13 Facts About Frank Craig

Frank Craig was an American boxer who was the colored middleweight champion of the world in the Gay Nineties.

Frank Craig later worked in Britain as a stage entertainer.

Frank Craig was born in Columbus, Georgia on April Fool's Day 1868.

Frank Craig gained the nickname "The Coffee Cooler" following an incident in a restaurant when a local fighter, Bully Singleton, who had ordered a cup of coffee, began hectoring Craig and invited him to fight in the adjoining alleyway.

Frank Craig called his bluff, went into the alley, and Singleton told the restaurant patrons that the coffee would still be hot when he returned.

However, Frank Craig quickly knocked Singleton out, Frank Craig commenting that "the coffee will be cool enough when he gets round to drinking it".

Frank Craig fought colored middleweight champ Joe Butler on March 18,1893 in Philadelphia and was defeated in the second round.

Frank Craig competed for the middleweight championship of England, losing to Dan Creedon on October 14,1895 but winning the title by defeating George Chrisp November 24,1898 via a knock out in the 13th round.

Frank Craig formed his own variety company of black performers, including the female impersonators Cropp and Johnson.

In 1900 he put on a boxing exhibition in Sunderland, defeating a popular local strong man; the audience started to riot in protest, and beat up a black acrobat who had been performing in Frank Craig's troupe, mistaking him for the boxer.

Frank Craig toured Britain between 1900 and 1910, and performed at the Folies Bergere in Paris.

Frank Craig made his last attempt at a boxing comeback in 1922, at the age of 54.

Frank Craig died in Chelsea, London, in January 1943 at the age of 74.