Return of the Dragon

BRADENTON – Hollywood couldn't script a better beginning to the story. A boxer, China “the Dragon” Smith, who begins a comeback in the eponymous year of the Chinese zodiac. 2012 is indeed the Year of the Dragon, and the local heavyweight is hoping it will mark the renaissance of his once-promising career as a prizefighter.

Smith has announced that he will be returning to the ring, possibly as early as this April, intent on picking up where he left off and finally landing the career-defining fight on the big stage that has thus far eluded him. The humble and personable fighter, who currently runs the boxing program at the Manatee PAL, has been inactive for over five years after putting together a three-fight win streak in late 2006 that upped his record to 33-4 (26 KO), before inexplicably falling off the map.

“You know, there were some things happening in my life,” says the soft-spoken athlete, who was once a star running back for the Riverview Rams. “Boxing is 80 percent mental and everything has to be right in all areas. This year, I knew in my heart that the time was right – that I was at the right place in my life to give it 110 percent and do what I know in my heart that I'm capable of.”

A little bit older and wiser, Smith has since married and had his third child, while establishing himself as a young business entrepreneur. He's also busied himself by giving back to the community through his organization, China Smith and Friends, which works with area youth to provide positive examples and promote healthy lifestyles. 

Though he's been inactive in the ring, Smith is only 33, which is still relatively-young in a division where top contenders routinely fight into their 40's – and he's been in the gym, staying sharp and refining his style, without adding the miles that come with grueling bouts.

Boxing's glamor division has been in flux as of late, with European fighters dominating the scene and Germany replacing the U.S. as the primary venue for marquee fights. The United States, however, is still the sport's dominant source of television revenue, creating a window of opportunity for American fighters in the division that Smith hopes to capitalize on.

“There's nobody out there,” said Smith of the American heavyweight scene. “People want to see an American heavyweight.”

Oddly enough, the fighter's hiatus may serve him well in that regard. Other prominent U.S. heavyweights like Philadelphia's Eddie Chambers and California-based Chris Arreola have already fought on the world title stage and lost badly to the division's dominant champions, Ukrainian-born brothers Vladimir and Vitali Klitschko, who have become seemingly invincible among today's crop of heavyweights. Boxing fans have shown little interest in seeing rematches, while the search is on for a new American contender.

Smith, who will return with career-long manager and trainer Henry Grooms, hopes to fill that void. Grooms is working to get him a fight in his native Detroit this April and the fighter hopes to stay active, fighting regularly through the year. Throughout the late 90's and early part of the last decade, Smith fought in the local area regularly, drawing big crowds at venues like Robart's Arena and the Sun Dome in Tampa, while also fighting on the road in places like Memphis and even Aruba.

Twice he held the National Boxing Association's title and got his first major national exposure on Showtime's Shobox: The Next Generation in 2002. Smith entered the year undefeated, but lost two disappointing bouts to journeyman Saul Montana that put the brakes on his quickly-ascending career. Still only 24 at the time, he went back to the drawing board, fighting off-TV, in smaller venues, putting six wins together before losing two out of three fights in 2005/06. The roller coaster career included many near brushes with the big stage, including several fights against big-named opponents that were discussed, but never materialized. Smith doesn't want to be haunted by questions of what could have been.

This time out, the fighter has a new look, having added 20 pounds of muscle to his 6'1 frame. Once considered undersized as a heavyweight, Smith has filled out into a physique that definitely looks the part and has the pop in his punch to match. Considering the state of the division, it's possible that he's only a few wins away from getting that long-sought opportunity and it's clear that the fighter senses the urgency, realizing the importance of being in the right place at the right time.

“I didn't want to be in my 40's wondering, what if,” Smith told me from his office at the Manatee P.A.L. “In my heart, I know that there's still more for me to do in this sport, and it's a chance to show these kids what I preach.”

The kids Smith works with already know of his past success. They speak to him with the respect and humility that he demands they show to others, but not just because he's China Smith the boxer. In many ways, Smith's the anti-athlete – no bling, no arrest record, no smack-talk – a humble family man focused on giving back to the community that supported his rise in the ranks. Those who know him outside of the ring often wonder how such an affable person finds the aggression required of a sport known as the “hurt business.” But watching him drill the 100-pound heavy bag quickly demonstrates that the dragon still lives inside. If he's able to produce the storybook ending, Hollywood might just come calling for that script.