Little Ray Smith

RAYMOND F. "LITTLE RAY" SMITH was born in Chicago, Illinois on December 3, 1894. He enlisted in the 3rd Regiment of the New Jersey National Guard in Camden in 1912, and saw duty with General Pershing's expedition to Mexico and in France during World War I. While in France began his professional boxing career. On January 1, 1926 former AEF champion lightweight boxer Little Ray Smith was assigned to Engine Company 8. He remained with Engine 8 until July of 1939, when he was promoted to Captain and assigned to lead the city's Fire Training Academy. He was living at 111 North 6th Street in 1942, when he registered for the draft. He later re-enlisted and although already in his late 40s was accepted into the Coast Guard. 

Camden Courier-Post - January 20, 1928

LITTLE RAY SMITH NAMED BOXING INSTRUCTOR AT 'Y'
Former Camden Scrapper to Teach Sport at Local Y.M.C.A.

Ray Smith, well-known in Camden boxing circles, has been appointed to the position of boxing Instructor at the Camden Y. M. C. A. That post has been vacant since Max W. Younger left to accept a berth at Temple University.

Smith, who is known as ‘Little Ray’ to distinguish himself from Sergeant Ray Smith, is going to get together a boxing team to represent the Y. M. C. A. in club competition.

Ray has had a number of ring bouts, including one with Willie Davis in Norristown; Tony Angelo and Tommy Sharkey, at Atlantic City; Joe Elliott and Frankie Nelson in Camden; Tommy Lyons in Gloucester; Joe O’Keefe in Clementon; Jimmy Magee in Philadelphia; and Willie Preston and Francis DeSilver, in France during the World War.

SGT. RAY'S CHATTER

A letter from "Sunny Miami" brings a note from Little Ray Smith, now a city fireman and one of the writer's best friends. Little Ray, his wife Helen, and daughter Joan, are sojourning in the Southland during Ray's vacation. Enclosed in a letter are two snap shots taken of Joan and George Bernard Shaw. Ray says he met an old friend of mine, Jimmy Maloney, who now is a policeman. And that brings to mind a story. Jim, a good Irishman, and a few years back one of the best heavy­weights ever turned out of Boston.

 It was in 1927 when I last saw Jim Maloney, a fine husky lad who on the night of May 20 that year, was to meet an old rival, ,Jack Sharkey, from his home town in the ring at Madison Square Garden. These two had been bitter enemies and I feel that Jim resented the fact that Sharkey, a Lithuanian, had taken an Irish moniker when he took up fisticuffs. These two had met twice before in the squared circle in Boston. In 1924 Jim gained the decision in 10 rounds. In 1925 Jim again won, this time on a foul in the ninth round. And so on May 20, 1927, these two were to meet for the third time. To the winner was to go the distinction of being a runner­up for the heavyweight title .

 .After shaking hands with Maloney at the weighing-in ceremonies, I walked across the ring where Sharkey was addressing Jimmy Johnston, the matchmaker of the Garden, presented me to the garroulous gob.

I told Jack that I was a newspaper man and asked him how he felt about the encounter scheduled for that evening.

"I'll knock that big Irishman right I into your lap in about three rounds," Sharkey told me.

Jack was the underdog in the fight, all the sports scribes around New York labeled the match as just a warming-up process for Maloney who they thought was a great prospect to annex the heavyweight championship of the world.

The night of the fight I was at the ringside with my nose literally in the resin box in Maloney's corner. Jack got away to a fast start and was well out in front when near the middle Of the fifth round, call it imagination if you pleas, but Jack looked down at me, winked and shot over a terrific right cross that sent Maloney sprawling to the canvas just a few inches from where I was sitting. That ended the fight and also the career of a great Irishman who always gave his best in the squared circle, and I'll bet that there is no finer bluecoat in all Miami than Jim Maloney.

Incidentally that was the first fight that started Jack Sharkey on his climb to fame that resulted in his winning of the greatest of all fistic baubles- the heavyweight championship of the world. 

North 6th Street - Kaighn Avenue - Merrimac Road

Camden Coke - Camden Fire Department Engine Company 8