Charles A.C. Smith
(the "Black Thunderbolt")
BORN May 3 1860; Macon, Georgia; Various sources report his birth anywhere from 1853 to 1866; Other cities reported are Saginaw (Mi), Albany (NY) and Buffalo (NY)
DIED October 1924
HEIGHT 5-11 (Some sources report 6-0)
WEIGHT 168-230 lbs
MANAGER Bill Muldoon

Smith moved north with his mother in 1865; He is reported to have began fighting at age 19 and to have had around 225 bouts; His manager, Bill Muldoon, called him a great fighter, a terrific hitter and a clever boxer

During his career, Smith defeated such men as Frank Craig, Mervine Thompson, Thomas "Soap" McAlpine, Black Diamond (Harry Woodson), Charles Hadley, Steve Taylor, Bill Gabig and Mike Brennan


Undated
       Welsh                                                       W   
       Ed Gray                                                     W   
       Battler Stevenson                                           W   
       William Spillings                                           W   
       Frank Craig                                                 W  2
       Mervine Thompson                                            W  3
       Mike Green                                                  W 29
       Steve Taylor                                                W 14

1869
Jul 12 Jim Whalen                    Pittsburgh, Pa               KO 21
Nov 16 Joseph Massey                 Pittsburgh, Pa               KO  6
          -Some sources report "W 6"

1870
Jun    Jack Chapel                   Bedford, Oh                  KO 12
          -Some sources report "W 12" during 1879

1879
Jun    Jack Driscoll                 East Saginaw, Mi             KO  3

1881
       Maurice Casey                 Ann Arbor, Mi                 W  4
       John Donaldson                East Saginaw, Mi              W  4
          -Some sources report "KO 4" during 1879
Aug    Bill Johnson                  East Saginaw, Mi             KO  2
          -Some sources report "W 2"
Nov 11 Dan Carr                      Bay City, Mi                 KO  4
          -Some sources report "W 4"

1882
Jan    Dan Carr                      East Saginaw, Mi             KO  8
          -Some sources report "W 8" during Jan 1881
Nov 14 John Donaldson                Port Huron, Mi                D  4

1883
Feb 17 Jack Stewart                  Port Huron, Mi               KO  4
          -Some sources report "W" against "Jim Stewart"
Apr    Amos Lavender                 Albany, NY                    W   
Apr 18 W. Shipman                    Schenectady, NY             SCH   
          -This bout was scheduled but not held;
          Shipman did not show
Apr 18 Tom "Soap" McAlpine           Schenectady, NY              EX  3
          -Some sources report "W 4"
May 18 Charles Hadley                Boston, Ma                  SCH   
          -This bout was scheduled; The outcome is not known
Jun 14 -Smith challenged all-comers at Albany, NY to stay four rounds
Jul 16 Black Diamond (Harry Woodson) Troy, NY                     ND  3
          -Some sources report "W 4"
Aug 16 Jack Stewart                  New York, NY                 LK  2
          -Some sources report "Jim Stewart"
Oct  5 Jack Stewart                  London, Ont, Canada           D  6
          -Some sources report "EX" against "Jim Stewart"
       Tom Cleary                    Amsterdam, NY                 D   
Dec    Charles Hadley                East Saginaw, Mi             EX   
          -Some sources report "ND 4"
Dec 15 -Smith opened a gymnasium in East Saignaw, Mi

1884
Feb  2 Charles Hadley                East Saginaw, Mi             WF  2
Mar 10 Mervine Thompson              Cleveland, Oh                LK  8
          -Reports vary - "LK 7" - "LK 9"
Mar 18 Tom Robinson                  Cleveland, Oh                LK  1
Oct    Big Sullivan                  Market Hall, Mn              ND  1
          -This bout ended in a "row"
Oct 27 John Clancey                  St. Paul, Mn                 WF  1
Nov 20 Ed McKeown                    Winnipeg, Man, Canada        KO  2

1884-1886
       George Godfrey                                              D  6

1886
Aug 15 Bill Miller                   Saginaw, Mi                 SCH   
          -This bout was scheduled; The outcome is not known

1891
       Fred Morris                                                EX  6
          -Smith traveled with "Bill Muldoon's troupe"
          and took on all-comers
       Billy Baker                                                 L   
          -Some sources report during 1892
       Billy Baker                                                 L   
          -Some sources report during 1892

1892
Apr 25 Bill Gabig                    New York, NY                 KO  2
          -Some sources report "W 2"
       Joe Butler                    Washington, DC               LK  3
Aug 15 George Godfrey                New York, NY                  L  4
Aug 29 Frank Craig                   Brooklyn, NY                 EX   
Sep 12 Frank Craig                   New York, NY                 EX   
Nov  5 Mike Brennan                  New York, NY                  W  3
          -Some sources report 10/29/92;
          Some sources report "KO 2";
          Each man was knocked down in round one
Nov 21 Joe Choynski                  Philadelphia, Pa             LK  4
Nov 26 Mike Brennan                  New York, NY                 WF  2
          -Reports vary - "W 3" - "WF 3";
          Some sources report 11/27/92

1893
       Con Coughlin                  New York, NY                 KO  1
Apr 14 John Jackson                  New York, NY                 KO  1
Apr 15 Con Coughlin                  New York, NY                  L  4
          -Police intervened; 
          Some sources report "L 3"
Jul  4 Con Riordan                   New York, NY                  D  4
          -Some sources report "W 6"

1894
Jan 11 Jerry Slattery                near Dolgeville, NY          LF  5
          -Smith knocked Slattery down and struck him while down
Oct 24 Amos Thesis                   Louisville, Ky               KO   

1896
Aug  6 Mike Queenan                  Niagara Falls, NY            TK  2

1897
Feb 15 Peter Maher                   Buffalo, NY                   L  6
          -Some sources report "D 6";
          Some sources report 5/03/97
Mar 26 George Watson                 Buffalo, NY                  KO  1
          -Some sources report "John C. Watson" in Apr 1897
May 10 Fred Taylor                   Erie, Pa                     KO  1
May 31 Jim Delaney                   Elmira, NY                   KO  2
Jun    an unnamed opponent           Buffalo, NY                  LT  2
          -Smith broke an arm

1898
Feb 15 Peter Maher                   Philadelphia, Pa             LK  3
Oct    Johnny Ruhlin                 East Buffalo, NY             EX  4
          -Some sources report Nov 1898
Nov 24 Ed Dunkhorst                  Elmira, NY                    L 20

1899
Mar  6 Tom McCarthy                  Buffalo, NY                  WF  3
Oct 25 Jim Fitzpatrick               Buffalo, NY                  LT  7
          -Some sources report 10/26/99

1901
Aug    Billy Rhodes                  Minneapolis, Mn              EX  4

1903-1904
       Contaden                      in America                    W   


*** The Following Bouts Are Reported But Not Confirmed ***

Undated
       Con Riordan                                                 W  6
       Joe Choynski                                                D   
       Jim Fell                                                  SCH   
          -This bout was scheduled; The outcome is not known

1887-1889
       the "Brooklyn Strong Boy"                                   W  1
          -Perhaps, this man was "Jack Fallon"
           Some sources report "TK 1" in 1887

1893-1895
       Bob Armstrong                                               L   

1898
Dec 25 George Gardner                Montreal, Que, Canada        LK  7
          -It appears that Gardner fought Ed" Thunderbolt" Smith

1903 
       Jem Smith                     Manchester, England          KO   

*** The Following Bouts Are Unlikely Due To Smith's Age ***

1906
       Jack Johnson                  Minneapolis, Mn               L   

1909
Mar 31 Mike Donovan                  Columbus, Oh                  D  6
May 17 Mike Donovan                  Columbus, Oh                  L  6

Review courtesy of Tracy Callis, Historian, International Boxing Research Organization