Gunboat Smith
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| Gunboat Smith | |
| Statistics | |
|---|---|
| Real name | Edward Smyth |
| Nickname(s) | Gunboat |
| Rated at | Heavyweight |
| Nationality | United States |
| Birth date | February 17, 1887 |
| Birth place | Philadelphia, PA |
| Death date | August 6, 1974 |
| Death place | Leesburg, FL |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Boxing record | |
| Total fights | 140 |
| Wins | 81 |
| Wins by KO | 31 |
| Losses | 44 |
| Draws | 14 |
Edward (Gunboat) Smith (February 17, 1887 - August 6, 1974) was an American boxer and later a boxing referee.
Contents |
[edit] Boxing career
Smith was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He spent much of his youth in orphanages, working on farms and on the railroads. He joined the U.S. Navy, where he began boxing and won the heavyweight championship of the Pacific Fleet.
In 1910, Smith became known in the Oakland and San Francisco area by serving as a sparring partner for Jack Johnson and Stanley Ketchel before their Heavyweight title fight there.
From 1912-1915 Smith established himself as a leading candidate for the heavyweight title, beating among others future champion Jess Willard, Sam Langford (this is especially notable since many white fighters refused to fight black opponents), and many other ranked fighters.
In 1914, Smith won the "White Hope" heavyweight championship. This title, created by boxing promoters due to the unpopularity of the black heavyweight champion Jack Johnson, was never widely recognized. He lost the "title" to Georges Carpentier later that year.[1]
After 1916 Gunboat Smith's career suffered a decline, in 1917 he suffered a loss by decision to future champion Jack Dempsey in a hotly contested four round fight. A year later he was knocked to the canvas nine times by Dempsey suffering a one-sided second round knock out.
In 1920 and 1921 Smith suffered a string of KO losses and retired after suffering a one round knockout to the great heavyweight contender Harry Wills.
[edit] After boxing
After his retirement, Smith went on to have a variety of jobs: runner on Wall Street, private policeman at Madison Square Garden and Yankee Stadium, and an actor in several small roles in silent films, including Wings, the first Academy Award-winner for Best Picture.[2] He also refereed boxing matches, such as the Harry Greb vs. Tiger Flowers middleweight championship bout in 1926.
He died in 1974 in Florida.
[edit] References
- ^ Heller, Peter (1994). In This Corner...!. New York, New York: Da Capo Press, 31. ISBN 0306806037.
- ^ Heller, Peter (1994). In This Corner...!. New York, New York: Da Capo Press, 32. ISBN 0306806037.
