Australian Billy Smith

Name: Australian Billy Smith
Birth Name: William George Smith
Hometown: Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Birthplace: Terra,Shoalhaven, NSW, New South Wales, Australia
Died: 1935-12-18 (Age:69)
Stance: Orthodox
Height: 175cm
Pro Boxer: Record

Charles Edward Matthews, who died at age 74 on January 27, 1948, in El Paso, Texas, also laid claim to being Australian Billy Smith. According to the Jan. 28, 1948 Tacoma News Tribune (Tacoma, WA, USA), Smith had been the former World Welterweight Champion and had lived in El Paso since 1890 when he came there as a trainer for Bob Fitzsimmons, heavyweight champion. He had adopted "Billy Smith" when a German referee once was unable to pronounce his name. "Just call me Billy Smith," Matthews said, and the name stuck. El Paso Herald of Dec 15, 1918, identifies him as C.E. MAtthews (Smith) as an El PAso Detective and as the father of boxer Danny Matthews.

An August 2016 email to BoxRec by Marilyn Smith said that her husband was a great nephew, noted that Smith's name was William George Smith, and that he had been born 20 June 1866. She attached his birth certificate for proof of name and birth date.