Smith turned professional in 1988 and fought the majority of his fights in Oklahoma and other Midwest states, under his birth name and other boxing aliases.
"[1] Among his notable fights, Smith lost to Jesse James Leija, Julio César Chávez, and Jorge Páez.
Verdell, along with colleagues Buck Smith and Sean Gibbons, were called upon to give testimony about fixed fights in boxing.
[2] The trio was nicknamed the Knucklehead Boxing Club, and traveled throughout the Midwest making frequent appearances on fight cards.
[citation needed] The Knucklehead Boxing Club denied any wrongdoing and stated that they did not participate in any fixed fights.