Wallace Smith (boxer)

Wallace "Bud" Smith (April 2, 1924 – July 10, 1973) was a world lightweight boxing champion in 1955, who also competed in the 1948 Olympic Games. His trainer was John Joiner of Cincinnati, and his manager was Vic Marsillo. Smith was murdered in 1973.[1][2][3]

Wallace "Bud" Smith
Statistics
Weight(s)Lightweight
Height5 ft 6+1⁄2 in (169 cm)
NationalityAmerican
Born(1924-04-02)April 2, 1924
Cincinnati, Ohio
DiedJuly 10, 1973(1973-07-10) (aged 49)
Cincinnati, Ohio
StanceOrthodox
Boxing record
Total fights61
Wins31
Wins by KO18
Losses24
Draws6
No contests0

Amateur career

Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, Smith was the 1947 A.A.U. Featherweight Champion. He won Chicago's 1948 lightweight Golden Gloves inter-city tournament with a furious attack against Luis Ortiz, achieving a knockout in 2:45 of the second round. He represented the United States at the 1948 Olympic Games in the lightweight division. Smith defeated Chuck Davey of Michigan State University, to earn a spot on the team.[2]

On August 24, 1949, he defeated Joe Discepoli in a ten-round unanimous decision in Cincinnati to take the USA Ohio State Lightweight Championship. He reportedly ended his amateur career with a 52-4 record.[2]

Professional career

Smith turned pro on November 29, 1948 with a first-round knockout of Torpedo Tinsley at the Music Hall in Cincinnati. Over the next seven years, Smith established himself as one of the world's top lightweights with victories over top-rated Red Top Davis, Orlando Zulueta, and Arthur Persley.[2][1]

On November 20, 1954, Smith knocked out Arthur Persley in nine rounds in Miami on his way to his 1955 title shot.[1]

Defeating Orlando Zulueta, May, December 1953

On May 5, 1953, Smith first defeated Cuban prodigy Orlando Zulueta in a ten-round unanimous decision at Cincinnati Gardens. On December 11, 1953, Smith defeated Zulueta again in a ten-round Unanimous Decision at Madison Square Garden.[1] The win helped Smith earn his much desired title bout against Jimmy Carter, as Zuleta was the number two contender for the lightweight crown at the time. In a somewhat close match before a small crowd of only 2,991, Smith's aggressiveness and solid punching won him the match, though Zulueta scored frequently with quick left jabs to the head and rights to the body.[4]

Taking the World Lightweight Championship, June 1955

On June 29, 1955, Smith beat the 4-1 odds against him and defeated 3-time world lightweight champion Jimmy Carter in a fifteen-round split decision at Boston Garden to take the title. The fight was fierce and bloody and only 1,983 fans turned out for the contest between the black contestants who were not especially well known. Carter needed fifteen stitches over his eyes to mend from the rough bout, in which he likely took the worst damage of his career. Even Smith needed three stitches to recover from the bout.[5][1]

Single defense of the title, October 1955

Four months later on October 19, 1955, he successfully defended the title against Carter in Cincinnati, winning in a fifteen-round unanimous decision.[6] A national TV audience was unable to see the announcement of the final decision, because one of the judges, Joe Blink, had difficulty in adding up his scorecard, in what Sports Illustrated described as "the long, long count" [7]

Losing the World Lightweight Championship, August 1956

On August 24, 1956, Smith lost his title in an upset to Joe Brown in a fifteen-round split decision in New Orleans. Smith was down twice in the fourteenth round. The Associated Press had Smith ahead eight rounds to seven, though the officials gave him a greater lead, and Smith may have won the bout if not for suffering a broken right hand in the second round.[8] In a rematch with Brown on February 13, 1957, Smith lost to Brown in an eleventh-round TKO in Miami. Smith went on to fight one more year, ending his career after losing 11 straight fights, half by knockout.

Life after boxing

Smith formally retired from boxing in 1959. The years passed by, and Smith dropped out of the public spotlight. His life was far from an easy one, with several brushes with the law, but the good-natured Smith was a popular figure in his neighborhood.[9]

Murder

On July 10, 1973 Smith saw a man beating up a woman in Cincinnati and stepped in. After a struggle, the man pulled a gun and shot Smith in the head, killing him.[10][9]



Professional boxing record
61 fights 31 wins 24 losses
By knockout 18 7
By decision 13 17
Draws 6
No. Result Record Opponent Type Round Date Location Notes
61 Loss 31–24–6 Gomeo Brennan TKO 5 (10) Apr 1, 1958 Auditorium, Miami Beach, Florida, U.S.
60 Loss 31–23–6 Duilio Loi KO 9 (10) Mar 1, 1958 Palazzo dello Sport (Pad. 3 Fiera), Milan, Lombardia, Italy
59 Loss 31–22–6 Al Nevarez UD 10 Feb 11, 1958 Auditorio Municipal, Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico
58 Loss 31–21–6 Bobby Scanlon TKO 10 (10) Oct 31, 1957 Civic Auditorium, San Francisco, California, U.S.
57 Loss 31–20–6 Cisco Andrade TKO 9 (10) Jul 25, 1957 Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
56 Loss 31–19–6 Mickey Crawford UD 10 May 23, 1957 I.M.A. Auditorium, Flint, Michigan, U.S.
55 Loss 31–18–6 Joe Brown TKO 11 (15) Feb 13, 1957 Auditorium, Miami Beach, Florida, U.S. For NYSAC, NBA, and The Ring lightweight titles
54 Loss 31–17–6 Joe Brown SD 15 Aug 24, 1956 Municipal Auditorium, New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. Lost NYSAC, NBA, and The Ring lightweight titles
53 Loss 31–16–6 Joe Brown UD 10 May 2, 1956 Sam Houston Coliseum, Houston, Texas, U.S.
52 Loss 31–15–6 Tony DeMarco TKO 9 (10) Mar 5, 1956 Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
51 Loss 31–14–6 Larry Boardman SD 10 Feb 7, 1956 Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
50 Win 31–13–6 Jimmy Carter UD 15 Oct 19, 1955 Cincinnati Gardens, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S. Retained NYSAC, NBA, and The Ring lightweight titles
49 Win 30–13–6 Jimmy Carter SD 15 Jun 29, 1955 Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. Won NYSAC, NBA, and The Ring lightweight titles
48 Draw 29–13–6 Johnny Gonsalves SD 10 Jan 8, 1955 Bayfront Park Auditorium, Miami, Florida, U.S.
47 Win 29–13–5 Arthur Persley KO 9 (10) Nov 20, 1955 Bayfront Park Auditorium, Miami, Florida, U.S.
46 Loss 28–13–5 Joe Miceli SD 10 Sep 11, 1955 Auditorium, Miami Beach, Florida, U.S.
45 Win 28–12–5 Rafel Lastre KO 7 (10) Aug 31, 1955 Auditorium, Miami Beach, Florida, U.S.
44 Win 27–12–5 Rafel Lastre TKO 9 (10) Jul 27, 1955 Auditorium, Miami Beach, Florida, U.S.
43 Loss 26–12–5 Johnny Gonsalves MD 10 May 1, 1955 Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.
42 Loss 26–11–5 Joe Miceli KO 5 (10) Feb 20, 1955 Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.
41 Win 26–10–5 Orlando Zulueta UD 10 Dec 11, 1954 Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.
40 Win 25–10–5 Billy Hazel KO 1 (8) Nov 5, 1954 Laurel Garden, Newark, New Jersey, U.S.
39 Win 24–10–5 Arthur King TKO 5 (10) Sep 14, 1954 Eastern Parkway Arena, Brooklyn, New York City, New York, U.S.
38 Win 23–10–5 Charley Spicer RTD 6 (10) Aug 24, 1954 Eastern Parkway Arena, Brooklyn, New York City, New York, U.S.
37 Win 22–10–5 Carl Coates TKO 6 (10) Aug 3, 1954 Eastern Parkway Arena, Brooklyn, New York City, New York, U.S.
36 Win 21–10–5 Johnny Williams KO 1 (6) Jun 26, 1954 Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.
35 Draw 20–10–5 Luther Rawlings MD 10 May 19, 1954 Auditorium, Miami Beach, Florida, U.S.
34 Win 20–10–4 Orlando Zulueta UD 10 May 5, 1954 Cincinnati Gardens, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
33 Loss 19–10–4 Orlando Zulueta SD 10 Mar 23, 1954 Eastern Parkway Arena, Brooklyn, New York City, New York, U.S.
32 Draw 19–9–4 Johnny Saxton SD 10 Mar 15, 1954 Auditorium, Miami Beach, Florida, U.S.
31 Win 19–9–3 Len Dittmar TKO 5 (12) Sep 15, 1953 Sydney Stadium, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
30 Loss 18–9–3 George Barnes PTS 12 Aug 18, 1953 Sydney Stadium, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
29 Loss 18–8–3 George Barnes PTS 12 Jun 6, 1953 West Melbourne Stadium, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
28 Win 18–7–3 Frank Flannery PTS 12 May 16, 1953 West Melbourne Stadium, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
27 Win 17–7–3 James Montgomery PTS 8 Apr 7, 1953 Rhode Island Auditorium, Providence, Rhode Island, U.S.
26 Win 16–7–3 Miguel Mendivil TKO 2 (8) Mar 4, 1953 Laurel Garden, Newark, New Jersey, U.S.
25 Win 15–7–3 Teddy Davis SD 8 Jan 1, 1953 Laurel Garden, Newark, New Jersey, U.S.
24 Loss 14–7–3 Miguel Mendivil PTS 8 Nov 27, 1951 Laurel Garden, Newark, New Jersey, U.S.
23 Loss 14–6–3 Tommy Campbell MD 10 Sep 11, 1951 Municipal Stadium, Davenport, Iowa, U.S.
22 Draw 14–5–3 Orlando Zulueta PTS 8 Jul 23, 1951 Meadowbrook Bowl, Newark, New Jersey, U.S.
21 Loss 14–5–2 Virgil Akins PTS 8 Apr 17, 1951 Kiel Auditorium, Saint Louis, Missouri, U.S.
20 Draw 14–4–2 Dave Marsh PTS 8 Apr 10, 1951 Cincinnati Gardens, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
19 Loss 14–4–1 Virgil Akins PTS 10 Apr 4, 1951 Arena, Saint Louis, Missouri, U.S.
18 Win 14–3–1 Frankie Betts TKO 2 (6) Mar 6, 1951 Cincinnati Gardens, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
17 Loss 13–3–1 Danny Womber PTS 8 Nov 8, 1950 Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
16 Draw 13–2–1 Jesse Underwood MD 10 Jun 14, 1950 Cincinnati Gardens, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
15 Win 13–2 Jay Watkins UD 10 May 3, 1950 Cincinnati Gardens, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
14 Loss 12–2 Jimmy Carter UD 10 Mar 28, 1950 Music Hall Arena, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
13 Win 12–1 Guiseppe Colasanti UD 10 Feb 7, 1950 Cincinnati Gardens, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
12 Win 11–1 Paulie Brooks KO 4 (10) Dec 13, 1949 Music Hall Arena, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
11 Win 10–1 Tommy Campbell MD 10 Nov 14, 1949 Music Hall Arena, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
10 Loss 9–1 Paulie Brooks MD 10 Oct 25, 1949 Cincinnati Gardens, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
9 Win 9–0 Jay Watkins KO 4 (10) Oct 5, 1949 Music Hall Arena, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
8 Win 8–0 Don Bowman KO 1 (10) Sep 20, 1949 Parkway Arena, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
7 Win 7–0 Joe Discepoli UD 10 Aug 24, 1949 Parkway Arena, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S. Won Ohio State lightweight title
6 Win 6–0 Jesse Underwood UD 8 Jul 11, 1949 Parkway Arena, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
5 Win 5–0 Don Keeling KO 2 (6) May 23, 1949 Cincinnati Gardens, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
4 Win 4–0 Doug Medley PTS 8 Mar 28, 1949 Music Hall Arena, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
3 Win 3–0 Doug Medley PTS 6 Feb 28, 1949 Cincinnati Gardens, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
2 Win 2–0 Joe Kelly TKO 1 (6) Jan 24, 1949 Music Hall Arena, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
1 Win 1–0 Torpedo Tinsley KO 1 (6) Nov 9, 1948 Music Hall Arena, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.

See also

References
  1. "Wallace Smith". BoxRec. Retrieved December 8, 2016.
  2. "Wallace Smith Bio". BoxRec Bio. Retrieved December 8, 2016.
  3. "Wallace Smith". Cyber Boxing Zone. Retrieved December 8, 2016.
  4. "Smith Scores Win Over Cuban", The Fresno Bee The Republican, Fresno, California, pg. 11, December 13, 1953
  5. Hoobing, Bob, "Gains Split Decision in Bloody Bout", The Bridgeport Telegram, Bridgeport, Connecticut, pg. 80, June 30, 1955
  6. "Bud Smith Wins Confused Decision Over Jimmy Carter," Albuquerque Journal, Albuquerque, New Mexico, p. 18, October 20, 1955
  7. Sports Illustrated, pgs. 12-13, October 31, 1955
  8. "Joe Brown Captures Lightweight Crown", The Gazette and Daily, York, Pennsylvania, pg. 22, August 25, 1956
  9. "Ex-Ring Champ is Shot to Death", The Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, pg. 25, June 11, 1973
  10. "Cincinnati News, Sports and Things to do | Cincinnati Enquirer".
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