BoxRec

Huh?

gilgamesh wrote: ↑28 Oct 2026, 00:48Huh?

He said he’s probably leaving his position soon.

What's with the mean spirited title for the thread? The general consensus seems to be he has done a good job, and it can't be an easy job to do either.

Is the link some sort of rip from Matt Christie's interview with him on the Opening Bell podcast? It's a really good conversation and he comes out of it well so not sure where the bad feeling comes from. Care to elaborate?

Ruthless-RKO wrote: ↑28 Oct 2026, 01:41

gilgamesh wrote: ↑28 Oct 2026, 00:48Huh?

He said he’s probably leaving his position soon.

Cool. Who is he? The only Robert Smith I know of is the singer of The Cure.

veriton wrote: ↑28 Oct 2026, 02:08 What's with the mean spirited title for the thread? The general consensus seems to be he has done a good job, and it can't be an easy job to do either.

Is the link some sort of rip from Matt Christie's interview with him on the Opening Bell podcast? It's a really good conversation and he comes out of it well so not sure where the bad feeling comes from. Care to elaborate?

British boxing went from a bastion of fair play to a basketcase of hometown cooking and it happened under his watch. "British referee stoppage" has entered the lexicon. Not blaming Smith but... What's going on?

If the likes of Terry O'Connor and Howard Foster had been banned i'd say the BBBC were honest and upstanding. What exactly happened in these Monday morning meetings with the refs? Instead of being fined and flogged they were rewarded with high profile assignments in spite of their botch jobs which always, ALWAYS favoured the A-side. It almost seemed like they got them because of their behaviour, which was at best serial incompetence at worst flagrant corruption.

No cure?

gilgamesh wrote: ↑28 Oct 2026, 04:11

Ruthless-RKO wrote: ↑28 Oct 2026, 01:41

gilgamesh wrote: ↑28 Oct 2026, 00:48Huh?

He said he’s probably leaving his position soon.

Cool. Who is he? The only Robert Smith I know of is the singer of The Cure.

It's the same guy, Robert Smith runs the BBBofC and sings Friday I'm In Love. That's why he wears the make up.

overhand_right wrote: ↑28 Oct 2026, 04:42

veriton wrote: ↑28 Oct 2026, 02:08 What's with the mean spirited title for the thread? The general consensus seems to be he has done a good job, and it can't be an easy job to do either.

Is the link some sort of rip from Matt Christie's interview with him on the Opening Bell podcast? It's a really good conversation and he comes out of it well so not sure where the bad feeling comes from. Care to elaborate?

British boxing went from a bastion of fair play to a basketcase of hometown cooking and it happened under his watch. "British referee stoppage" has entered the lexicon. Not blaming Smith but... What's going on?

If the likes of Terry O'Connor and Howard Foster had been banned i'd say the BBBC were honest and upstanding. What exactly happened in these Monday morning meetings with the refs? Instead of being fined and flogged they were rewarded with high profile assignments in spite of their botch jobs which always, ALWAYS favoured the A-side. It almost seemed like they got them because of their behaviour, which was at best serial incompetence at worst flagrant corruption.

I nearly made a thread on this exact point the other day after listening to the podcast but didn’t get around to it. There was an extremely frustrating section where Smith suggesting the BBBC couldn’t be any more transparent, but quite deliberately didn’t explain why the officials’ reports / justifications aren’t made available to the public, he just glossed over it and said the board consider the evidence in their meetings. Was a bit disappointed Matt didn’t press him on it tbh.

But as I always say, boxing is nowhere near the only sport filled with controversy and ‘generous’ decision making for the A-side, although it definitely can be the most egregious.

I've always been a fan of Smith

I've only had communication once with Robert Smith, and to be fair he did reply and gave me some positive feedback that things were going to change regarding foreign imports being brought over to get smashed inside a round.

My point was I found it unfair on homegrown journeymen that were being overlooked by unknowns from any corner of the world.

He did say they were going to clamp down on it as it frustrated him also. My other point was that it's dangerous bringing imports with either poor or padded records that could not be correctly verified and putting them in with decent prospects, only to be knocked unconscious inside a round.

I was hopeful with his comments but nothing has changed over recent years, only need to look at Leo Atangs last outing.

We are not getting into the realm of Leo is young and requires these kinds of fights, to teach him the ropes so to speak. Whilst I agree young lads need to be pushed along slowly, but when you have British fighters who whilst would not beat Leo, in this case, Phil Williams, Michael Webster, Will Howe, etc would have maybe been a little more durable, would also have got a pay check. And let's face it a lot of journeymen in this country have 4 or 5 fights booked over the next 5 or 6 weeks.

Imo

He is an arrogant

Im told Dennis Gilmartin is in prime position.l

Let’s not forget the Alejandra Ayala hospitalisation after a she had a brain scan which showed an injury which happened on his watch. It was close to a fatality.

This should’ve been a major scandal but was rapidly brushed under the carpet and on her recovery, Ayala was shipped back to Mexico and had to sell her memorabilia.

keithmoonhangover wrote: ↑28 Oct 2026, 05:13

gilgamesh wrote: ↑28 Oct 2026, 04:11

Ruthless-RKO wrote: ↑28 Oct 2026, 01:41

He said he’s probably leaving his position soon.

Cool. Who is he? The only Robert Smith I know of is the singer of The Cure.

It's the same guy, Robert Smith runs the BBBofC and sings Friday I'm In Love. That's why he wears the make up.

I heard they were going to do a job swap

JamesPhilips wrote: ↑29 Oct 2026, 13:42 Let’s not forget the Alejandra Ayala hospitalisation after a failed test happened on his watch. It was close to a fatality.

This should’ve been a major scandal but was rapidly brushed under the carpet and on her recovery, Ayala was shipped back to Mexico and had to sell her memorabilia.

Who failed the drug test?

Greg Houston wrote: ↑30 Oct 2026, 03:15

JamesPhilips wrote: ↑29 Oct 2026, 13:42 Let’s not forget the Alejandra Ayala hospitalisation after a failed test happened on his watch. It was close to a fatality.

This should’ve been a major scandal but was rapidly brushed under the carpet and on her recovery, Ayala was shipped back to Mexico and had to sell her memorabilia.

Who failed the drug test?

Sorry I wrote it poorly. Ayala had a brain scan which showed damage when she previously boxed and the board still let her fight for a world title which resulted in a serious brain injury.

Smith seems like a proper boxing man to me, he’s given his whole life to the sport.

Any time I hear him in interviews he comes across as a really fair and decent bloke who tries to do the right thing.

Good luck to him

CaptainSpacerod wrote: ↑30 Oct 2026, 08:40 Smith seems like a proper boxing man to me, he’s given his whole life to the sport.

Any time I hear him in interviews he comes across as a really fair and decent bloke who tries to do the right thing.

Good luck to him

Again, the British referee situation has unfolded entirely on his watch.

Don't take people at face value.

I don't know if free speech still exists in this country but in my opinion Robert Smith is not the Churchillian spokesman some might say he is.

He comes across well in podcasts and on TV and radio but he doesn't get enough scrutiny in my view.

There have been numerous referee and judging scandals, cases of litigation and one question I still don't know the answer to, which is the Dillian Whyte B sample. I also still don't understand the Conor Benn drug test situation and how that got resolved.

There might be some easy answers to these topics but I don't know them.

The BBBofC are &&&@.

They stil persist in harrazing people who work for Misfits.

Also if you wish to speak to individuals who workfor misfits and also have a BBBofC Licence surely once os enough.

As i said good riddance mr smith
You are a @@&&