Bless me father: Fighting priest punches on at 61
Australia’s oldest registered professional boxer has fallen on hard times and been drawn back to the ring at the grand age of 61.
But āPunching Priestā Father Dave Smith isnāt seeking sympathy, just support, as he strives to rebuild his life and retain the identity he holds so dear.
A three-time Australian of the Year nominee, Father Dave is legendary for his work with at-risk children and cleaning up the heroin-ridden streets of Sydneyās inner-west during a 31-year stint as parish priest for Holy Trinity in Dulwich Hill.
But now heās broke and unemployed after being forced to resign following a marriage breakdown that has left the fighting father of four needing to resurrect his boxing career to keep his charities going.
āThe truth is, Iām looking for a fight to get out of this. I donāt know how else to dig my way out,ā Father Dave told AAP.
āI donāt care if people know, because I gave my life to the church for 31 years in that parish and then they just kicked me out and hit me when I was down.
āMy wife left me. I lost my wife, and the kids in the community and the home and my job all at the same time. Itās not bloody easy.ā
The Anglican minister is still managing the unfunded Binacrombi Bush Camp in the Blue Mountains but is also at risk of losing the 530-acre recreational site.
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āYou can get defrocked for going bankrupt ā and thatās a real issue,ā said Father Dave, who counts Barack Obama as one of his more than 27,000 followers on X.
āIām still doing an online service, thesundayeucharist.com, and thatās very meaningful for me, what weāre doing there and how weāre trying to extend that with our social justice programs and still trying to work with the kids.
āIām desperately trying to keep the campsite going. Weāve got a team there and itās who I am, itās not what I do.ā
Hence why the dual Marrickville Citizen of the Year will joust with veteran amateur champion Steve Esteban on the Gold Coast on Saturday night.
The Sydney southpaw wonāt be paid for the pro-am bout but hopes the fight proves a stepping stone.
āItās a good opportunity. Iāll take whatever opportunity I can get at the moment,ā Father Dave said.
āWhat will get me out of this hole is if I can put on a good show and the promoter sees money in me.
āI need for them to see Iāve still got talent and I can still entertain.ā
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Queensland officials will only offer the 61-year-old four two-minute rounds, but he reckons thatās better than nothing, saying he has been repeatedly blindsided and KOād by the Combat Sports Authority of NSW.
āItās just been a constant struggle,ā he said.
āThe last fight I had scheduled in Sydney was a couple of years ago and they called it off while I was in the changing room warming up.
āI took them to the tribunal over that and they ended up saying, āOh, we thought it was a mismatchā.
āBut anyone who knew anything about boxing knew it was an easy win for me because the other guy wasnāt fit. He took the fight to pay the rent.ā
Despite having to travel to Queensland for his fifth pro fight, 27 years after his first, Father Dave insists officials have nothing to fear.
The sixth-degree martial arts black belt points to his 2012 Guinness Book of Records feat of sparring for eight continuous hours against 66 different opponents, including former world champion Anthony Mundine, over 120 consecutive rounds as testament to his endurance.
āI broke that world record when I was 50 and Iām still beating boxers half my age every day,ā he said.
āI truly think boxingās an extension of life. Itās a never-ending fight. Youāve got to get up and get out there each round and keep going.
āYou donāt win every round ā and Iāve been losing a lot of them lately ā so Iāve just got to keep getting up and going out and doing another round.
āAs the great poem says, āone more roundā.ā
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