Frankie Neil
| Frankie Neil | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Statistics | |
| Real name | Francis James Neil |
| Rated at | bantamweight |
| Height | 5 ft 4.5 in (1.64 m) |
| Nationality | American |
| Born |
July 25, 1883 San Francisco, California |
| Died | March 6, 1970 (aged 86) |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Boxing record | |
| Total fights | 47 |
| Wins | 23 |
| Wins by KO | 17 |
| Losses | 19 |
| Draws | 5 |
Frankie Neil (July 25, 1883 – March 6, 1970) was a World Bantamweight champion. Fighting at 114 1/2 pounds, he took the world title from reigning champion Harry Forbes on August 8, 1903 at the Mechanics Pavilion in San Francisco in a second round knockout of a match scheduled for twenty rounds. Eddie Graney was the referee. Neil held the title only a little over a year, losing it on October 17, 1904 to British boxing champion Joe Bowker.
Neil later was reputed to have lost much of his boxing fortune at the horse track and from investing in race horses. He worked for Standard Oil in his retirement from boxing.
Not long before his first attempt at the bantamweight championship, on April 11, 1902, Neil fought a grueling fifteen round draw against Eddie Hanlon, who was only seventeen at the time. The lengthy bout was considered an epic one, and both boxers later remarked to the Oakland Tribune that they were completely exhausted after the bout. Their close bout in Oakland, California, was marked by Neil's skills at fighting from a distance, as the Tribune noting Neil's defensive skills wrote, "At long range Neil was by far the cleverer of the two and he landed repeatedly on Hanlon...." Neil's scientific boxing skills were noted in the battle when the Tribune wrote, though Hanlon appeared the stronger, more aggressive boxer, "Neil had the cleaner punch and landed as often as Hanlon, but did not have the force to his blows."
Neil first tried for the bantamweight title against Harry Forbes on December 3, 1902, but lost in a seventh round TKO in Oakland, California. In a wind up to the title between November 1900 and March 1902, Neal won an impressive seven of eight bouts in the San Francisco area by early knockout or technical knockout. During the two year windup, he fought against such competent boxers as George White, George Margarini, Tommy Dixon, and Kid Malone.
Neil took the world title from reigning champion Harry Forbes on August 8, 1903 at the Mechanics Pavilion in San Francisco in a second round knockout of a match scheduled for twenty rounds. According to the St. Paul Globe, the winning blow was a hard left to the stomach of Forbes. Forbes had been a two to one betting favorite prior to the bout due to his standing as reigning champion, though many boxing fans still backed Neil to win. In the brief two rounds of boxing, Forbes had been down three times, probably surprising many in the audience.
According to at least the World Boxing Association, Neil lost the World Bantamweight title on October 17, 1904 to British boxer Joe Bowker at the National Sporting Club in London in an historic twenty round points decision. As globally recognized boxing associations with the ability to sanction titles were in their infancy in 1904, some dispute as to when Neil lost his title may exist in news articles of the period.
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Wikipedia