Pre-fight promotional photograph of Frank Childs (unknown date).
Frank Childs
Born(1867-07-17)July 17, 1867
Texas
DiedJune 20, 1936(1936-06-20) (aged 68)
Waukegan, Illinois
NationalityAmerican
Other namesThe Crafty Texan
Statistics
Weight(s)Heavyweight
Height5 ft 9.5 in (1.77 m)
StanceOrthodox
Boxing record
Total fights57
Wins40
Wins by KO24
Losses9
Draws8

Frank Childs (born July 17, 1867, Texas; died June 20, 1936, Waukegan, Illinois[1]), "The Crafty Texan", was an African American boxer who fought professionally out of Chicago from 1892 to 1911 and twice held the World Colored Heavyweight Championship. Fighting at a weight of between 160 and 185 lbs., the short, stocky Childs fought middleweights, light-heavyweights and heavyweights. He had a powerful punch.[2]

Journeyman

He made his pro boxing debut on February 18, 1892 in Los Angeles against French Canadian George LaBlanche from Quebec, knocking him out in the third round. They fought again on March 24, with four-ounce gloves. In the eighth round, LaBlanche grabbed Childs by the waist, threw him to the canvas, and then kicked him. The badly hurt Childs got up and wrestled LaBlanche, putting him in a half-nelson before elevating LaBlanche and throwing him. The police stopped the fight and the referee awarded Childs the decision after disqualifying LaBlanche.

Childs fought 15 more bouts before getting a shot at the colored heavyweight title. Along the way, he fought Bob Armstrong, the colored heavyweight champ, in a six-round non-title contest held on March 7, 1897 in Philadelphia. Childs won on points. His fight before that had been with white heavyweight contender Joe Choynski (the mentor of future colored heavyweight and world heavyweight title-holder Jack Johnson), who won by knockout (K.O.) in the third of a three-round fight.

In the intervening thirteen months before Armstrong gave him a shot for the title, Childs squared off on January 8, 1898 at Chicago's 2nd Regiment Armory against a boxer named Klondike (real name John Haines or John W. Haynes), so called because he was supposed to be a great find (evoking the Klondike Gold Rush). It was Klondike's first fight, and he was K.O.-ed by Childs. Klondike would go on to beat future world heavyweight champ Jack Johnson in Johnson's third pro fight and claim what he called the "Black Heavyweight Championship".

Childs and Klondike would meet again, frequently, as African American boxers were forced to fight one another often due to the color bar.

World Colored Heavyweight Champ

Childs first fought for the World Colored Heavyweight crown on January 29, 1898, knocking out colored champion Bob Armstrong in the second round. On February 26, he defended the title against Klondike on a technical knock-out in the fourth round of a scheduled six-round bout. In another six-round defense held in Chicago on June 3, he retained the title by drawing with Charley Strong, who had fought Armstrong for the title vacated by Peter Jackson.

In his next fight on September 4 of that year, he lost the title to George Byers on points in a 20-rounder. Regardless of losing the title, Childs fought Armstrong again on March 4, 1899 in Cincinnati, Ohio in a fight announced as a title bout, despite Byers being the legitimate champion. Childs defeated Armstrong via a TKO in the sixth round of a 10-round bout.

On August 11, 1899, he won the "Black Heavyweight Championship" claimed by Klondike Haynes in a six-round contest in Chicago by outpointing the so-called "Black Hercules". On October 28 of that year, they met in a rematch in Chicago in which Childs retained the black heavyweight title by kayoing Haynes in the third round of a six-round contest.

On March 16, 1900, Childs put his black heavyweight title on the line and Byers put up his coloured heavyweight crown in a six-round bout that ended in a draw. He next fought Joe Butler on December 15, 1900 for the black heavyweight title, dispatching Butler via KO in the sixth. Finally, he took back the Coloured World Heavyweight Championship legitimately from Byers on March 16, 1901 in Hot Springs, Arkansas, kayoing him in the 17th round of a 20-round fight. (He did not put up his black heavyweight title, which he never claimed again.)

He lost the coloured heavyweight title to Denver Ed Martin in a bout in Chicago on February 25, 1902, being out-pointed in a six-round contest. Not one to surrender a title easily, he billed his October 9, 1902 fight with Joe Walcott as a defence of his coloured heavyweight title. He beat Walcott via a TKO in the 3rd round when Walcott quit, claiming that he was injured. Childs was winning the fight at the time.

Requiem for a Heavyweight

Jack Johnson eliminated any pretensions Childs had to the colored crown when he beat him via TKO in the 12th round of a fight on October 21, 1902 in Los Angeles. Childs's corner claimed he dislocated his elbow. He lost to Joe Choynski on December 1, 1902, being outpointed in a six-rounder. After a 16-month lay-off, he beat Chicago Jack Johnson (not the future champion) on successive days in March 1904, knocking him out in the 2nd both times.

The real Jack Johnson had won the colored heavyweight title from Denver Ed Martin on February 5, 1903, and June 2, 1904 in Chicago, the two champs, the reigning champion and the two-time former champion, met in a six-round bout. Johnson won on points.

He met up with old adversary Klondike Haynes on July 7 of that year and KO'd him in the 8th. There was no talk of championships, colored or black. Jack Johnson was the champ. After losing on points to Denver Ed Martin in a six-rounder on November 1, he retired. He came back six years later and fought tyro light-heavyweight Horace "Jack" Taylor on February 2, 1911. The six-round bout, Taylor's second pro fight, resulted in a draw.

Record

In a career that stretched from 1892 to 1911, he racked up a career record of 41 wins (25 by knockout) against nine losses (being KO-ed three times) and eight draws.[3]

Legacy and honors

In 2020 award-winning author Mark Allen Baker published the first comprehensive account of The World Colored Heavyweight Championship, 1876-1937, with McFarland & Company, a leading independent publisher of academic & nonfiction books. This history traces the advent and demise of the Championship, the stories of the talented professional athletes who won it, and the demarcation of the color line both in and out of the ring.

For decades the World Colored Heavyweight Championship was a useful tool to combat racial oppression-the existence of the title a leverage mechanism, or tool, used as a technique to counter a social element, “drawing the color line.”

Professional boxing record

57 fights 40 wins 9 losses
By knockout 24 2
By decision 14 6
By disqualification 2 1
Draws 8
No. Result Record Opponent Type Round, time Date Age Location Notes
57 Draw 40–9–8 Jack Taylor PTS 6 Feb 2, 1911 43 years, 200 days Exact location unknown, US Exact date unknown
56 Loss 40–9–7 Denver Ed Martin PTS 6 Nov 1, 1904 37 years, 107 days Exact location unknown, US Exact date unknown
55 Win 40–8–7 Klondike Haynes KO 8 (?) Jul 6, 1904 36 years, 355 days Houghton, Michigan, US
54 Loss 39–8–7 Jack Johnson PTS 6 Jun 2, 1904 36 years, 321 days Apollo Hall, Chicago, Illinois, US For world colored heavyweight title
53 Win 39–7–7 Chicago Jack Johnson KO 2 (6) Mar 14, 1904 36 years, 241 days American A.C., Chicago, Illinois, US
52 Loss 38–7–7 Joe Choynski PTS 6 Dec 1, 1902 35 years, 137 days Lyceum A.C., Chicago, Illinois, US
51 Loss 38–6–7 Jack Johnson TKO 12 (20) Oct 21, 1902 35 years, 96 days Hazard's Pavilion, Los Angeles, California, US Lost world colored heavyweight title claim
50 Win 38–5–7 Barbados Joe Walcott TKO 3 (6) Oct 9, 1902 35 years, 84 days Apollo A.C., Chicago, Illinois, US Retained world colored heavyweight title claim
49 Loss 37–5–7 Denver Ed Martin PTS 6 Feb 24, 1902 34 years, 222 days America A.A., Chicago, Illinois, US Lost world colored heavyweight title;
Both fighters claimed the title
48 Win 37–4–7 Wild Bill Hanrahan KO 4 (6) Feb 3, 1902 34 years, 201 days America A.A., Chicago, Illinois, US
47 Win 36–4–7 Walter Johnson PTS 6 Jan 18, 1902 34 years, 185 days America A.A., Chicago, Illinois, US
46 Win 35–4–7 Jack Mulligan TKO 5 (?) Jan 6, 1902 34 years, 173 days Kenosha, Wisconsin, US
45 Win 34–4–7 George Byers KO 17 (20) Mar 16, 1901 33 years, 242 days Hot Springs, Colorado, US Won world colored heavyweight title
44 Win 33–4–7 'Mexican' Pete Everett PTS 10 Dec 21, 1900 33 years, 157 days Colorado A.C., Denver, Colorado, US
43 Win 32–4–7 Joe Butler KO 6 (6) Dec 15, 1900 33 years, 151 days Chicago A.A., Chicago, Illinois, US Retained black heavyweight title
42 Win 31–4–7 Fred Russell PTS 10 Jul 20, 1900 33 years, 3 days Colorado A.C., Denver, Colorado, US
41 Win 30–4–7 Fred Russell PTS 6 Jun 15, 1900 32 years, 333 days Star Theatre, Chicago, Illinois, US
40 Win 29–4–7 Fred Russell PTS 6 Jun 8, 1900 32 years, 326 days Star Theatre, Chicago, Illinois, US
39 Win 28–4–7 Tommy Dixon KO 2 (6) Apr 27, 1900 32 years, 284 days Star Theatre, Chicago, Illinois, US
38 Draw 27–4–7 Jack Bonner PTS 6 Mar 17, 1900 32 years, 243 days Chicago A.C., Chicago, Illinois, US
37 Draw 27–4–6 George Byers PTS 6 Mar 16, 1900 32 years, 242 days Star A.C., Chicago, Illinois, US Retained black heavyweight title;
For world colored heavyweight title
36 Win 27–4–5 Jack Bonner PTS 6 Mar 2, 1900 32 years, 228 days Tattersall's, Chicago, Illinois, US
35 Win 26–4–5 Klondike Haynes KO 3 (6) Oct 28, 1899 32 years, 103 days Chicago A.A., Chicago, Illinois, US Retained black heavyweight title
34 Draw 25–4–5 Joe Kennedy PTS 6 Oct 13, 1899 32 years, 88 days Star Theatre, Chicago, Illinois, US
33 Win 25–4–4 Klondike Haynes PTS 6 Aug 11, 1899 32 years, 25 days Star Theatre, Chicago, Illinois, US Won black heavyweight title
32 Draw 24–4–4 Tom 'Stockings' Conroy PTS 6 May 26, 1899 31 years, 313 days Tattersall's, Chicago, Illinois, US
31 Draw 24–4–3 Jack Bonner PTS 6 May 19, 1899 31 years, 306 days Star Theatre, Chicago, Illinois, US
30 Win 24–4–2 'Mexican' Pete Everett PTS 6 Mar 24, 1899 31 years, 250 days Star Theatre, Chicago, Illinois, US
29 Win 23–4–2 Ed Dunkhorst PTS 8 Mar 20, 1899 31 years, 246 days Cadillac A.C., Detroit, Michigan, US
28 Win 22–4–2 Bob Armstrong TKO 6 (10) Mar 4, 1899 31 years, 230 days Stag A.C., Cincinnati, Ohio, US Claimed vacant world colored heavyweight title
27 Win 21–4–2 Joe Butler DQ 2 (6) Jan 21, 1899 31 years, 188 days Tattersall's, Chicago, Illinois, US Butler DQ'd for hitting in the clinches despite both men having agreed not to
26 Win 20–4–2 Tom 'Stockings' Conroy PTS 6 Dec 19, 1898 31 years, 155 days Fort Dearborn A.C., Chicago, Illinois, US
25 Win 19–4–2 Charley Strong PTS 6 Nov 8, 1898 31 years, 114 days Chicago, Illinois, US
24 Win 18–4–2 Henry Baker KO 3 (6) Sep 24, 1898 31 years, 69 days America A.A., Chicago, Illinois, US
23 Loss 17–4–2 George Byers PTS 20 Sep 14, 1898 31 years, 59 days Lenox A.C., New York City, New York, US Lost world colored heavyweight title
22 Draw 17–3–2 Charley Strong PTS 6 Jun 3, 1898 30 years, 321 days Tattersall's, Chicago, Illinois, US Retained world colored heavyweight title
21 Win 17–3–1 Billy Keough KO 1 (6) Apr 16, 1898 30 years, 273 days Chicago A.A., Chicago, Illinois, US
20 Win 16–3–1 Klondike Haynes TKO 4 (6) Feb 26, 1898 30 years, 224 days Chicago A.A., Chicago, Illinois, US Retained world colored heavyweight title
19 Win 15–3–1 George Grant PTS 6 Feb 7, 1898 30 years, 205 days America A.A., Chicago, Illinois, US
18 Win 14–3–1 Bob Armstrong KO 2 (6) Jan 29, 1898 30 years, 196 days Chicago A.A., Chicago, Illinois, US Won world colored heavyweight title
17 Win 13–3–1 Klondike Haynes KO 6 (6) Jan 8, 1898 30 years, 175 days 2nd Regiment Armory, Chicago, Illinois, US
16 Win 12–3–1 George Grant KO 1 (?) Nov 1, 1897 30 years, 107 days McGurn's Handball Court, Chicago, Illinois, US
15 Win 11–3–1 Kentucky Rosebud KO 3 (?) Aug 2, 1897 30 years, 16 days Saint Joseph, Missouri, US
14 Win 10–3–1 Bob Armstrong PTS 6 Mar 7, 1897 29 years, 233 days Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US
13 Loss 9–3–1 Joe Choynski KO 3 (3) Nov 15, 1895 28 years, 121 days Sam T. Jack's Opera House, Chicago, Illinois, US
12 Win 9–2–1 Rufus Thompson PTS 8 Mar 20, 1895 27 years, 246 days Tattersall's, Chicago, Illinois, US
11 Win 8–2–1 Bob Harper KO 3 (?) Oct 29, 1894 27 years, 104 days McGurn's Handball Court, Chicago, Illinois, US
10 Win 7–2–1 Ed Pitts TKO 2 (5) Sep 22, 1894 27 years, 67 days Chicago, Illinois, US Police intervened
9 Loss 6–2–1 Dan Creedon PTS 3 (6) Jun 5, 1894 26 years, 323 days Madison Street Theatre, Chicago, Illinois, US
8 Draw 6–1–1 Hank Griffin PTS 20 Apr 1, 1893 25 years, 258 days Los Angeles, California, US
7 Win 6–1 'Australian' Billy Smith KO 12 (?) Feb 15, 1893 25 years, 213 days San Francisco, California, US
6 Win 5–1 James J. Walker KO 3 (?) Jan 12, 1893 25 years, 179 days Palo Alto A.C., San Francisco, California, US
5 Loss 4–1 John Rivers DQ 2 (?) Nov 29, 1892 25 years, 135 days Pastime A.C., Los Angeles, California, US Childs had his man out cold but was robbed by an incompetent referee
who ignored the entrance into the ring of Rivers' second,
then took that man's word as evidence of a foul blow
4 Win 4–0 John Rivers TKO 4 (4) Nov 16, 1892 25 years, 122 days Pastime A.C., Los Angeles, California, US
3 Win 3–0 Al Butler KO 1 (4), 0:24 Aug 30, 1892 25 years, 44 days Pastime A.C., Los Angeles, California, US
2 Win 2–0 George LaBlanche DQ 8 (?) Mar 24, 1892 24 years, 251 days Pastime A.C., Los Angeles, California, US LaBlanche DQ'd for grabbing Childs by the waist,
throwing him down, and then kicking him
1 Win 1–0 George LaBlanche KO 3 (?) Feb 18, 1892 24 years, 216 days Pastime A.C., Los Angeles, California, US

References

  1. ↑ Ancestry.com. Illinois, Deaths and Stillbirths Index, 1916-1947 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011. Original data: "Illinois Deaths and Stillbirths, 1916–1947." Index. FamilySearch, Salt Lake City, Utah, 2010. Index entries derived from digital copies of original records.
  2. ↑ "Frank Childs (the "Crafty Texan")". Cyber Zone Boxing. Retrieved 17 May 2012.
  3. ↑ "Frank Childs". BoxRec. Retrieved 17 May 2012.
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