Arrington "Bubble" Klice - Golden Glove Boxer & Coach 1908 -2006

Born in Newport, Arkansas, on October 14, 1908, William Arrington Klice got the nickname Bubbles when his sister struggled to pronounce the word brother. He then had his name legally changed to Arrington Bubble Klice in 1945. 

Arrington "Bubble" Klice was a man described as small in stature but tall in spirit. He stood 5' 2" and coached at the Gateway Boxing Club for over 40 years from 1936 to 1978. He was inducted into the Golden Gloves Association of America Hall of fame in 1982.

Klice was a high school dropout. Though he attended Lincoln High School, he left before graduating so he could make money as a small-time gambler. At one of his gigs, he connected with another gambler known as Snake Hips Taylor who he followed to California and ultimately found himself stranded and homeless after Taylor ditched him. Luck would have it that after that incident, Klice met boxing champion Jack Thompson and was offered the chance to work for him.

This was Klice's entry into the boxing world. Standing 5’2”, Klice took his first step into the boxing ring at the age of 18 and kept going from there. He had more than 60 fights on the west coast, according to his 1985 interview, and while working as a sparring partner for boxers he met legendary boxer Jack Johnson who he traveled with as a preliminary boxer. Klice later tried amateur boxing in Kansas City before he was drafted for World War II in 1943. After serving for two years, he left the military in 1945 to become a full-time boxing coach. During his career, he trained a young man who died of a brain hemorrhage while Klice was in his corner during a fight in Milwaukee. In the aftermath of that loss, Klice handed in his resignation and returned to amateur boxing for the remainder of his career. However, he continued to impact others for the rest of his life.

For the next four decades, Klice served his community as a coach and mentor through the Golden Gloves program at the Gateway Boxing Club. He also established the Coaches Council for Job Action and Recreation to give youth alternative ways to stay out of trouble.

Arrington “Bubble” Klice died on November 18, 2006, of Alzheimer's at the age of 98. His legacy is still alive throughout Kansas City. The Gregg/Klice Community Center was named in his honor in 1997 and the Enshriners, a group of businessmen who have come together to sponsor events around Kansa City, also dedicated a park bench for Klice near the Freedom Fountain in the Country Club plaza. 

ARRINGTON KLICE OBITUARY, legacy.com. November 23rd, 2006. Accessed November 27th, 2022. https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/kansascity/name/arrington-klice-obituary?id=4321155.

Twyman, Gib. "Hall of Fame coach finds boxing game has lasting appeal." The Kansas City Star (Kansas City) January 20th, 1985.

Rock, Steve. "Bubble Klice: Small stature, tall spirit." The Kansas City Star (Kansas City) November 23rd, 2006.

Allen, Tracy. "Gateway Boxing Legend Remains a 'Knock-Out'." The Call (Kansas City) May 16th, 2008.

Sport: The Kill, Time.com. May 3rd, 1948. Accessed November 27th, 2022. https://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,798537,00.html.