Frank J. Mucha – (1997)

Sports was a whole different ball game (sic) back in the 1930’s, 1940’s and 1950’s when the name Frankie Mucha appeared in The Lorain Journal more often—at least in that era—than, say, Jim Mahony’s whose writing career began then and is still around today some 60 years later.

In those “good old days,” outdoor boxing shows at City Field featuring legendary battles between local amateurs such as Mucha and Jimmy Alu were top attractions. And when they weren’t battling outdoors, they’d go at each other in the memorable Moose Hall on Broadway.

Amateur boxing back then was described by all-time Journal sports scribe Mahony as “simon pure,” and lightweight champion Mucha was always prominent as a classic example on the local sports page. Mucha, who also boxed as a welterweight, was a multi-Golden Gloves boxing champion in the amateur ranks. It wasn’t until March 27, 1940, that he made an inauspicious debut in the professional ranks.

On that fateful day, veteran trainer Wally Knitter (a Lorain policeman and 1976 Lorain Sports Hall of Fame enshrinee) was in district GG champion Mucha’s corner in Cleveland’s Public Hall for his debut against Georgie Toy, the 1939 national AAU lightweight champ who also was making his pro debut.

The bout was a scheduled six-round preliminary on a boxing card concocted by matchmaker Dan Taylor, boxing writer for the old Cleveland Press and a Lorain native and Lorain High grad himself who became a LSHOF enshrinee in 1977.

As things turned out, it was a fight Frankie would probably prefer not to reminisce about. The fight lasted 2:53 minutes. Toy, a Clevelander of Chinese extraction and winner of almost 100 amateur fights, rocked Mucha with stinging rights, knocking Frankie to the canvas three times before ending it with a vicious right cross in the first inning. For his brief night’s work, Mucha’s first pro paycheck was $100.

For Mucha, now 78, the rude awakening to the pro ranks made him aware of what the pro boxing game was all about, and for the remainder of his ring career he was more than ready. Mucha went on to win 18 out of his next 19 pro fights before hanging up his gloves with a 18-2 record, with nine wins by KO.

Before turning pro, Mucha kayoed his very first opponent as a 13-year-old after which he enjoyed a brilliant five-year amateur career (1936-40), especially as a Golden Glover. He was Novice Lightweight Champion in 1938, Open Lightweight Champion in 1939 and, on Jan. 9, 1940, at Moose Hall, he won his third GG crown in the 135-pound open division by knocking out Amherst lightweight Nick Radosevich in the second round. It was described in The Journal as an “even fight that ended with startling suddenness” when Mucha landed a “terrific right to Radosevich’s solar plexus.”

While Mucha considers Toy his toughest pro opponent, he makes no bones about his most difficult amateur rival. That was his neighborhood buddy, Jimmy Alu. The two pals fought twice, with Alu winning both fights, although Frankie isn’t the least bit bashful about claiming he “wuz robbed” in their first battle. While in the U.S. Army during World War II, Mucha continued boxing. One of his biggest fights, although a loss, was against Joseph Dundee who, at the time, was ranked among the top pro lightweights in the country.

Boxing, meanwhile, wasn’t Mucha’s only claim to fame in the world of sports. After calling it quits as a fighter, he continued on to exercise his athletic greatness in baseball and softball as a pitcher and potent hitter. He played softball in the American Ship Building League and with several of the city’s best Class A baseball teams, such as the Moose, Pulaski, Lorain Glass and Chicks teams through the 1940’s, and with the Die and Tool team in the Local 1104 Softball League, including serving as co-manager.

Frankie then moved to the bowling lanes, and at one time was even into bicycling. While bicycling wasn’t exactly high on his list of sports activities, Frankie and his pal, Tom Glass, once pedalled 220 miles over hills and dales for three days to Brownsville, Pa., before calling it quits. Along the way, Mucha inquired in every town about lining up a fight as a 147-pounder. Nothing turned up, so they pedalled back home.

Countless 600 series were listed after Mucha’s name in The Journal’s bowling section. Those came in the era when the lanes were totally wood and conditions were considerably more difficult than today, many “old time” keglers will argue. Mucha continued to bowl into his later years, and “not long ago” logged a 639 series. His bowling accomplishments included winning senior men’s league championships in 1981, 1982, 1983 and 1985 and a singles crown in 1986.

Frank and his late wife, Marianna, had three boys: Richard Mucha and Dave and Michael Minnich.