INDUCTEE (RAYMOND MATULEWIC) Matt Raymond dominated collegiate boxing during its golden years. He was successful right from the start, having won a Pennsylvania AAU Championship while still in high school. He was given a boxing scholarship to Duke University in 1933, and immediately continued the long string of successes he started earlier. In his first match as a collegian, he defeated a returning champion who had lost only one match in his previous 30 starts. Imaginative southern sports writer dubbed him the “Handsome Pole” and considered his talents a combination of Dempsey and Tunney. While at Duke he captured two NCAA Championships, and was the first to win at two separate weight classes. He was also a member of the 1936 U.S. Olympic team. He remains the only two-time NCA Champion in Duke University history and has been enshrined the Duke University Athletic Hall of Fame. After graduation he turned professional for a short period and became the sixth-ranked heavyweight in the world before retiring to pursue a highly successful business career.
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- December 15, 2023
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