In 1889, he participated in a fight against Frank Slavin, where he was roundly outclassed by Slavin by all accounts, and knocked out cold for ten minutes, but the circumstances had been so unfairly stacked against his opponent, the referee called it a draw after 14 rounds.

It was the last internationally recognized bare-knuckle prizefight, and fought in Bruges, Belgium.

Smith fought his first heavyweight title fight in 1884 against Woolf Bendoff in the West End of London, England and won by TKO in the 13th round.

The match lasted 2 and a half hours and after 106 rounds the bout was called a draw due to darkness.

[2] In 1891 he fought his last BBBC fight against Ted Pritchard in New Cross, also in London, England and lost by a TKO in the 3rd round.