Frank Crozier
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This was originally posted in our Facebook Group as part of a series called Grappling With Color for Black History Month.
Frank Crozier, the first legit Black Champion of the World in Catch-as-Catch-Can. Many thought that an American would achieve such feat but no, Frank was of Jamaican descent and lived in Scotland.
In the middleweight division he would place third after suffering an injury in earlier rounds during this three month tournament. That particular tourney was hosted by Hengler's Circus in London, also promoted by Apollo "The Well Known Strongman."
During 1909 in London, England, as part of the Alhambra Tournament promoted by the National Sporting Club, Frank made ZERO mistakes as he won the Lonsdale World Middleweight Championship.
A highly acclaimed grappler - I provided a clip below in which Lancashire Catch-as-Catch-Can legend Tommy Heyes is talking about Crozier in such high regard. Also a fun fact: Crozier was also a boxer as he had fought World Champion Jack Johnson in exhibition bouts.
In the middleweight division he would place third after suffering an injury in earlier rounds during this three month tournament. That particular tourney was hosted by Hengler's Circus in London, also promoted by Apollo "The Well Known Strongman."
During 1909 in London, England, as part of the Alhambra Tournament promoted by the National Sporting Club, Frank made ZERO mistakes as he won the Lonsdale World Middleweight Championship.
A highly acclaimed grappler - I provided a clip below in which Lancashire Catch-as-Catch-Can legend Tommy Heyes is talking about Crozier in such high regard. Also a fun fact: Crozier was also a boxer as he had fought World Champion Jack Johnson in exhibition bouts.
Unique content strictly for the Professional Wrestling Historical Society.
Biography of Frank Crozier.
Author: John Hubert Williams (Dantethescrub_ on InstaGram).
Published: October 8, 2019.
Biography: #182.
Editor: Jimmy Wheeler.