Frankie Best

As an amateur fighter Frankie Best came out of Fredonia to win the National Diamond Belt Championship. He also won the Buffalo Golden Gloves Title in 1941 by defeating Oscar Boyd of Lackawanna in the 160lb. open class. Soon after Best left the amateur ranks to turn pro in October of 1942.

He put together a very nice record, 21-5-1 during a seven-year pro career. He fought between 1942 and 1949 with two years off for service in the Second World War. He fought in Cleveland, Chicago, eight times in Buffalo and most of the cities in the western part of New York State. He also fought in some unusual places; Kalurah Temple in Binghamton, Hyde Park Stadium in Niagara Falls, the Eagles Auditorium in Buffalo and MacArthur Stadium in Syracuse. In February of 1942 he fought a draw with Henry Brimm and decisioned Oscar Boyd. In early 1948 he lost a ten-round decision to Sam Baroudi.

We pay tribute to Frankie Best for a distinguished boxing career. Even more so we gather here tonight to honor a hero of World War II. Best received the Distinguished Service Cross, Silver Star and a Purple Heart with three clusters for wounds to both legs, left shoulder and his head.

Following the war Frankie Best entered Cornell University under the GI Bill. In addition to pursuing a degree and continuing his boxing career, he also helped coach the boxing squad at Cornell.

Tonight Ring 44 is proud to induct Frankie Best into the Buffalo Boxing Hall of Fame.