When James "Bonecrusher" Smith knocked out WBA heavyweight champion Tim Witherspoon in the first round in 1986, he became the first heavyweight champion with a college degree, having acquired a bachelor's degree in business administration from Shaw University. A native of Magnolia, N.C., Smith started boxing while serving in the U.S. Army. After leaving the military, he went to work with the North Carolina Department of Corrections. He began his professional career with a 1981 bout on ESPN, which he lost, but then he upset future cruiserweight Rickey Parker, followed by three more wins over respected opponents. Smith then scored nine straight knockout wins to gain a fight with undefeated British prospect Frank Bruno. To everyone's surprise he knocked out the favored Brit in the 10th round. In 1987, Smith risked his championship belt against Mike Tyson's WBC belt in Las Vegas, and he lost a decision. He fought off and on for several years winning most of his bouts by knockout. In 1999, Smith lost a decision to his friend Larry Holmes and at the age of 46 hung up his gloves. He compiled a record of 44-17-1 as a professional and won many amateur and military fights.  After retiring, Smith became an ordained minister and dedicated his life to helping young people stay clear of crime and drugs. He and his wife, Reba, are the parents of three.

Ralph Conner is noted in Linconlton as a man who can be called upon for help at any time. Over the years, he seems to have been involved in all aspects of his community. Lincolnton has more boxers per capita in the hall of fame than any other city, and Conner coached most of them. He was active in boxing from 1947 until 1990. His VFW teams won tournaments all over both Carolinas, and he was selected to coach the Carolinas team in the Regionals in New York in 1956, the same year he won the Wilton Garrison Outstanding Coach award.  Conner served in WWII with the U.S. Army and was wounded in Anzio, Italy. After leaving the Army, the three-sport high school star played professional baseball for a while. He was also a golf pro at Lincolnton Country Club for eight years. 

Maurice Treadway, was born in Loris, South Carolina in 1933, Treadway began boxing with the YMCA team as a young teen after his family moved to Charlotte. Before he was finished, he compiled a record of 159-49 as an amateur and a professional. Treadway won titles in both Carolinas and took three championships as a member of the 82nd Airborne. He may have fought more bouts than his record indicates as he spent time boxing professionally in Mexico where record keeping is suspect.  Treadway moved to Murrell's Inlet after hanging up his gloves and opened a successful lawn care business. Before his death on May 24, 2005, he was noted for community service work up and down the Grand Strand. Treadway was also a 32nd degree Mason and Shriner.

Johnny Greenhill, at the beginning of  his boxing career in 1950 while serving with the U.S. Navy, he won all 17 of his military bouts. Upon his return home, he joined the Durham Boxing Team and became an integral part of one of the better amateur teams in the state. He won 45 matches and lost only to the great Crowe Peele with Durham. After turning professional, Greenhill won another 20 bouts without losing. His overall boxing record stands at 82 wins, a single loss, and a draw.
Greenhill owned and operated Greenhill Electric Company for 39 years, and he remains active in the electrical business. He and his former wife are the parents of two sons and they have two grandchildren. He has been given the Outstanding Community Service Award by the State of North Carolina. Greenhill is a pilot, and he enjoys golf, bowling, and restoring old cars.

The year 1949 was a good one for Burlington, N.C. welterweight Lacy Hall. He ran through all competition in his weight class, winning amateur tournaments in Burlington, Durham, High Point, and Greensboro. Before the year was up he had won 16 consecutive matches and he picked up three outstanding boxer trophies along the way.  Hall received undergraduate degrees from Elon College and Duke. He earned a masters and a Ph.D. from UNC Chapel Hill. Hall served in the U.S. Army for three years. He is past president and owner of King's Business College in Greensboro. Hall has been involved in many areas of community service over the years. He has also written books on business and mental health. He is cofounder and president of the Huck Finn Tennis Charity Fund.   He and his wife Barbara have one daughter. Hall lists writing, poetry, gardening, wine making, and traveling among his hobbies.

Winston-Salem native Fred Pettyjohn could be called the accidental boxer. He was playing basketball at the YMCA when the boxing coach spotted him and thought the well-built youngster might make a good boxer. Pettyjohn gave it a shot. He began his career by knocking out his first opponent, then he lost a decision. That was followed by another KO win and another lost decision. He won the next bout by knockout, and then lost another decision. After that strange beginning, Pettyjohn got on track. Before he was finished he had won a boxing scholarship to Michigan State, and compiled a record of 38 wins and 12 losses. Most of his victories were knockouts. He was noted as a classy boxer with power. Pettyjohn won tournaments in Greensboro, Charlotte, High Point, and several other cities. His win at the AAU event in Greenville in 1953 gained him a spot on a Carolinas AAU team which competed in Boston Gardens, Mass. He was the fifth Naval District middleweight runner-up in 1954. 

The third Hitopoulos brother inducted into the Carolinas Boxing Hall of Fame, Gregg was born on September 1, 1928. Although he did box for the University of South Carolina team, Hitopoulos made his mark as a trainer, coach, referee, and judge. While college boxing was coming to an end, he managed to fight 12 times without a defeat. During his year on the South Carolina team, he defeated three regional champions.  After graduation, he entered the U.S. Army, and upon his release Hitopoulos began to referee and judge matches, continuing for 12 years. He switched over to professional events where he refereed and judged fights for 20 years. He was helping his brother, Harry, coach the Citadel team at the same time. Hitopoulos, a pharmacy major, operated two drug stores in Columbia before his death to cancer in 2004.