Jimmy Lee Smith
Encyclopedia
Jimmy Lee Smith is a retired heavyweight
professional boxer
from Minneapolis
, Minnesota
.
win against Randy Ramman, who was also appearing in his first professional fight. Smith won his first seven fights as a pro, five of them by knockout, before facing five-time Upper Midwest Golden Gloves
champion John Sargent
for the unofficial Minnesota heavyweight title on December 7, 1990. Sargent, 8-0 at the time, won the fight by split decision
. After an eight month hiatus Smith returned to the ring, taking a points win against unknown Robert Smith, setting the stage for a mismatch with former heavyweight world champion "Terrible" Tim Witherspoon
. Smith lost to Witherspoon by first-round knockout. Smith wasted no time getting back in the ring, taking a split decision win from journeyman Andrew Stokes just three months later, then taking the biggest win of his career a mere two months after that, when he beat 27-1-1 Mark Carrier
in July of 1992. Next up was highly ranked contender Carl "The Truth" Williams
, who disposed of Smith in three rounds. Smith took one more fight as a pro, defeating Rocky Sekorski
on points, and then retired.
In a brief but incredibly ambitious professional career Smith compiled a record of 11-3, with six of his wins coming by knockout. The unusual thing about Smith's career is the way he rushed to face top contenders right away, never taking time to develop his skills as most prizefighting prospects do. While most prospects are still facing tomato cans and learning the basics after fourteen professional fights, Smith had already tasted glory and flamed out.
Heavyweight
Heavyweight is a division, or weight class, in boxing. Fighters who weigh over 200 pounds are considered heavyweights by the major professional boxing organizations: the International Boxing Federation, the World Boxing Association, the World Boxing Council, and the World Boxing...
professional 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...
from Minneapolis
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
, Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
.
Professional career
Smith made his professional debut on July 27, 1989 with a third-round knockoutKnockout
A knockout is a fight-ending, winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, mixed martial arts, Karate and others sports involving striking...
win against Randy Ramman, who was also appearing in his first professional fight. Smith won his first seven fights as a pro, five of them by knockout, before facing five-time Upper Midwest Golden Gloves
Golden Gloves
The Golden Gloves is the name given to annual competitions for amateur boxing in the United States. The Golden Gloves is often the term used to refer to the National Golden Gloves competition, but it also can represent several other amateur tournaments, including regional golden gloves...
champion John Sargent
John Sargent (boxer)
John Sargent, alias Hogman, is a former heavyweight professional boxer from Minnesota.-Personal life:Sargent is a Native American from White Earth Indian Reservation in northern Minnesota...
for the unofficial Minnesota heavyweight title on December 7, 1990. Sargent, 8-0 at the time, won the fight by split decision
Split decision
A split decision is a winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, mixed martial arts and others sports involving striking in which two of the three judges score for the same fighter as the winner, while the third judge scores for the other...
. After an eight month hiatus Smith returned to the ring, taking a points win against unknown Robert Smith, setting the stage for a mismatch with former heavyweight world champion "Terrible" Tim Witherspoon
Tim Witherspoon
"Terrible" Tim Witherspoon is an American boxer who was twice world heavyweight champion.-Early career:Witherspoon had eight and a half amateur bouts, losing one to Marvis Frazier on decision after getting knocked down....
. Smith lost to Witherspoon by first-round knockout. Smith wasted no time getting back in the ring, taking a split decision win from journeyman Andrew Stokes just three months later, then taking the biggest win of his career a mere two months after that, when he beat 27-1-1 Mark Carrier
Mark Carrier (boxer)
Mark Carrier is a retired heavyweight professional boxer from Bristol, Tennessee.-Professional career:Carrier made his professional debut in November 1987 with a first-round knockout of Tim McCurdy, who was also appearing in his first professional bout...
in July of 1992. Next up was highly ranked contender Carl "The Truth" Williams
Carl Williams (boxer)
Carl Williams is a retired American boxer from Belle Glade, Florida who fought in several noteworthy boxing matches in the 1980s and 1990s...
, who disposed of Smith in three rounds. Smith took one more fight as a pro, defeating Rocky Sekorski
Rocky Sekorski
Rick Sekorski, alias Rocky Sekorski, is a retired heavyweight professional boxer from Minneapolis, Minnesota.-Professional career:Sekorski made his professional debut on January 21, 1981, with a four-round decision win against Rick Kellar. He won his first 13 professional matches, losing for the...
on points, and then retired.
In a brief but incredibly ambitious professional career Smith compiled a record of 11-3, with six of his wins coming by knockout. The unusual thing about Smith's career is the way he rushed to face top contenders right away, never taking time to develop his skills as most prizefighting prospects do. While most prospects are still facing tomato cans and learning the basics after fourteen professional fights, Smith had already tasted glory and flamed out.
Notable Opponents
- John SargentJohn Sargent (boxer)John Sargent, alias Hogman, is a former heavyweight professional boxer from Minnesota.-Personal life:Sargent is a Native American from White Earth Indian Reservation in northern Minnesota...
(lost) - Tim WitherspoonTim Witherspoon"Terrible" Tim Witherspoon is an American boxer who was twice world heavyweight champion.-Early career:Witherspoon had eight and a half amateur bouts, losing one to Marvis Frazier on decision after getting knocked down....
(lost) - Mark CarrierMark Carrier (boxer)Mark Carrier is a retired heavyweight professional boxer from Bristol, Tennessee.-Professional career:Carrier made his professional debut in November 1987 with a first-round knockout of Tim McCurdy, who was also appearing in his first professional bout...
(won) - Carl WilliamsCarl Williams (boxer)Carl Williams is a retired American boxer from Belle Glade, Florida who fought in several noteworthy boxing matches in the 1980s and 1990s...
(lost) - Rocky SekorskiRocky SekorskiRick Sekorski, alias Rocky Sekorski, is a retired heavyweight professional boxer from Minneapolis, Minnesota.-Professional career:Sekorski made his professional debut on January 21, 1981, with a four-round decision win against Rick Kellar. He won his first 13 professional matches, losing for the...
(won)