James Smith oral history interview, 2026 June 29

Oral history interview with James Smith conducted by Stefani Evans on June 29, 2026 for the Game On! The Oral History of Las Vegas Sports project. In this interview, Smith talks about his early life growing up in Las Vegas, Nevada in the 1960s. By ninth grade, he was playing football at Rancho High School, and joined the wrestling team at Eldorado High School in tenth grade. After attending college in California for a short period, Smith moved back to Las Vegas. His uncle owned Campbell Tile, and Smith learned the trade, later working for Clark County School District as a maintenance person. Smith was able to purchase Johnny Tocco’s Ringside Boxing Gym in 2005 and ran an amateur program for children for over a decade. They started a non-profit through the gym and received help from the Nevada Athletic Commission. Smith then goes into detail on the various boxers that visited Johnny Tocco’s Gym, like Joseph Macedo, Muhammad Ali, and Mike Tyson. Smith talks about the rich history of Tocco’s gym, and how it was a symbol in early Downtown Las Vegas. Smith goes into further detail about people that knew Johnny Tocco, and the influence they have had on Las Vegas boxing. This includes amateur and professional boxers, promoters, and other gym owners. With the future of boxing now being discussed, Smith talks about professional boxers forming their own amateur teams, and his excitement to see those grow. The interview concludes with Smith discussing his heroes of boxing, including Muhammad Ali and Johnny Tocco. Digital audio available; transcript not available.