Frankie Klick
| Frankie Klick | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Statistics | |
| Real name | Frank Klich |
| Weight(s) |
Super featherweight Junior Lightweight Lightweight |
| Height | 5 ft 5 in (1.65 m) |
| Reach | 67.5 in (171 cm) |
| Nationality | American |
| Born |
May 5, 1907 San Francisco, California |
| Died | May 18, 1982 (aged 75) |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Boxing record | |
| Total fights | 125 |
| Wins | 85 |
| Wins by KO | 24 |
| Losses | 26 |
| Draws | 13 |
| No contests | 1 |
Frankie Klick (May 5, 1907 – May 18, 1982) was an American boxer who became a World Jr. Lightweight boxing champion when he defeated "Kid Chocolate", on December 25, 1933 at the arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in a seventh-round technical knockout. In his career he fought the exceptional champions Henry Armstrong once, Barney Ross twice and Tony Canzoneri four times. His managers were Joe Doran and Ray Carlin.
Frank Klich was born on May 5, 1907 in San Francisco, California. Klick, as he became known when a promoter of one of his early bouts misspelled his name, began his interest in boxing when an older brother gifted him with a pair of boxing gloves when he was nine years old. From October 9, 1924 to April 22, 1927, Klick fought twenty-seven times in San Francisco's National Hall or Dreamland Rink. He won all but one of his first twenty-seven bouts, as one was a draw. Impressively eight of his twenty-seven early wins were by knockout or technical knockout.
On January 28, 1927 Klick defeated California Joe Lynch, a well respected West Coast boxer, for the first time at Dreamland Rink in San Francisco in a six-round points decision. On March 23, 1928, Klick defeated California Joe Lynch again in a four-round points decision at the State Armory in San Francisco. He would fight Lynch twice more in ten round draws.
In his first loss, and very likely his first knockout, Klick was defeated by Dynamite Joe Murphy in the fourth round at the Auditorium in Oakland, California on June 1, 1927. A left hook to the head dropped Klick to the canvas for a count of eight, and when he arose another attack landed him on the canvas for the full count.
At the age of twenty-one, Klick was married to Cecelia McCarthy on May 6, 1928. The marriage lasted seven years and produced two children Patricia, and Frankie Jr., but ended in divorce on June 5, 1935.
On May 18, 1932, Klick tried unsuccessfully to take the USA California State Lightweight Title, but was defeated by Young Peter Jackson in a ten-round points decision at the Golden Gate Arena in San Francisco California.
Before a crowd of 4,000, Klick took the World Jr. Lightweight boxing champion against Kid Chocolate, on December 25, 1933 at the Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in a seventh-round technical knockout. The Ludington Daily News, wrote "The flashy Cuban "bon bon" (Chocolate) was bereft of the title in the seventh round of a scheduled fifteen round Christmas Day bout by a whistling right smash to the chin and all he got in exchange was the second knockout of his career although the latest was of the technical variety." The bout had been fairly close until the seventh with Chocolate showing stamina and style. The seventh round had gone two minutes and fifty-eight seconds when the knockout occurred. "The Cuban waged a fast, aggressive fight in the early rounds that gave him a temporary lead." Chocolate had landed rights "to the head and body," but may have lacked the stamina to stay with Klick. Chocolate may have been suffering from a knockout he had received from Tony Canzoneri only a month previously. He retained his featherweight championship at least in the state of New York.
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