Frank Klaus = underrated middleweight?

[My2Sense]

I believe so.

He generally gets lost among the muddle of post-Ketchel, pre-Greb middleweight title "claimants", but when I look over his record and read accounts of him, I feel that there's something about him that makes him stand out a bit from the rest of the pack.

For starters, he has multiple wins over Hall of Famers. The most noteworthy is over Georges Carpentier, who he battered into submission to win part of the middleweight title. Although the victory went down as a DQ in the record books, it was in fact a TKO, but was apparently called a DQ to save Carpentier the embarassment of a KO loss on his record (similar to Marco Antonio Barrera's first loss to Jr. Jones). This fight exists on film BTW, and is the only fight of Klaus I know of that is on film (although that isn't such a bad thing, as this fight may well be his peak performance). I've only seen highlights of it, but as soon as I get some cash together I plan on seeking out and buying the whole thing. Klaus bullies Carpentier around the ring like a baby.

Klaus also outslugged Billy Papke to become the unified middleweight champion. Like the Carpentier fight, this fight officially ended in a DQ, but Papke basically fouled out of the fight after taking a beating. Klaus had several fights against Jack Dillon, "The Giant Killer", and beat him in their lone fight that actually went to an official decision. He also has wins over such other notables of his era like Jack "Twin" Sullivan, Frank Mantell (by KO), and Jimmy Gardner, and reportedly also got the better of fighters like "Cyclone" Johnny Thompson, Eddie McGoorty, and Leo Houck in no-decision fights.

Another notable feat came when he fought Stanley Ketchel on even terms in a no-decision, non-title fight shortly before Ketchel died. Reprtedly, Ketchel's best shots did more damage to his own hands than to Klaus. Newspapers generally called the fight a draw.

In describing Klaus' style, I would say he looked and fought like a brick wall. He was renown for his strength, toughness, and infighting prowess in his day, and even wrote a book at one point about the art of in-fighting.

Klaus was a pretty consistent fighter for his time, with only five losses in his career, out of roughly 60 fights that actually went to offical endings. Two of those losses came in the final two fights of his career, and against the same fighter. At one time, he was considered to have cleaned out the division and become the universally recognized champion.

So what became of Klaus? Like a lot of other oft-underrated champions, it seems that he was more successful at climbing the mountain than when he was guarding the top of it. After finally unifying the title, he surprisingly lost it in his very first defense to George Chip. What made this fight so shocking was not so much the fact that Chip won, but that he beat Klaus at his own game, on the inside. It was also the first time in his career that Klaus was ever stopped. They fought a rematch two months later, but it went pretty much the same way as the first fight.

Chip himself did not have a distinguished reign either, being himself upset by journeyman Al McCoy on a shocking first round KO. McCoy would turn out to be one of the worst fighters ever to hold (or should I say, milk) the middleweight title.

Klaus elected to retire after the two Chip fights. How is it that a fighter like Chip ended up foiling such a promising championship run and perhaps a great legacy? Did all the hard work and torrid battles Klaus had on his way to unifying the title wear him out? Was he distracted by the lure of the big time? (that was Klaus' excuse, BTW) Or did Chip simply have his number? Or perhaps, was he simply the better fighter? I don't know the answer myself...


Anyone else here have any thoughts or information on Klaus that they can share?

[granberry]

[granberry]

[donnellon]

In fairness to Carpentier he was only 20 at the time but certainly, from your post Klaus needs to be revisited in an attempt to answer the interesting questions raised.

[granberry]

Carpentier was very tall (for a middleweight) and very skinny as compared to what he was later.

He used a WEIRD boxing stance in the Klaus fight.

The film I have ends before the end of the bout.

It's great to see Klaus there--the only film I know that of exists of him.

Klaus was one of a group of middleweight champions who weighed 160 but were as strong as a 200 pounder.

Others were Ketchel, Papke, Mickey Walker, Harry Greb, Tony Zale, Gene Fullmer.

[slakka]

His Mgr George Engel went to his grave (1953) raving about him like he was the greatest fighter who ever walked the face of the earth, also that he ruined himself partying in Paris and never regained his form.
Vicious body banger.

[klompton]

klaus was a wonderful fighter. one of my favorites. id been lobbying for years for him to get into the hall of fame. it was a crime that carpentier made it in so long ago and klaus hadnt. he was great. i have the complete klaus-carp fight except for the final round which was probably edited out by the french to save embarrassment. klaus pummels carp, especially near the end. it was a typical carp fight, wide stance, looking to spear out a jab and then fire that looping right hand. one dimensional. klaus just took the rights when they landed and smothered carp the rest of the time breaking him down with a mauling inside attack.