"Mysterious" Billy Smith
("Boston" Billy Smith)
(Amos Smith)

BORN   May 15 1871; Little River, Digby County, Nova Scotia, Canada (Early sources report Eastport, Maine)
DIED October 15 1937; Portland, Oregon (Some sources report October 14 1937)
HEIGHT 5-8 1/2
WEIGHT 140-150 lbs
MANAGERS St. Clair Smith, Frank Dunn,Jack Fahie

Smith was a talented fighter who came to brawl; He was scrappy and rough, durable and tough and did whatever it took to win; If a man wanted a fight, he  had it; If it got dirty, that was OK too; If a foe didn't like a donnybrook, he'd better not fight Billy; Smith won the Welterweight Championship of the World during his career

Smith defeated such men as Joe Walcott, George "Kid" Lavigne, Al Neil, "Young" Peter Jackson, William "Matty" Matthews, Young Corbett (George Green), Charles McKeever, Jim Judge, Billy "Shadow" Maber, Danny Needham, Charles Gleason, Tom Williams, Dido Plumb, Bill Husbands, Billy Armstrong, Mike Dempsey and Johnny Gorman

Undated
       Ed Harvey                  St. John, NB, Can                 D 10
       Frank Tebeau                                                TK  5

1891
          -Smith arrived in San Francisco, Ca early in the year
       Breslin                    San Francisco, Ca                 W  4
       "Nonpareil" Jack Dempsey   San Francisco, Ca                EX  4
Nov    Billy "Shadow" Maber       San Francisco, Ca                EX   

1892
Jan 27 Frank Purcell              San Francisco, Ca                 L 10
Feb 16 Frank Kelly                San Francisco, Ca                KO  7
          -Some sources report "KO 39" on 2/17/92
Mar 12 Young Mitchell             San Francisco, Ca                EX  3
Mar 21 Billy Armstrong            San Francisco, Ca                KO 13
          -Some sources report "KO 14"on 3/22/92
Apr 28 Tommy West                 Portland, Or                      D 10
          -Some sources report "D 11"
Jun 29 Charles Gleason            Portland, Or                     TK  4
Aug 16 "Nonpareil" Jack Dempsey   Portland, Or                     EX  4
Sep 20 Billy "Shadow" Maber       Portland, Or                     KO 26
          -Smith claimed the Welterweight Championship
           of the World; Some sources report 9/21/92
Dec 14 Danny Needham              San Francisco, Ca                KO 14
          -Welterweight Championship of the World

1893
Jan 26 -A Philadelphia newspaper reported that "Billy Smith"
          (of Boston), the welterweight who has been fighting
          in California the past two years, came to Boston
          yesterday, seeking a fight with Tom Williams at 
          140 lbs. He said he is using an assumed name due
          to family objections to his fighting. He was born
          at Eastport, Me not quite 22 years ago, and went west
          in 1890 to see a brother who lived there. He did some
          fighting in St. John's NB, Maine, and Boston but attained
          no special prominence. After minor battles in Portland,
          Oregon and San Francisco, he came into notice and since
          then has made a big reputation for himself throughout
          the west. His last victory was over Danny Needham.

Apr 17 Tom Williams               Brooklyn, NY                     KO  2
          -Welterweight Championship of the World
May  9 -Smith's 18-year-old wife (Minnie) died of blood poisoning at Lynn, Ma
Jul    -Smith sparred some exhibitions in Maine
Aug 29 Tommy Ryan                 Brooklyn, NY                      D  6
Sep 20 Billy McCarthy             Chicago, Il                       D  6
Nov 13 -Smith was given a Benefit at Lynn, Ma

1894
Jan  9 Tommy Ryan                 Boston, Ma                        D  6
          -This was an "Agreed Draw" if no knockout was scored
Feb 19 Fletcher Robbins           Streator, Il                     KO  4
May 15 Eddie Butler               Spring Valley, Il                TK  2
Jul 26 Tommy Ryan                 Minneapolis, Mn                   L 20
          -Welterweight Championship of the World
Oct 29 Dick O'Brien               Boston, Ma                        D 10
Nov 19 Jack Powers                St. John, NB, Can                 D  6

1895
Feb  1 Harry Gallagher            Philadelphia, Pa                 ND  4 .
Feb 13 Billy Hennessey            Lynn, Ma                        SCH   
          -This bout was scheduled but not held
Feb 13 Peter Maher                Lynn, Ma                         EX   
Mar  1 Joe Walcott                Boston, Ma                        D 15
Mar  5 Young Hagen                Philadelphia, Pa                 TK  4 .
Mar  8 Dick O'Brien               Boston, Ma                       EX  4
Mar 14 Ed Vaughn                  Baltimore, Md                    TK  4 .
Apr  1 Jimmy Mann                 Atlantic City, NJ                ND  4
May 27 Tommy Ryan                 Coney Island, NY                 NC 18
          -Welterweight Championship of the World;
           Some sources report "D 18";
           Police intervened
Jun 27 Billy Hennessey            New York, NY                     EX  3
Aug  3 -Smith won a bag-punching contest in the Welterweight
          Competition at Boston, Ma
Sep 10 -Smith seconded Billy Vernon vs. John Butler at Lynn, Ma
Dec  7 Tom Crawley                Syracuse, NY                     ND  6

1896
Jan 15 Pat Kehoe                  Hartford, Ct                     KO  1
Feb  5 Dido Plumb                 London, Eng                      TK  3
          -Some sources report "EX 3" on 2/05/96
Feb    Jack Hanley                Glasgow, Scot                    EX  4
Mar 30 Bill Husbands              London, Eng                      TK  8 .
May  6 Tommy Ryan                 Syracuse, NY                     ND  6
May 18 Charles "Kid" McCoy        Boston, Ma                       LF  6
          -Some sources report this as a Middleweight Championship
           of the World contest
Jun  3 Patsy Kerrigan             San Francisco, Ca                 W  6
          -Some sources report "KO 6"
Jul  2 Billy Gallagher            San Francisco, Ca                NC  1
Sep  4 "Australian" Jim Ryan      Astoria, Or                      LF  7
Nov 25 Tommy Ryan                 Maspeth, NY                      LF  9
          -Some sources report this as a Middleweight Championship
           of the World contest

1897
Jan  9 Charles "Con" Doyle        New York, NY                      D 12
Mar 17 Young Corbett (George Green) Carson City, Ne                LT 12
          -Some sources report "L 11";
           Some sources report "L 12"
May 29 Abraham "Abe" Ullman       New York, NY                      D 20
          -Reports vary - "W 15" - "W 20"
Aug 23 Jack Powers                St John, NB, Can                  D  8
Sep  6 Mike Dempsey               Brooklyn, NY                     TK  2
Sep 17 Jack Howard                New York, NY                     TK  9
Oct 11 Jack Bonner                Philadelphia, Pa                 ND  6
Nov 18 Tommy West                 New York, NY                    SCH   
          -This bout was scheduled; The outcome is not known
Dec  6 Billy Mulligan             Yonkers, NY                      TK  2
          -Some sources report "KO 1" against "Jack Mulligan"
Dec 13 Johnny Gorman              Bridgeport, Ct                   WF  5
Dec 31 -Syracuse (NY) Evening Herald reported the scheduled Jan 10 1898 
          bout with Tommy West was "off" due to negotiation problems

1898
Jan 10 Tommy West                 Buffalo, NY                       SCH   
          -This bout was scheduled; The outcome is not known
Jan 28 Charles Johnson            Philadelphia, Pa                 LF  1
Feb 18 Abraham "Abe" Ullman       Baltimore, Md                     D  8
          -Some sources report "ND 8"
Apr 14 Joe Walcott                Bridgeport, Ct                    D 25
          -Some sources report 4/04/98
May 23 Charles Johnson            Athens, Pa                        D 15
Jun  3 Billy Stift                Chicago, Il                      LF  3
          -Some sources report 6/04/98;
           Some sources report "LF 5"
Jun 25 Andy Walsh                 Brooklyn, NY                      D 20
Jul 29 Young Corbett (George Green) New York, NY                    W 25
Aug 25 William "Matty" Matthews   New York, NY                      W 25
          -Welterweight Championship of the World
Sep  5 Andy Walsh                 Brooklyn, NY                      D 25
          -Some sources report Welterweight Championship of the World contest
Oct  3 Jim Judge                  Scranton, Pa                     KO 20
          -Some sources report this as a Welterweight Championship
           of the World contest
Oct  7 Charles McKeever           New York, NY                      W 25
          -Welterweight Championship of the World
Nov 14 Tommy West                 Bridgeport, Ct                    D 20
          -Some sources report "L 20"
Dec  6 Joe Walcott                New York, NY                      W 20
          -Some sources report this as a Welterweight Championship
           of the World contest

1899
Jan 24 "Australian" Billy Edwards New York, NY                     KO 14
          -Some sources report this as a Welterweight Championship
           of the World contest
Mar 10 George "Kid" Lavigne       San Francisco, Ca                TK 14
          -Welterweight Championship of the World;
           Welterweight Championship of America
Jun 26 Charles McKeever           Brooklyn, NY                    SCH   
          -This bout was scheduled but not held; Smith did not show
Jun 30 Charles McKeever           New York, NY                      D 20
          -Welterweight Championship of the World
Jul 28 John "Young" Mahoney       Philadelphia, Pa                 ND  6
Aug  4 Andy Walsh                 New York, NY                      D 25
Sep 25 Bob Douglass               Denver, Co                       KO  4
Sep 29 Billy Stift                Chicago, Il                       D  6
Oct 20 Charles McKeever           Philadelphia, Pa                 ND  6
Nov  8 Charles McKeever           New York, NY                      W 20
          -Some sources report this as a Welterweight Championship
          of the World contest

1900
Jan 15 James "Rube" Ferns         Buffalo, NY                      LF 21
          -Smith knocked Ferns down fifteen times before fouling him
Jan 26 Frank McConnell            New York, NY                     KO 22
          -Some sources report this as a Welterweight Championship
           of the World contest; The weight limit was 148 lbs
Mar 12 John "Young" Mahoney       Brooklyn, NY                      D 25
          -Some sources report this as a Welterweight Championship
           of the World contest
Apr 17 William "Matty" Matthews   New York, NY                     LK 19
          -Welterweight Championship of the World;
           Some sources report 4/19/00
May  4 Joe Walcott                New York, NY                      L 25
Jun 29 Jimmy Handler              New York, NY                     LF 15
Sep 11 "Young" Peter Jackson      Cleveland, Oh                    TK 18
          -Police intervened
Sep 24 Joe Walcott                Hartford, Ct                     LT 10
          -Some sources report "LF 10"
Nov 14 Jim Judge                  Savannah, Ga                     LF 11
Nov 22 Mike Donovan               Wheeling, WV                      D 20
Dec 27 John "Young" Mahoney       Paterson, NJ                     NC 11
          -This bout was declared a "No Contest"; 
           The men were "faking";
           However, some sources report "LF 11"

1901
Feb 12 Owen Zeigler               Erie, Pa                          D 10
Mar 21 Tim Hurley                 New London, Ct                    D 20
Jun 14 "Young" Peter Jackson      Baltimore, Md                    LT  2
          -Smith had Jackson on the floor in round one;
           Round two was fought evenly; But, Smith was 
           out of shape, exhausted and had a cut eye; 
           He quit
Aug 19 George Byers               St. John, NB, Can                 D 15
          -Byers used the name "George Yerkes"
Oct 25 Tom Tracey                 Portland, Or                      D 20
          -This bout was a "fake"
Nov 29 Al Neill                   Portland, Or                      D 20

1902
Jan 23 Al Neill                   Portland, Or                     LF 10
Mar 14 Tommy Ryan                 Kansas City, Mo                  LK  4

1903
May 28 Joe Walcott                Portland, Or                     LT  4

1910
Jun 14 Al Neill                   Portland, Or                      W 10

1911
Jul 21 Jim Cameron                San Francisco, Ca                LF  3

1915
Dec 29 Jack Root                  Portland, Or                     LT  6
          -This man was not the former Light-Heavyweight Champion

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

1892
       Frank Purcell                                                W   

1898
Apr 22 Tim Callahan               Philadelphia, Pa                 ND  6
          -Some sources report "Turkey Point Billy Smith" fought Callahan

*** Assistance Provided By Herman Brame ***

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