great talent and also because of their skin color.

Booker's Impressive Boxing Career

Hilton Edward Booker had a very successful boxing career. He won 66 fights, lost only 5, and had 8 draws. That's a lot of wins!

• He fought Holman Williams three times, winning once, losing once, and drawing once.
• He had a big win against Lloyd Marshall.
• One of his most famous achievements was against the legendary boxer Archie Moore. Booker fought Moore three times. He was the very first boxer to knock out Archie Moore! This shows how powerful and skilled Booker was.
• He also defeated Harry Matthews.

Sadly, like other boxers in "Murderers' Row," Booker never got the chance to fight for a world title. This was a common problem for Black boxers during that era.

A Champion's Respect

Archie Moore, who became a world champion himself, had huge respect for Booker. Moore once said that even though he had many tough fights, one of the hardest was against Eddie Booker. He called Booker a "fighting machine" who threw punches with great skill. Moore believed Booker was one of the greatest fighters of his time and made him "fight for dear life."

Retirement and Legacy

Booker's boxing career ended sooner than it should have. He had to retire because of serious eye injuries. Later in his life, these injuries caused him to become blind. Hilton Edward Booker passed away in San Francisco on January 26, 1975, at the age of 57.

In recognition of his amazing talent and contributions to boxing, Hilton Edward Booker was honored in 2017. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. This is a very special award for boxers who have achieved greatness.

Professional Boxing Record Summary

See also

• Murderers' Row (Boxing)