Ed "Gunboat" Smith
(Edward J. Smyth)

BORN   February 17 1887; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
DIED August 6 1974; Leesburg, Florida
HEIGHT 6-2
WEIGHT 170-186 lbs
RACE White; Irish-American
MANAGERS Cleve Peters, Jimmy Buckley
TRAINER "Spider" Kelly

Smith was lean, quick and crafty - and a sizzling hitter; He was a very good boxer who moved well and hit sharply with both hands; Slightly larger than a light heavyweight, he hit like a heavyweight

Smith was a White Hope of the teens who fought all-comers; From March 23, 1912 when he knocked out "Battling" Jack Brooks until he lost to Jim Coffey on November 29, 1915, he was a "hot item" in the heavyweight division; His list of opponents reads like a "Who's Who of the Teens"

Among those he defeated during his career were Jess Willard, Sam Langford, Battling Levinsky, Carl Morris, Frank Moran, "Fireman" Jim Flynn, "Bombardier" Billy Wells, Jim Stewart, Jim Savage, Tony Ross and George "Boer" Rodel

He won the White Heavyweight Championship in 1914 when he knocked out Arthur Pelkey; Six months later he lost the title to Georges Carpentier on an "ill-called" foul

After he retired from the ring, he acted in motion pictures and became a referee

*** AMATEUR BOUTS ***

1906
Jul  4 Chuck Carleton             Bremerton, Wa                    KO  3

1908
       Charles Horn                                                KO  6
       Spike Higgins                                               KO  9
       Charles Miller                                               W  4
       "Sailor" Jack Carroll                                        D  6

1908-1909
       "Sailor" Matt Turner                                        KO  4

1909
Jun  3 "Sailor" Matt Turner       Seattle Harbor, Wa               KO  5
          -Heavyweight Championship of the Pacific Fleet
Jun  4 Jack Cavin                 Seattle, Wa                      KO  2
Jul 10 Alfred "Soldier" Kearns    Seattle, Wa                      KO  1
Jul 16 "Denver" Ed Martin         Seattle, Wa                      ND  4
          -Some sources report "ND 6"

*** PROFESSIONAL BOUTS ***

1909
Sep 29 Joe "Kid" Collins          Oakland, Ca                      KO  1
Oct 19 Lew Taylor                 Oakland, Ca                      KO  6
Nov 10 "Young" Peter Jackson      Oakland, Ca                       W 10
Dec 14 Walter Schulken            Oakland, Ca                      KO  7
Dec 29 "Salinas" Jack Burns       San Francisco, Ca                 D 20

1910
Feb 19 Jack Fitzgerald            Philadelphia, Pa                 ND  6
Mar  9 Jim Barry                  Oakland, Ca                      LK  9
Apr 24 Joe Willis                 Vallejo, Ca                      LK 11
May 24 "Denver" Jack Geyer        Oakland, Ca                       W 10
Oct 22 George Brown               Coalinga, Ca                     KO  4
Nov 19 Vic Hansen                 Coalinga, Ca                      D 20
Dec 17 Kid Kenneth                Maricopa, Ca                     KO  3

1911
Feb 22 Frank Jeffries             Coalinga, Ca                     TK  2
Mar 15 Walter Monaghan            Oakland, Ca                      KO  4
Apr  4 Joe Lanum                  Oakland, Ca                      KO  4
Apr 21 Terry Mustain              San Francisco, Ca                 W  4
May  3 Jim Barry                  Oakland, Ca                       L  6
Jun  2 Charles Miller             San Francisco, Ca                 L  4
Jun 16 "Mexican" Pete Everett     San Francisco, Ca                KO  2
Jul  4 Joe Willis                 Sacramento, Ca                   KO 10
Jul 20 Lou Rushing                Stockton, Ca                     TK  2
Aug 15 "Denver" Jack Geyer        Taft, Ca                         LK  9
Sep  8 Charles Miller             San Francisco, Ca                KO  1
Oct 11 Jack Johnson               San Francisco, Ca                EX  4
Nov  3 Charles Miller             San Francisco, Ca                 D  4
Dec 29 Charles Horn               San Francisco, Ca                TK  7
          -Various sources report 12/27/11 and 12/28/11;
           Some sources report "W 8"
       Joe Willis                                                  KO  1

1912
Jan  5 "Denver" Jack Geyer        San Francisco, Ca                 L 10
Feb 16 Charles Horn               San Francisco, Ca                 D  4
Mar 23 "Battling" Jack Brooks     New York, NY                     KO  3
Mar 29 George Appel               Brooklyn, NY                     KO  3
          -Some sources report "Eddy Apples" in 1911
Apr 27 Bill Watkins               New York, NY                     TK  4
          -Some sources report 4/28/12
May  9 Jim Stewart                New York, NY                     ND 10
May 16 Jack Smith                 New York, NY                     KO  2
          -Some sources report "George Smith" on 5/18/12
Jun 11 Jack McFarland             Rockaway Beach, NY               KO  6
Jun 19 Charles "Sailor" White     Brooklyn, NY                     ND 10
Jun 29 Hugh McGann                Bronx, NY                        KO  2
Jul 31 Andy Morris                New York, NY                     KO  2
Aug 14 Dan "Porky" Flynn          New York, NY                     ND 10
Aug 27 "George Godfrey"           Rockaway Beach, NY               KO  2
          -This man was not the famous heavyweight
Sep  9 Tom "Bearcat" McMahon      New York, NY                     ND 10
Sep 20 Al Kubiak                  Philadelphia, Pa                 ND  6
Sep 30 Jim Savage                 New York, NY                     KO  3
Oct 21 Jim Stewart                New York, NY                     TK  7
Nov 21 Jack "Twin" Sullivan       Buffalo, NY                      ND 10
Dec 11 Harry Wuest                New York, NY                     TK  1
Dec 27 Frank Moran                San Francisco, Ca                 W 20
          -Some sources report 12/28/12

1913
Jan 22 Al McCluskey               Oakland, Ca                      TK  3
Mar 14 "Bombardier" Billy Wells   New York, NY                     KO  2
Apr  2 Fred McKay                 New York, NY                     KO  2
Apr 11 George "Boer" Rodel        New York, NY                     ND 10
May 20 Jess Willard               Colma, Ca                         W 20
          -Some sources report "San Francisco, Ca"
Jun 27 George "Boer" Rodel        New York, NY                     TK  3
Aug  8 "Fireman" Jim Flynn        New York, NY                     TK  5
Oct  9 Carl Morris                New York, NY                     WF  5
Oct 21 Tony Ross                  Boston, Ma                       KO 10
Oct 31 Charles Miller             New York, NY                     KO  3
Nov 11 Sam Langford               Boston, Ma                        W 12
          -Some sources report 11/12/13

1914
Jan  1 Arthur Pelkey              Daly City, Ca                    TK 15
          -White Heavyweight Championship of the World
May 20 Jack Blackburn             Philadelphia, Pa                 ND  6
Jul 16 Georges Carpentier         London, Eng                      LF  6
          -White Heavyweight Championship of the World;
           EBU Heavyweight Championship of the World
Sep 28 "Cyclone" Johnny Thompson  Pittsburgh, Pa                   ND  6
Oct  9 Battling Levinsky          New York, NY                     ND 10
Oct 20 Sam Langford               Boston, Ma                       LK  3
Dec 15 Jim Coffey                 New York, NY                     ND 10
Dec 23 Tom McCarty                New York, NY                     TK  4
Dec 28 Chick Carsey               New York, NY                     TK  3

1915
Jan  1 Battling Levinsky          Waterbury, Ct                     D 12
          -Some sources report "ND 12"
Jan 27 Battling Levinsky          New Orleans, La                   W 20
Feb  1 "Fireman" Jim Flynn        Cincinnati, Oh                   ND 10
Mar 16 Jack Dillon                Milwaukee, Wi                    ND 10
Mar 27 Jack Reed                  Brooklyn, NY                     ND 10
Apr 13 Charles Weinert            Brooklyn, NY                     ND 10
Apr 20 Tom McCarty                Boston, Ma                        W 12
May 10 "Fighting" Dick Gilbert    Denver, Co                       ND 12
Jul  1 Charles Weinert            Brooklyn, NY                     ND 10
Jul 28 Tom Cowler                 New York, NY                     ND 10
Aug 18 Jack Hemple                New York, NY                     ND 10
Sep  4 "Sailor" Jack Carroll      Brooklyn, NY                     ND 10
Oct  4 Al Reich                   New York, NY                     ND 10
Oct  6 Colin Bell                 Montreal, Que, Can               ND 10
Nov  9 Joe Cox                    St. Louis, Mo                    ND  8
Nov 29 Jim Coffey                 New York, NY                     LK  4

1916
Mar 14 Jack Dillon                Brooklyn, NY                     ND 10
Mar 30 Dan "Porky" Flynn          New York, NY                     ND 10
Apr  7 Carl Morris                Tulsa, Ok                         L 10
Apr 28 Bob Devere                 Syracuse, NY                     ND 10
May 15 Battling Levinsky          Philadelphia, Pa                 ND  6
Jun  7 Arthur Pelkey              Memphis, Tn                       W  8
          -Some sources report "D 8"
Jul 10 Tom "Bearcat" McMahon      Rochester, NY                    ND 15
Sep 18 Cleve Hawkins              New York, NY                     TK  3
Sep 23 Jim Coffey                 Philadelphia, Pa                 ND  6
Sep 26 Tom Cowler                 Brooklyn, NY                     ND 10
Oct  3 Joe Cox                    Brooklyn, NY                     ND 10
Oct 10 Battling Levinsky          Boston, Ma                        L 12
Nov 25 George "Kid" Ashe          Brooklyn, NY                    SCH   
          -This bout was scheduled; The outcome is not known
Dec  2 Tom Cowler                 Rochester, NY                    ND 10
Dec 18 Frank Moran                Brooklyn, NY                     ND 10
Dec 25 Tom Cowler                 Rochester, NY                    ND 10

1917
Jan  1 Battling Levinsky          Brooklyn, NY                     ND 10
Jan 31 Jack Moran                 St. Louis, Mo                     D 12
Feb  2 Joe Borrell                Philadelphia, Pa                 ND  6
Feb 16 Jack Dillon                New Orleans, La                   L 20
May 29 Bob McAllister             New York, NY                     ND 10
Jun  2 Jack Clifford              Brooklyn, NY                     ND 10
Aug  3 Kid Norfolk                Buffalo, NY                      ND 10
Aug 10 "Big" Bill Tate            Far Rockaway, NY                 ND 10
Aug 20 Kid Norfolk                Rochester, NY                    ND 10
Sep  7 Frank Moran                New York, NY                     ND 10
Oct  2 Jack Dempsey               San Francisco, Ca                 L  4
Oct 16 Jack Dempsey               San Francisco, Ca                 L  4
Nov 27 Fred Fulton                Minneapolis, Mn                  LT  7

1918
Jan  9 Charles Weinert            Providence, RI                   LF 12
          -Some sources report "L 12"
Feb 18 Emmett "Kid" Wagner        Wilkes-Barre, Pa                 KO  2
Mar  8 Hugh Walker                Joplin, Mo                       ND 12
Apr  1 Clay Turner                Wilkes-Barre, Pa                 ND 10
Apr 12 Billy Miske                Atlanta, Ga                       L 10
May 24 Harry Greb                 New York, NY                     ND  6
May 27 Leo Houck                  Lancaster, Pa                    ND  6
Jul  4 Tom "Bearcat" McMahon      Dayton, Oh                        D 15
Jul 11 Billy Miske                Jersey City, NJ                  ND  8
          -Some sources report "ND 10" on 7/12/18
Dec 30 Jack Dempsey               Buffalo, NY                      LK  2
          -Dempsey knocked Smith down 9 times

1919
Oct 23 "Sailor" Ed Petroskey      San Francisco, Ca                 L  4
          -Petroskey used the name "K.O. Kruvoskey" for this bout
Oct 30 Noel "Boy" McCormick       San Francisco, Ca                 L  4
Nov  5 Frank Farmer               Seattle, Wa                       L  6
Nov 19 Fat LaRue                  Oakland, Ca                       W  4
Dec  3 Carl Morris                San Francisco, Ca                 D  4
Dec 11 Ole Anderson               San Francisco, Ca                 D  4

1920
Jan 23 Carl Morris                Fresno, Ca                        W  4
Feb  4 Willie Meehan              Oakland, Ca                       W  4
Feb 25 "Big" Bill Tate            Oakland, Ca                       L  4
Mar  9 Andre Anderson             Fresno, Ca                        W  4
          -Some sources report 3/10/20
Apr  7 Fred Fulton                Milwaukie, Or                    LK  2
          -Some sources report "Portland, Or"
May 13 Lee Anderson               San Francisco, Ca                 L  4
Jun 26 Tony Melchior              East Chicago, In                 ND 10
Jul 15 Chuck Wiggins              Grand Rapids, Mi                 ND 10
Aug  3 "Texas" Harry Tate         Fort Worth, Tx                   ND 12
Aug  9 "Captain" Bob Roper        Akron, Oh                         D 15
          -Some sources report "Columbus, Oh"
Oct 21 Harry Greb                 South Bend, In                   LK  1

1921
Mar  9 Al Roberts                 Harlem, NY                       LK 10
May 30 "Fighting" Bob Martin      Huntington, WV                   LK  3
Oct 10 Harry Wills                Havana, Cu                       LK  1
*** The Following Bouts Are Reported But Not Confirmed ***
 
1908-1910
       Charles Horn                                                 W 10
       Jack Johnson               Oakland, Ca                      EX   
       Stanley Ketchel            Oakland, Ca                      EX   
          -Smith became known in the Oakland and San Francisco
           area by serving as a sparring partner for Johnson
           and Ketchel

1914
Jan 14 Arthur Pelkey              in California                     W 15
          -Perhaps, this is actually the 1/01/14 bout
1916
Mar 29 Bob Devere                 New York, NY                     ND 10

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