London boxer Cassius Smith set for 2026 Gold Glove Provincial Championships
Cassius. The name just evokes images of the greatest to step into the ring.
“Float like a butterfly. Sting like a bee.”
Watch one of Canada’s best young boxers and you can’t help but be captivated by the flow of his movement and the speed and power of his punch.
London’s own Cassius Smith was in fact named after the late Cassius Clay who would change his name to Muhammed Ali in 1964.
The name surfaced in 2010 in what can be one of the earliest challenges parents can face: the naming of a child.
“I liked Muhammad Ali but wasn’t a diehard fan,” remembers Cassius’ father Nathan Smith. “I liked how it sounded and the connection was cool but I never had any foresight that he would go into boxing.”
Cassius is the current Canada Cup National U17 champion in the 63kg division.
He is 4-1 in his past five fights and has fought in 20 total matches.
Not only did Cassius find a way into boxing. He has become one of the best fighters in his class.
He will take part in the 2026 Golden Gloves Provincial Championships on Oct. 15 to 17 in Brampton, Ont.
As much as Nathan may not have seen boxing in his son’s future it was something that Cassius watched his father do that kickstarted Cassius’ love for the sport.
Nathan took part in the Fight to End, a charity event held in London to support a collaboration of partners who work to improve the lives of individuals and families in the community.
Organizations such as Youth Opportunities Unlimited and 519 Pursuit among others are beneficiaries.
The boxers are people who have almost always never fought before and in 2023 Nathan stepped into the ring.
However it was what happened leading up to the event that opened the door for Cassius.
You can’t just “step into a ring” and expect boxing skills to step in alongside you.
Boomerz Boxing Club puts on the event and trains the fighters.
Picture Rocky Balboa before he gets to the steps of the Liberty Bell.
You don’t go through motions. You go through walls.
And as Cassius witnessed every step his dad was taking he started asking if he could walk some of those steps too.
“I was always excited to try and get into the sport,” Cassius admits. “My parents weren't too sure about the idea but it changed after [my dad] fought and we got to see the environment and meet all the coaches and people who are now my teammates. They’ve helped me get going and have helped me get better. Getting involved was great.”
Nathan certainly remembers being unsure about the idea.
Boxing involves punching and it can also involve being punched back.
“[Cassius] came with me to pretty much every session which was twice a week for four months. We got to understand the various nuances [of the sport] and how the coaches do things and the protective measures that are taken.”
And Cassius has been as natural as his name would hint.
“To see where he is now after just three years…” Brett Lucier of Boomerz Boxing gives a little shake of his head.“He’s a national champion and going for his second provincial championship. Who knows what the future holds for him?”
Lucier points to commitment as being number one for a boxer.
“If you show up good things can happen.”
It’s a sport that has mountains to climb and summits to reach but Cassius has learned quickly that you don’t get to stand and enjoy the view for long.
“My coaches always remind me that there's always someone coming for you and that there's always someone trying to work just as hard as you are, so I always have to keep pushing. Even if I win something I don't get too over my head. I have to keep pushing hard as if I had never won a fight. [It’s what you have to do] to keep yourself at a high level.”
How high that level can get is an obvious question.
When you own a national title three years into your career it only makes sense to think about the next rungs on the ladder.
“I'm hoping to go into the international ranks and hopefully get to the Olympics,” Cassius says. “Right now it just about trying to keep winning gold medals.”