Smith brings fight against autism to Chatsworth tonight

Published 10:57 pm Friday, July 31, 2015

Championships and titles are important things in professional wrestling, but Dalton native Dwayne Smith is wrestling for a cause bigger than any belt.

Last month, Fighting for Autism named him one of its “Fighter Ambassadors.”

Fighting for Autism works to spread awareness of and advocate for families with children with autism spectrum disorder, which can affect a person’s behavior and communication and social skills.

“A Fighter Ambassador represents the organization,” Smith said. “We do charity events, fundraising drives, things like that. There aren’t a lot of ambassadors. One of the most famous is Bas Rutten, a UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) hall of famer. I’m the first and only professional wrestler they have accepted. The rest are MMA (mixed martial arts) fighters.”

For Smith, the battle against autism is personal. His son has autism.

Smith makes his debut as a Fighter Ambassador tonight at the RCW arena in Chatsworth.

“I’ll be wearing the (Fighting for Autism) logo,” he said. “I’ll be auctioning off one of my shirts. We’ll have a couple of donation boxes. I’ll be selling autographed photos, and all of those proceeds go to Fighting against Autism.”

The card takes place at the RCW arena, behind the Big V and Autozone.

The doors open at 6 p.m., and the action starts at 7. Admission is $10 for front row seats and $8 for general admission.