Gunboat Smith
Encyclopedia
Edward "Gunboat" Smith was an Irish American
boxer
and later a boxing referee
.
. He spent much of his youth in orphanage
s, 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
, and beating and losing to Sam Langford
in two fights (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.
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
.
and Yankee Stadium
, and an actor in several small roles in silent films, including The Great Gatsby
and Wings
, the first Academy Award-winner for Best Picture.
He also refereed boxing matches, such as the Harry Greb
vs. Tiger Flowers
middleweight
championship bout in 1926.
He died in 1974 in Florida.
Irish American
Irish Americans are citizens of the United States who can trace their ancestry to Ireland. A total of 36,278,332 Americans—estimated at 11.9% of the total population—reported Irish ancestry in the 2008 American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau...
boxer
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
and later a boxing referee
Referee (boxing)
The referee in the boxing is the individual charged with enforcing the rules of that sport during a match.-The role of the referee:Referees have the following roles:*Gives instructions to both boxers before the fight...
.
Boxing career
Smith was born in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaPennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. He spent much of his youth in orphanage
Orphanage
An orphanage is a residential institution devoted to the care of orphans – children whose parents are deceased or otherwise unable or unwilling to care for them...
s, working on farms and on the railroads. He joined the U.S. Navy, where he began boxing
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
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
Sparring
Sparring is a form of training common to many martial arts. Although the precise form varies, it is essentially relatively 'free-form' fighting, with enough rules, customs, or agreements to make injuries unlikely...
partner for Jack Johnson
Jack Johnson (boxer)
John Arthur Johnson , nicknamed the “Galveston Giant,” was an American boxer. At the height of the Jim Crow era, Johnson became the first African American world heavyweight boxing champion...
and Stanley Ketchel
Stanley Ketchel
-External links:**...
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
Jess Willard
Jess Willard was a world heavyweight boxing champion. He won the heavyweight title from Jack Johnson in April 1915 and lost it to Jack Dempsey in July 1919....
, and beating and losing to Sam Langford
Sam Langford
Sam Langford was a Black Canadian boxing standout of the early part of the 20th century. Called the "Greatest Fighter Nobody Knows," by ESPN. He was rated #2 by The Ring on their list of "100 greatest punchers of all time". Langford was originally from Weymouth Falls, a small community in Nova...
in two fights (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
Jack Johnson (boxer)
John Arthur Johnson , nicknamed the “Galveston Giant,” was an American boxer. At the height of the Jim Crow era, Johnson became the first African American world heavyweight boxing champion...
, was never widely recognized. He lost the "title" to Georges Carpentier
Georges Carpentier
Georges Carpentier was a French boxer. He fought mainly as a light heavyweight and heavyweight in a career lasting from 1908-26. Nicknamed the "Orchid Man", he stood and his fighting weight ranged from...
later that year.
After 1916 Gunboat Smith's career suffered a decline, in 1917 he suffered a loss by decision to future champion Jack Dempsey
Jack Dempsey
William Harrison "Jack" Dempsey was an American boxer who held the world heavyweight title from 1919 to 1926. Dempsey's aggressive style and exceptional punching power made him one of the most popular boxers in history. Many of his fights set financial and attendance records, including the first...
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
Harry Wills
240px|rightHarry "The Black Panther" Wills was perhaps the most well known victim of the "color line" drawn by white heavyweight champions after the title reign of Jack Johnson...
.
After boxing
After his retirement, Smith went on to have a variety of jobs: runner on Wall Street, private policeman at Madison Square GardenMadison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
and Yankee Stadium
Yankee Stadium
Yankee Stadium was a stadium located in The Bronx in New York City, New York. It was the home ballpark of the New York Yankees from 1923 to 1973 and from 1976 to 2008. The stadium hosted 6,581 Yankees regular season home games during its 85-year history. It was also the former home of the New York...
, and an actor in several small roles in silent films, including The Great Gatsby
The Great Gatsby (1926 film)
The Great Gatsby is a silent film adaptation of the novel of the same name by F. Scott Fitzgerald. The film was directed by Herbert Brenon, produced by Adolph Zukor and Jesse L. Lasky at Famous Players-Lasky, and released by Paramount Pictures. The film is a famous example of a lost film....
and Wings
Wings (film)
Wings is a silent film about World War I fighter pilots, produced by Lucien Hubbard, directed by William A. Wellman and released by Paramount Pictures. Wings was the first film, and the only silent film, to win the Academy Award for Best Picture. Wings stars Clara Bow, Charles "Buddy" Rogers, and...
, the first Academy Award-winner for Best Picture.
He also refereed boxing matches, such as the Harry Greb
Harry Greb
Harry Greb was an American boxer. He was World Middleweight boxing Champion from 1923 to 1926 and American Light Heavyweight title holder 1922–1923. He fought a recorded 303 times in his 13 year-career, against the best opposition the talent-rich 1910s & 20s could provide him, frequently squaring...
vs. Tiger Flowers
Tiger Flowers
Theodore Flowers became the first African-American middleweight boxing champion, defeating Harry Greb in 1926. Known as "Tiger", he began boxing professionally in 1918 at the age of 23 while working at a Philadelphia shipbuilding plant...
middleweight
Middleweight
Middleweight is a division, or weight class, in boxing. Early boxing history is less than exact, but the middleweight designation seems to have begun in the 1840s. In the bare-knuckle era, the first middleweight championship fight was between Tom Chandler and Dooney Harris in 1897...
championship bout in 1926.
He died in 1974 in Florida.