The WBA Championship belt that Bonecrusher held from 1986-1987.
Sara Fox | Bladen Journal
Bonecrusher’s belt was on full display and there were plenty of photos ready to be autographed for fans who wanted a memento.
Sara Fox | Bladen Journal
James “Bonecrusher” Smith
Sara Fox | Bladen Journal
James “Bonecrusher” Smith selling plates at the MLK Day parade in Elizabethtown to benefit Champions for Kids.
Sara Fox | Bladen Journal
Bonecrusher and his wife Doreen tried to keep warm as the weather slowly got a bit warmer.
Sara Fox | Bladen Journal
ELIZABETHTOWN — Bladen County was visited by a local legend at the Martin Luther King Day parade. James “Bonecrusher” Smith and his wife Doreen were set up and selling plates of delicious barbecue to raise funds for Champions for Kids in honor of their daughter who passed away in 2021.
Bonecrusher had his World Boxing Association Champion belt on display with plenty of photos ready to be autographed.
“That’s me and Mike Tyson,” he said as I leaned over the table to get a better look at the impressive championship belt.
“I know,” I responded cheerfully. And I did. I had done my research on Bonecrusher before meeting him, and his story is definitely one for the ages.
Born in Magnolia, North Carolina in 1953, Bonecrusher had what some might consider humble beginnings (people usually make that assumption when you come from a small area) in the nearby county of Duplin.
“We used to go to White Lake all the time when we were kids,” he reminisced as Allie Stevens, Marketing Representative for the Bladen Journal, and I talked to him about his hometown being close to Elizabethtown.
He earned his associate’s degree in Business Administration from James Sprunt Community College and a bachelor’s in Business Administration from Shaw University.
He later served in the military and worked as a prison guard. He then began his amateur career in boxing and held a record of 35-4 before turning professional at the end of 1981.
During his almost 20-year boxing career, he participated in 62 fights. He had 44 wins (32 of which were by knockout), 17 losses, and a single draw. Bonecrusher held the World Boxing Association heavyweight title from 1986 to 1987.
It is obvious to see that James “Bonecrusher” Smith is as proud of his accomplishments as Bladen and Duplin counties are, and it was amazing to see a local legend donating his time to raise funds for those in need.