Not surprisingly, Frank took wine with his meals for much of his life, including the period he reigned as a world feather and lightweight champion.

According to one source, in the early 1890s he worked setting pins in a bowling alley at the Buffalo Athletic Club where he began his training.

[4] Erne most prized his skills as a great strategist and "scientific boxer" rather than a strong puncher, and although his BoxRec record impressively shows 14 of 30 of his better publicized fights ending by knockout, few appear to be in early rounds.

[6] Erne began to fight professionally by October 27, 1892, when he defeated John Roy at the Buffalo Athletic Club in New York in a fourth-round knockout, showing that he was not a boxer who lacked punching ability when the opportunity arose.

The fight was billed as the Featherweight Championship of Western New York and paid the winner the princely sum of $250 according to the Buffalo Courier.

[1] Erne first met World Featherweight Champion George Dixon in a ten-round draw on December 5, 1895, at the Manhattan Athletic Club in New York City.

According to the New York Sun, Griffo, to the frustration of the crowd, dominated the brief four-round draw from the start and neither boxer put much effort into the fight.

[3] In one of the most important bouts of his career, he took the world lightweight title from Kid Lavigne on July 3, 1899, in a twenty-round points decision before an enthusiastic home crowd in Buffalo.

[9] In a successful lightweight title defense, Erne met Curley Supples on March 17, 1902, in Ontario, winning by a sixth-round knockout.

Showing amazing resiliency and determination for a non-title fight, he won a six-round victory on points, after breaking two ribs in the fourth round from a well placed right by Gardner.

Possibly affecting his ability to move with fluid speed in the ring, his bruised abdomen may have contributed to his losing his title to Gans only two months later.

Frank Erne--most clever of all fighting men--knocked out in a single punch by a man he had whipped before..." They went on to note that "Many of the spectators didn't even see the blow struck."

In a rare display of competitiveness, Erne had fought as a contender in three separate weight divisions, winning the world title twice.

"[1][13] Despite his proclamation, Erne would continue to train intermittently, and did not retire from the ring until accepting a bout with Curley Watson in Paris for what was billed as the "Welterweight Championship of France."