Slain Champ Leaves Legacy Of Love

Dayshon Smith was more than just a boxing ​“Superfreak.” He was also more than just a victim of gun violence in the Hill.

To his friends and family and the community that surrounded him, the late 28-year-old champion amateur boxer was as legendary outside the ring as he was inside.

Smith was shot and killed on Rosette Street in the Hill last Saturday night amid gunfire that left five other New Haveners hospitalized.

Police are still investigating the incident, which they believe started out as a vigil commemorating the seven year anniversary of another homicide on the block before turning violent over a potential dispute.

In recent interviews with people close to Smith, whose boxing nickname was ​“Superfreak,” the Independent learned of a young man who had grand ambitions of taking his boxing prowess professional. Who grew up amidst great challenges, and led a life defined by dedication and hard work, even when the gloves were off. Who spent as much time with his daughter Ezra and working a job at Benhaven Residential Services & Individual and Family Support Programs in North Haven as he did chasing his boxing dream while training at Ring One gym on Congress Avenue.

“The family knew that he had a lot of fight in him and I think he could feel it too and that’s why we think he became a boxer,” Smith’s aunt, grandmother, and two cousins told the Independent in a jointly written message after his death.

“That fight, drive, and determination was always there. Boxing just helped channel it.”

“A Caregiver For His Mom And Brothers”

Kevin Groom, Smith’s father, also died while in his 20s due to street violence. Terra Smith-Ledbetter, Smith’s mom, raised Dayshon and his two brothers, Richard Whitaker Jr. and Xavier Harris. Smith also grew up with his third brother, Dontay Groom.

After Smith-Ledbetter died in 2010, Smith took care of his younger brothers until they were able to live with their respective biological fathers, said Terra’s cousin, Tosha James-Goldson.

James-Goldson said that Smith inherited a loving demeanor from his mother, and was as dedicated to his younger siblings as if he were their parent.

“Dayshon was a caregiver for his mom and brothers,” James-Goldson said. ​“He knew the responsibility and the love, and the importance of having a close knit family. He wanted that for his daughter.”

James-Goldson said that Ezra, Smith’s seven-year old daughter, was the love of his life. A close second, she said, was boxing.

“Dayshon’s mom would have been so proud of him becoming a boxer,” she said. ​“She would have enjoyed it immensely because she wanted her sons to be standup citizens of the community.”

Everyone who spoke with the Independent said that Smith was not involved in the streets and stayed away from crime.

James-Goldson said that the same morning of his death, Smith had taken his daughter to park to play.

“Dayshon, we love you deep!” said Ronneshia Smith, Ezra’s mother, who sent the Independent a written response to a request for comment because of how difficult she’s found talking with people in person or on the phone since Smith’s killing.

“I didn’t know how to tell Ezra that she would no longer see her daddy but I found the strength today,” she continued. ​“I feel like this took some of her innocence away. We were a family! My family loved Dayshon like our own! We raised Ezra together holidays, birthdays, graduations, the zoo, Disney, park you name it! He never missed those things. We tried to co-parent as best as we could and break generational curses together no matter our relationship status.”

Ronneshia said that Smith taught his daughter to be fearless, to be confident, to ride a skateboard. He always told her how beautiful she was, would share with her his knowledge of the world, and would take her to the ballet on Saturdays. They would have breakfast after.

“He treated her like a princess,” she wrote. ​“He loved Ezra so much. He had a weak spot for her. They would have so much fun together I would take random photos and videos of them because I admired their daddy-daughter relationship so much! Ezra loved her father unconditionally.”

“Too Humble And Too Loyal To Be In Any Trouble”

Smith’s aunt Christine Stewart-Davis, his cousins Tasha Smith-Ramos and Shalona Stewart, and his grandmother Shirley Gibson also told of Smith’s dedication to his daughter in a jointly written message to the Independent.

“Once he found out he would become a girl dad he was so happy,” they wrote.

They said that he and Ronneshia both cared deeply for Ezra.

“His patience and loving heart showed through in Ezra. She was the best part of him and trust us he had a lot of amazing qualities! Whenever you saw Dayshon you saw Ezra, she was his light. Boxing then became a way to provide and man was he good at it so it definitely did that and more.”

They said he made time to work on his craft and be with his family, all while holding own a regular job at a group home for disabled children. ​“He then enjoyed boxing and being in shape so much that he helped them get in shape. That’s who he was a helpful, caring, loyal, loving, humble, family orientated man. That’s how the family wants him remembered. These are the qualities that made him special”

They said he was ​“too loyal and too humble to be in any trouble. That’s what hurts our family the most. We know and anyone who knows him knows he didn’t deserve this. He was too good and too pure to go out this way. He was a light for everyone he came in contact with. His family, friends, Ring One, and New Haven will mourn him forever!”

“He Really Gets Up And Works”

Smith’s brother, Richard Whitaker, said he was with Smith the night he was killed. He said he wants people to remember his brother as being a different kind of person.

“He’s a different person. He chases his goals,” Whitaker said. ​“A lot of people say they do things but he actually gets up and chases. He really gets up and works. He made sure he took care of me and my little brother.”

Smith’s Aunt, Michelle Groom, said she had seen Dayshon minutes before he left for the gathering on Rosette Street and was shot dead.

“I never thought that would be my last hug from him,” Groom said, crying. ​“I was really so proud of him because he really was just such a good kid. He was so much like my brother in the way he walked, talked, and looked. He was an awesome father and always had his daughter with him. When he came around, it was just always a good spirit. Now, it just feels so empty without him here.”

“We Called Him Superfreak For A Reason”

When Smith wasn’t boxing or spending time with his daughter, he worked at Benhaven Residential Services & Individual and Family Support Programs in North Haven.

He started boxing in 2012. In the video at the top, produced and filmed by Wilder Raine, Smith says boxing gave him a peace of mind. He dreamed of one day becoming a world boxing champion.

Smith trained regularly at Ring One Boxing.

Coach Brian Clark said a number of his students have died due to street violence. But that Smith’s death has hit him particularly hard because Dayshon wasn’t involved in that kind of lifestyle.

Clark and Smith held a close bond. Smith was living with Clark and his wife, Nephateria Miller, upstairs of Ring One for three years before he left in March when he decided he wanted to pursue turning pro.

“We called him the Superfreak for a reason. He was 6’1, 132 pounds, and he hit so hard,” Clark said. ​“There were three or four occasions where it would be, ​‘Quick! Get the doctor!’ after he sparred with someone,” Clark said. ​“The Dayshon in the ring was different from the Dayshon out of the ring. The Dayshon out of the ring was just really nice.”

Clark said he rarely turns his trainers pro if he thinks they have more potential in life than boxing. He knows how few people make it and how little money there is in the sport.

“I wish we could have one last conversation,” Clark said. ​“His death doesn’t have to do with boxing. You’ve got a little girl who doesn’t have her father anymore.”

Ring One recalls one of Smith’s best fights in 2017 at the Golden Gloves in Lowell, Massachusetts when he defeated the hometown hero. Dayshon ended up dropping the guy and nailed him to the ground, winning the fight.

Miller made a collage in honor of Smith.

“This death was the worst one for me,” Miller said, with tears in her eyes.

A friend of Clark and instructor at Manchester ROCS Boxing Club, Paul Cichon, had Dayshon come up around last October to spar with pro boxing fighter, Mykquan Williams, to prepare Williams for an upcoming fight. Cichon and Smith stayed in touch ever since.

“Dayshon was slick as a boxer because he was so tall. He was really good. He knew where to move and how to move,” Cichon said. ​“He was not a thug, that’s my biggest point that I want to get across. He was not some kid that ran the streets. He was a good father and a boxer.”

Tia Murray, strength coach, would work with Smith at her gym, No Nonsense Functional Training in Hamden.

“I started training him around 2015 and we became really close. Dayshon was like a little brother to me. I was like a mentor to him and I tried to coach him in the right direction as much as I could,” Murray said. ​“This is devastating. I’m still kind of out of it right now. I can’t believe it really happened.”

“He was the most positive, humble vibe in the gym,” Nicole Sinacori, training partner, said.

Tracey Christian, who also trained Smith with Murray, said his future was bright.

“He had a really good spirit. He was hard working and very consistent. His dedication was notable. I could see that his past experiences weighed on him but I could also see somebody that wanted more, and was willing to fight for more,” Christian said. ​“He was really motivated by his daughter. He was a doting, loving father.”

Friend and training partner, Josh Crespo, said the first time he met Dayshon was when Coach Brian set the two up to spar.

“When I first saw him, he gave me this Thomas Hearns vibe. Tall, black, lanky. Sure enough, he hit every bit as hard as he looked,” Crespo said.

“We were close enough as brothers. We would go to fights together. It’s sad. Day was positive vibes. There was never one time where I hung out with Day and he ever talked about disliking anyone or having it out with anyone, or any differences.”

Another close friend, Tramaine Williams, said that Dayshon was quiet at first but got comfortable once their relationship grew in the gym.

“What I’m not going to miss is him punching me,” Williams said, jokingly. ​“He’s top 5 one of the hardest punchers that I’ve ever been in the ring with. Easily.”

Smith and Williams met when training. Williams had been boxing beforehand and Smith would ask him questions about boxing.

“He became my brother at the fights we went together. We went to war together,” Williams said. ​“It was us against everyone in the ring.”

A vigil for Dayshon Smith will be held this Thursday, August 20, from 6 – 8 p.m. at Ring One Boxing.