This mad ******* has some names on his record. Most of them hammered him. Look: Jack Chase (Lpts10, Wpts10, Wpts10, Cocoa Kid (NC3, the referee decided, perhaps acurately, that Cocoa Kid was on the take. he was getting knocked all over the ring at the time of the stoppage) Charley Burley (Lpts10, Lpts10) Jimmy Bivins (Lpts10 - "Smith was knocked down for the first time in the 5th by a left right combo that put him down for a 9 count. He was battered all over the ring after he rose. A right hand in the sixth draped him over the middle rope...he took another nine count on his knee. Shortly after he was floored for a third time for an eight count. As the bell rang for end of the 6th Smith was very unsteady...he backpeddaled for the rest of the bout and was giving away weight to the highly rated heavyweight contender Bivins." - Oakland Tribune) Lloyd Marshall (WKO9, what a fantastic win) Ezzard Charles (Lpts10, LKO5, ) Archie Moore (D12, Lpts10, Lko4, Lko8, ) Bert Lytell (Lpts10, Lpts10, Nc10) Bob Satarsfield (Lko1) Harold Johnson (WKO2...mental)
He got the better of Jack Chase in a trilogy, which elevates him above the status of victim or journeyman, and a wins over Johnson and Marshall are pretty extraordinary...also, it seems you can trace Moore's elevation by way of his imporiving results against Smith. Sounds like the guy had decent heart, check the beating Bivins gave him...on the other hand there is a story that he tried to climb out of the ring and make for the dressing room during one of the Moore administered beatings. Strange and interesting fighter. Anyone know of any exsisting footage aside from the Burley loss?
Yeah, I get that impression too, that he might have been slightly better than his record indicates in terms of ability. But fighting is as much mental as not, right? Sort of guy that could blast out almost anyone, it seems.
The mention of Oakland Billy Smith brings back a special memory from the early '50s, Mc. Smith had dropped the "Oakland" handle for "Boardwalk" Billy Smith to court East Coast fans. He had a formidable reputation and was made a prohibitive favorite against a seeming nobody, Paul Andrews. But I'd watched Andrews in the gym -- a helluva puncher -- and knew he was more than a live opponent. Cus D'Amato never allowed Patterson to spar with him. So I picked Andrews, and made some friendly bets with buddies, who were more than anxious to take my money. The scenario played out just as I imagined: Andrews starched Smith, I made a few bucks, and got to rub-it-in with my friends.
:good Atta boy! How did Andrews figure, was he able to make a few bucks? Did it work out for him at all?
In some ways Andrews was reminscient of Johnny Holman, slow, colorless, but carried a big hammer. Imagine an impassive Joe Louis shuffling forward. He had a brief run in the sun, but admits, even now, booze did him in. Interesting to see a gathering of ol' timers; he goes entirely unrecognized. Actually, at the height of his career, with his Zora Folley presence, he could be in the midst of a fight crowd and draw zero attention.
He also had a very impressive 3 round knockout over Bob Foxworth, a fierce puncher whom Nat Fleischer considered perhaps the hardest puncher he had ever seen. Foxworth's career was stunted due to a detached retina and he is largely forgotten today.
Very interesting. Sounds like SMith was the kind of guy, if he caught you right, goodnight and goodluck, but he struggled to get that done. Certainly he got bulled around by the much lighter Burley.
Good info McGrain, on the subject of Marshall, his WINS resume is one of the very best ever, but he seemed to have lost a lot to the best fighters as much as he beat them, dont know what my poiint is there, just thought i'd put that in here, interesting.
Yeah, Marshall is a difficult, difficult fighter to appraise, most of all because he was seen as a "business" fighter, that is, a fighter who would be expected to take dives at certain times. I think that's why he eventually came to fight in Europe, but that's pure speculation.
