A Golden Gloves 1933 lightweight runner-up belt awarded to Ernie Smith of Ireland after defeat to Eddie Ward of the United States, gilt-metal clasp an

A Golden Gloves 1933 lightweight runner-up belt awarded to Ernie Smith of Ireland after defeat to Eddie Ward of the United States, gilt-metal clasp and buckle with enamel stars & stripes & Irish tricolor flags, central boxing scene and inscribed INTERNATIONAL GOLDEN GLOVES, UNITED STATES vs IRELAND, LIGHTWEIGHT, RUNNER-UP, CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 1933, red, white & blue belt with clasp diamond inset, with its red, white and blue belt The Golden Gloves was an international amateur boxing tournament inaugurated in 1931 between the USA and European boxers. In 1933 The Irish Free State sent a team including the lightweight Ernie Smith to Chicago for the tournament. He was a blacksmith by trade iat Kennan and Sons in Dublin and Smith trained at St Andrews Boxing Club in the Irish capital It was Smith's second successive visit to the USA having been part of the Irish boxing team at the 1932 Los Angeles Olympic Games where he was defeated by the eventual Argentine gold medal winner in the featherweight division Carmelo Robledo. At the time of the Golden Gloves tournament Smith had already notched up 126 career victories, 49 by k.o.