Frankie Klick

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.

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.

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.

At the age of twenty-one, Klick was married to Cecelia McCarthy on May 6, 1928.

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.

On October 28, 1933, he lost to Tony Canzoneri at Ridgewood Grove in Brooklyn in a ten-round Unanimous Decision.

It was the first of four meetings the two would have, and Klick would fail to win a decision in all four.

Nonetheless, the capacity Brooklyn crowd of 5000 hailed Klick and booed when he lost the decision.

On January 22, 1934, Klick lost a ten-round points decision to Frankie Wallace, a Cleveland native, at Public Hall in Cleveland, Ohio.

On March 5, 1934, Klick met Barney Ross, defending his Jr. Welterweight Title before a capacity crowd of 10,000, in a ten-round draw at Civic Auditorium in San Francisco.

Klick's quick punching in the last two rounds earned him the draw according to the referee Toby Irwin.

The Associated Press gave Ross five rounds, Klick four, and one even.

Ross, in his typically lightning fast style, may have landed twice as many punches, but many ringside believed Klick's punches carried more authority.

According to the Santa Cruz Evening News, "Klick's swift rallys in the last two rounds earned him the decision of the referee."

The draw was impressive for Klick, as Ross had won all his bouts in the previous three years, never having been held to a draw.

Klick vacated the World Jr. Lightweight Title in 1934, most likely as a result of being unable to maintain a weight under 130 pounds, the limit for the Jr. Lightweight division.

On June 28, 1934, Tony Canzoneri defeated Klick in a ninth-round technical knockout when referee Patsy Haley stopped the bout at Ebbets field in Brooklyn.

Haley, former lightweight boxer, would become one of the best known and trusted New York referees in history.

Klick may have won the first two rounds but by the third Canzoneri had battered Klick with a strong right to the jaw, and began piling up points in the following rounds, landing a hard blow to the eye of Klick in the fifth which contributed to Haley's decision to end the bout four rounds later.

The winner of the bout would be matched with Barney Ross for the World Lightweight Crown.

On July 31, 1934, Klick lost a disputed ten round points decision to Italian boxer Cleto Locatelli at Shibe Park, in Philadelphia.

The marriage lasted seven years and produced two children Patricia, and Frankie Jr., but ended in divorce on June 5, 1935.