Frank Childs facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Frank Childs |
|
|---|---|
| Statistics | |
| Nickname(s) | The Crafty Texan |
| Rated at | Heavyweight |
| Height | 5 ft 9.5 in (1.77 m) |
| Nationality | American |
| Born | July 17, 1867 Texas |
| Died | June 20, 1936 (aged 68) Waukegan, Illinois |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Boxing record | |
| Total fights | 57 |
| Wins | 40 |
| Wins by KO | 24 |
| Losses | 9 |
| Draws | 8 |
Frank Childs (born July 17, 1867, in Texas; died June 20, 1936, in Waukegan, Illinois) was a famous African American boxer. People called him "The Crafty Texan" because he was smart in the ring. He started his professional boxing career in Chicago in 1892 and fought until 1911.
Frank Childs was a strong fighter, even though he was not very tall. He weighed between 160 and 185 pounds. This meant he could fight in different weight classes, like middleweight, light-heavyweight, and heavyweight. He was known for his powerful punches. He even won the World Colored Heavyweight Championship twice!
Contents
Early Fights and Challenges
Frank Childs had his first professional boxing match on February 18, 1892. He fought George LaBlanche in Los Angeles and won by knockout (K.O.) in the third round. They fought again a month later. In that fight, LaBlanche broke the rules by throwing Childs to the ground and kicking him. The police stopped the fight, and Childs won because LaBlanche was disqualified.
Childs fought many more times before getting a chance to win a championship title. He even fought Bob Armstrong, who was the colored heavyweight champion at the time. Childs beat Armstrong in a six-round fight in 1897, but it wasn't for the title.
Meeting Klondike
In 1898, Childs fought a boxer named Klondike. Klondike's real name was John Haines, and he was called "Klondike" because people thought he was a great new discovery, like gold from the Klondike Gold Rush. It was Klondike's first fight, and Childs knocked him out. Klondike later became famous for beating Jack Johnson, who would become a world heavyweight champion.
Frank Childs and Klondike fought each other many times. This was common for African American boxers back then. Because of something called the "color bar" (which meant unfair rules based on race), Black boxers were often only allowed to fight other Black boxers.
Winning the World Colored Heavyweight Title
Frank Childs first fought for the World Colored Heavyweight title on January 29, 1898. He knocked out the champion, Bob Armstrong, in the second round to win the title!
He successfully defended his title against Klondike in February 1898. He also had a draw (a tie) with Charley Strong, which meant he kept his title.
Losing and Winning Back the Title
Later that year, Childs lost his title to George Byers in a long 20-round fight. Even after losing the official title, Childs fought Armstrong again in 1899 and won.
In August 1899, Childs won another title called the "Black Heavyweight Championship" by beating Klondike. He kept this title when he knocked out Klondike in a rematch.
On March 16, 1901, Frank Childs fought George Byers again. This time, Childs won back the World Colored Heavyweight Championship by knocking out Byers in the 17th round! This was a big win for him.
He lost the colored heavyweight title again in 1902 to Denver Ed Martin. But Childs was a tough fighter and didn't give up easily. He claimed he was still the champion and defended his title claim against Joe Walcott in October 1902, winning when Walcott quit due to an injury.
Later Career and Retirement
The famous boxer Jack Johnson beat Frank Childs in October 1902. This fight ended Childs' claim to the colored heavyweight title. Childs also lost to Joe Choynski again.
After a break from boxing, Childs came back in March 1904 and won two fights against a different boxer also named Chicago Jack Johnson (not the famous champion).
Later in 1904, Frank Childs fought the real Jack Johnson again, who was then the colored heavyweight champion. Johnson won that fight on points. Childs also fought his old rival Klondike Haynes one more time and knocked him out. After losing to Denver Ed Martin again in November 1904, Frank Childs decided to retire from boxing.
He came back for one last fight six years later, in February 1911. He fought a new light-heavyweight boxer named Horace "Jack" Taylor, and the fight ended in a draw.
Boxing Record and Legacy
Frank Childs had a long boxing career from 1892 to 1911. He had a total of 57 fights. He won 41 of them, with 25 wins by knockout. He lost 9 times and had 8 draws (ties).
| 57 fights | 40 wins | 9 losses |
| By knockout | 24 | 2 |
| By decision | 14 | 6 |
| By disqualification | 2 | 1 |
| Draws | 8 | |
Frank Childs and other boxers like him were very important. For many years, the World Colored Heavyweight Championship was a way for Black boxers to show their amazing skills. It helped fight against the unfair "color line" that tried to keep them out of bigger boxing matches. A book written in 2020 by Mark Allen Baker tells the full story of this important championship.
