Willie Alexander Smith became the second South African boxer in history to win an Olympic gold medal when he beat Salvatore Tripoli of the United States at the Velodrome d’Hiver in Paris at the 1924 Olympics.
The Olympic boxing tournament was held from 15 July to 20 July, with 31 boxers from 15 countries entered in the bantamweight class.
Smith had a bye in the first round and in the second round he outpointed H. Wolff from Sweden. In the third elimination round, he won against J. Lemouton of France.
In the semifinal, he met another Frenchman, Jean Ces, and once again scored a points victory.
In the final against Tripoli the shorter Smith using his speedy left hand emerged a popular winner.
Smith had George Harris to thank for much of his success. Harris had become South Africa’s first flyweight champion when he stopped Marcus Henning in Kimberley on 12 November 1909.
Harris gave boxing lessons to orphans in the St George's Home in Johannesburg twice a week.
Among his pupils was 12-year-old Willie Smith, said to be the terror of the neighbourhood and a boy who hardly needed an excuse to get behind his fists.
Harris taught him as much as he could but did not convince Smith that there was much more to boxing than battering your opponent into submission.
In 1920, trainer Johnny Watson went to St George's to watch a tournament. He was impressed with Smith's tenacity and ended up in the boy's corner, giving him advice. This was to be the start of a lifelong partnership.
Smith fought all over South Africa and won 32 amateur contests in a year. Watson taught him that defence and tactics were as important as a solid punch and turned the little slugger into a stylish boxer.
In the trials for the 1924 Olympic Games, Smith came up against Harry Tyrell, who later became the father of Springbok soccer goalkeeper Aubrey. Smith won through to represent South Africa in Paris, together with Roy Ingram, Ernie Eustace and Dick Beland.
Born in Johannesburg on 19 July 1905, he made his professional debut on 20 June 1925, which was hardly an auspicious one.
Going in against the South African bantamweight champion Scotty Frazer (11-8-2), they fought to an eight-round draw. In a return fight on September 26, he defeated Frazer on a disqualification in the 13th round.
The return bout was billed as being for the SA bantamweight title, but it was not recognised by the Transvaal Boxing Board of Control.
Smith went on to win 11 bouts in a row before meeting Britain’s Teddy Baldock for the British version of the world bantamweight title at the Royal Albert Hall in London on 6 October 1927.
He won on points over 15 rounds. However, Frank Butler, in his “A History of Boxing in Britain”, mentions that the match was made at 8 stone 8 pounds (120lbs) to protect Ballcock’s title.
His victory thrilled South Africans and there were long queues when a film of the fight went on circuit some weeks later.
The youngster was then taken to the United States and beaten by Dominick Petrone.
After a stay of five months, a despondent Smith decided to return and, in 1928, he defeated Young Johnny Brown, Sammy Tucker and Mickey Doyle and drew with Pierre Pothier.
Early in 1929, he went to Australia where he beat Archie Cowan in his first fight. He then lost in two fights against the heavier Fidel la Barba and was knocked out by a welterweight, Jack Roberts.
On his return to South Africa, Smith defeated Dolf du Plessis on points over 15 rounds. The bout, held on 30 November 1929, was billed as being for the SA featherweight title, but this was never authenticated.
Smith had two cracks at the Empire bantamweight title, losing to Dick Corbett in 1930 and to Johnny McGrory in December 1936.
He made a determined effort to recapture his old form and outpointed Ernest Wohrer, an Austrian, and then beat Frenchman Maurice Holtzer.
The Union Sporting Club then brought out Freddie Miller, the former world featherweight champion, to face Smith. Smith was knocked out in the sixth round. Only seven weeks later, in a meaningless return match, he was knocked out again, this time in the seventh round.
The curtain finally came down on his boxing career when he was beaten by Johnny McGrory in a clash for the vacant Empire featherweight title in Johannesburg on 26 December 1936.
He finished with a record of 39-13-3 (3).
Having retired from boxing, Smith spent several years as a salesman and commercial traveller before managing the Richmond Hotel on the West Rand.
He became one of the best-known SA referees after World War 11. He handled some big fights featuring Johnny Ralph and Vic Toweel, including Toweel's world title bouts against Luis Romero and Jimmy Carruthers.
Smith died of a heart attack in 1955, at the age of 51.