Frank Craig
(the "Harlem Coffee Cooler")
BORN April 1 1868; Columbus, Georgia (Earlier sources reported April 1 1870; New York, New York DIED January 1943; Chelsea, London, England HEIGHT 5-10 WEIGHT 153-169 lbs MANAGERS Denny Butler, Ned Holske, Himself Craig was quick and clever; He fought as a middleweight and light heavyweight but tangled with a number of larger men; Craig won the Colored Middleweight Championship of the World during his career
Craig defeated such men as Joe Butler, Billy McCarthy, Fred Woods, Fred Morris, Joe Ellingsworth, Bill Slavin, Tom Thomas, Ted Pritchard, George Chrisp, Charlie Knock, Charles Allum, Fred Drummond and Denis HaughUndated
C.A.C. Smith L 2
1891
Apr 7 Seaman Fisher Harlem, NY KO 10
-Some sources report "Yeamans Fisher"
May 7 Grant Mack Long Island, NY W 6
Nov 28 George Broad New York, NY KO 2
-Some sources report 11/11/91
Nov 30 James Frazer Stamford, Ct KO 1
1892
Jan 4 Bill Dunn Stamford, Ct LK 3
Feb 6 Bill Davis New York, NY W 4
-Some sources report "W 6"
Mar 12 G.W. Coffey New York, NY KO 1
Mar 25 Robert Jackson New York, NY TK 1
-Some sources report 3/26/92
Apr 9 Bill Dunn New York, NY D 6
Apr 30 Bill Dunn New York, NY D 8
Aug 29 C.A.C. Smith Brooklyn, NY EX
Sep 12 C.A.C. Smith New York, NY EX
Oct 1 Fred Woods New York, NY W 5
Nov 26 Peter Burns New York, NY L 6
1893
Feb 11 Jack Van Houten New York, NY W 6
Mar 12 Henry McGrath New York, NY KO 1
Mar 18 Joe Butler Philadelphia, Pa LT 2
-Colored Middleweight Championship of the World
Apr 23 George Gannon New York, NY W 6
Apr 29 Harry Newmier New York, NY D 4
-Some sources report 3/29/93
Jun 12 Billy McCarthy Philadelphia, Pa L 4
Jun 19 Steve O'Donnell Philadelphia, Pa L 4
-Some sources report "ND 4"
Jul 20 Con Coughlin Reading, Pa W 1
Aug 24 Nick Burley San Francisco, Ca LK 2
Nov 25 Billy McCarthy New York, NY W 6
Nov 29 Con Riordan New York, NY SCH
-This bout was scheduled; The outcome is not known
Dec 30 Joe Ellingsworth New York, NY KO 7
-Some sources report "KO 6"
1894
Feb 7 Dan Creedon New York, NY L 4
-Some sources report "D 4";
Some sources report another bout on 2/14/94
Feb 17 Dick Baker New York, NY TK 1
-Some sources report "W 2"
Feb 20 Joe Butler Philadelphia, Pa W 4
-Colored Middleweight Championship of the World
Feb 24 Jim Foley New York, NY EX
Mar 1 Frank Thompson New York, NY KO 2
Mar 16 Fred Morris Long Island, NY TK 19
-This was a "private" fight;
Some sources report "KO 18"
Apr 10 Bill Dunn New York, NY KO 1
Apr 25 Peter Burns New York, NY KO 1
-Some sources report 4/26/94
Jun 11 Bill Slavin Minneapolis, Mn KO 2
Jun 25 Peter McGlone Brooklyn, NY W 4
Jul 16 Peter Maher Boston, Ma LK 2
Oct 8 Johnny O'Brien London, England KO 2
Oct 16 Tom Montgomery London, England KO 1
Oct 23 Jim Tully London, England KO 2
Oct 30 Denny Butler London, England EX 3
Nov 2 Tom Montgomery London, England KO 2
Nov 4 Joe Donohue London, England KO 1
Nov 6 Tom Burgess London, England SCH
-This bout was scheduled; The outcome is not known
Nov 7 Dan Cleary London, England KO 1
Nov 8 Jim Ward London, England SCH
-This bout was scheduled; The outcome is not known
Nov 9 Denny Butler London, England EX 3
Nov 9 Ted Cain London, England EX 4
-The previous 2 bouts were held the same date
Nov 10 Bill Cheese London, England KO 1
-Some sources report 11/11/94
Nov 12 Denny Butler London, England EX 3
Nov 12 Denny Butler London, England EX
Nov 12 Tom Thomas London, England KO 1
-The 11/12/94 date is doubted by many historians;
The previous 3 bouts were held the same date
Nov 13 Ted Cain London, England EX 3
Nov 13 Bill O'Leary London, England EX 3
-The previous 2 bouts were held the same date
Nov 14 Denny McCarthy London, England SCH
-This bout was scheduled; The outcome is not known
Nov 15 Arthur Morris London, England EX 3
Nov 16 Horace King London, England EX 4
-King became Amateur Heavyweight Champion of England in 1894
Nov 17 Joe Steers London, England EX 3
-Steers was Amateur Middleweight Champion of England
from 1891-1893; He was Amateur Heavyweight Champion
of England in 1890 and 1892-1893; Some sources report
"EX 4" on 11/18/94
Nov 18 Jack Bogan London, England KO 3
-Some sources report 11/19/94
Nov 19 Bill Miles London, England EX 3
Nov 20 Bill Miles London, England EX 3
Nov 20 Bill O'Leary London, England KO 2
Nov 20 Jack Gorman London, England EX 3
Nov 20 John Daly London, England W 2
-The previous 4 bouts were held the same date
Nov 21 Alf Phillips London, England KO 2
-Some sources report "W 4"
Nov 22 Alf Bannister London, England W 4
-Some sources report "EX 4"
Nov 23 Alf Mitchell London, England KO 2
Nov 29 Bill Miles London, England EX 4
Dec 17 Ted Pritchard London, England KO 1
-Some sources report Middleweight Championship of England
1895
Feb 4 Felix Scott London, England ND 4
-Scott lasted and claimed "Win"
Mar 11 Frank "Paddy" Slavin London, England LK 1
Apr 13 Jack O'Brien London, England KO 1
Oct 14 Dan Creedon London, England L 20
-Middleweight Championship of England
1896
May 11 Tom Duggan London, England W 12
1897
Mar 17 Dick O'Brien Birmingham, England LK 2
-Some sources report 10/23/97
1898
Oct 17 "Australian" Billy Edwards London, England KO 12
Nov 24 George Chrisp Newcastle, England KO 13
-This bout was promoted as the Heavyweight Championship of Britain;
Some sources report 11/25/98; Some sources report "W 12"
1899
Sep 18 Tommy Ryan Coney Island, NY LT 10
-Middleweight Championship of the World
Oct 3 Jack Root Chicago, Il L 6
Oct 15 Jack Root Chicago, Il L 6
Nov 24 Tommy West Brooklyn, NY LT 14
-Some sources report "L 14";
Some sources report "New York, NY"
1900
Sep 10 George Gardner London, England LF 4
-Some sources report "LK 4"
1901
Nov 18 "Philadelphia" Jack O'Brien London, England LF 7
1902
Aug 16 "Denver" Ed Martin Newcastle, England L 3
-Some sources report "LT 3"
Aug 30 "Denver" Ed Martin Newcastle, England LK 4
-Some sources report 8/20/02
1903
Jun 15 Harry "Slounch" Dixon London, England D 12
Jul 27 Jack Palmer Newcastle, England LF 2
-Some sources report "L 12"
1905
Apr 25 Kid Davies Neath, England W 10
Jul 22 Harry "Slounch" Dixon London, England W 6
Aug 12 "Private" L. Casling London, England KO 2
Aug 26 Charlie Knock London, England KO 5
Sep 22 Mike Crawley London, England L 6
-Some sources report 9/23/05
Oct 19 C. St. Clair Liverpool, England KO 9
1906
Aug 25 Mike Crawley London, England KO 4
Sep 8 Charles Allum London, England KO 5
Dec 1 "Private" L. Casling Westminster, England W 6
Dec 6 Mike Crawley Westminster, England D 6
Dec 10 Peter Brown Woolwich, England D 6
1907
Jan 19 Harry Shearing London, England L 11
Jan 29 Jack Scales London, England W 6
Feb 4 Fred Drummond London, England L 6
Mar 9 Seaman Kelly Portsmouth, England W 6
Apr 29 Jack Scales London, England W 6
May 18 Harry "Slounch" Dixon London, England W 6
-Some sources report "W 3"
Jun 6 Harry Shearing Warley B'ks, England W 6
Jul 13 Jack Scales London, England L 6
Sam McVea Paris, France LK 3
1908
Mar 16 William "Iron" Hague Sheffield, England LK 4
-Some sources report "L 4"
Apr 23 Joe White Liverpool, England L 20
Sep 7 Tom Lancaster Newcastle, England L 20
Nov 14 Bob Brown Dublin, Ireland KO 4
Dec 21 Tom Lancaster Newcastle, England L 20
1909
Jan 4 Tom Lancaster Glasgow, Scotland L 10
Feb 13 Pat Mulcahy Curragh, Ireland W 7
Apr 12 Tom Spring Dublin, Ireland KO 1
May 20 Sam Langford London, England EX 3
-This was a sparring session; Craig was hired by
William "Iron" Hague's camp to scout Langford;
Langford learned of the scam and gave Craig a
good drubbing
-Craig became involved in trouble with the
authorities in London over a case where
a woman was killed; He was released
Nov 8 Fred Drummond Sheffield, Eng LK 8
1910
Jan 1 Fred Drummond London, England W 6
Jan 8 "Gunner" Joe Mills London, England W 6
Jan 17 Fred Drummond London, England D 6
-Some sources report 1/15/10
Jan 24 Seaman Broadbent London, England KO 1
Jan 27 George West Islington, England L 6
Jan 29 Denis Haugh London, England W 6
Feb 14 Charlie Webster London, England W 1
Mar 3 Dido Plumb Hackney, England D 6
Mar 30 "Private" L. Casling Hackney, England W 6
Apr 30 Bill Thake London, England KO 4
May 16 Fred Drummond Southampton, England L 6
Jun 23 Bill Cockayne London, England W 6
Oct 3 Tom Edwards London, England D 6
Oct 19 Pat Kelly Oxford, England KO 3
Oct 24 "Bandsman" Dick Rice London, England LF 7
1911
Aug 12 Fred Drummond London, England LT 7
-Some sources report 8/14/11;
Some sources report "L 7"
Sep 7 Fred Drummond Rugby, England W 6
Sep 11 Charlie Bradley London, England W 6
Nov 13 E. Thompson Leicester, England W 10
1912
Feb 21 Pat Carroll Leicester, England W 1
May 20 E. Thompson Loughborough, England KO 13
Jul 11 Gunner Ellie London, England LK 3
-Some sources report "Alberta, ---, SAfrica"
1922
Aug 5 Jim Rideout London, England L 3
1937
Oct 16 -It was known that Craig was still alive
*** The Following Bouts Are Reported But Not Confirmed ***
1893
May 27 Fred Morris Philadelphia, Pa ND 4
Joe Butler LK 1
1894
Feb 14 Dan Creedon New York, NY L 4
Feb Johnny Gorman New York, NY W 2
Mar 10 Fred Morris New York, NY W 4
1896
Starlight (Edward Rollins) London, England L 20
-Middleweight Championship of Europe
1909
George Proctor D 6
Dan Kelly D 6
Pat Kennedy L 3
Nov 8 Fred Drummond Sheffield, England LK 8
1908-1910
Jem Roche Dublin, Ireland LK 1
Record courtesy of Tracy Callis and Kevin Smith, Historians,
International Boxing Research Organization[Return to Top]
