Frank Craig
Frank Craig (April 1, 1868 – January 1, 1943) was an African American boxer who was the colored middleweight champion of the world in the Gay Nineties. Born in Columbus, Georgia on April Fool's Day 1868 (some sources claim he was born on 1 April 1870 in New York City while other sources put his birthplace as Columbus, Ohio), the 5′10" Craig fought at a weight of between 153 and 169 lbs. as a middleweight and light-heavyweight during his career. Known as "The Harlem Coffee Cooler", Craig was known as a smart and quick fighter.[1]
| Frank Craig | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Statistics | |
| Weight(s) | Middleweight |
| Nationality | American |
| Born | April 1, 1868 Columbus, Ohio, USA |
| Died | January 1, 1943 (aged 74) |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Boxing record | |
| Total fights | 114 |
| Wins | 68 |
| Wins by KO | 42 |
| Losses | 36 |
| Draws | 9 |
Colored Championship
Craig fought colored middleweight champ Joe Butler on 18 March 1893 in Philadelphia and was defeated in the second round. The two met again in a title match in Philadelphia on 20 February 1894 in Philadelphia, and this time, Craig emerged the victor, winning in the fourth round.[2]
Craig never defended the title, which went vacant. He moved to London, England later that year, and began campaigning in Great Britain in October. He competed for the middleweight championship of England, losing to Dan Creedon on October 14, 1895 but winning the title by defeating George Chrisp 24 November 1898 via a K.O. in the 13th round.
| Awards and achievements | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Ed Binney |
World Colored Middleweight Championship November 13, 1892 - Unknown (Vacated title) |
Succeeded by George Byers |
References
- "Frank Craig". Cyber Boxing Zone. Retrieved 10 November 2013.
- "Joe Butler". BoxRec. Archived from the original on 11 December 2014. Retrieved 29 May 2012.