Stabroek Sports’ Boxing’s Hall of Fame
If ever there was a family where boxing it seemed, ran through their veins so to speak, that family would have been the Frank family.
Frankly speaking the Franks were all fighters, a virtual dynasty from father right down, four of the brothers participated in the fistic sport.
Father Richard boxed a little bit at the then Dorcas Club (Mildred Mansfield Youth Club) in the days of Brian Mueller and Maxie `Streetfighter’ Sergeant.
Then Steven, Raul, Ronson and Andre Frank, all of whom took to the square jungle and boxed professionally.
Andre Frank fought once professionally against `Deadly’ Denny Dalton, lost, and disappeared from the sport altogether.
Ronson Frank’s career blossomed late in life. He was about 22-23 when he commenced boxing and he reached the finals of the Golden Gloves competition twice but lost on both occasions.
However, it was as a professional that he excelled.
Ronson Frank has a unique record that few professional fighters can boast off. He never lost.
In 17 fights Ronson Frank never tasted defeat. He won all with nine TKOs.
No one knows just why or what made him turn away from the sport but, according to reports, he is a promoter now.
Today’s Hall of Fame inductees, however, are Steven and Raul Frank both of whom fought for World titles after stellar amateur careers.
Steven Frank might be the lesser known of the two but his amateur career was no less outstanding than his brother Raul’s.
According to his father Steven Frank won the Novices, the Intermediate and the National Open championships in the same year for the Dowden’s Boxing Gym.
Stephen Frank was born April 15, 1965 in British Guiana.
The high point of his amateur career was when he represented Guyana at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, USA.
He later went on to a 22-fight professional career, highlighted by his fight against the legendary Bernard Hopkins for the IBF world middleweight title.
Steven Frank, who at one time had the legendary Panama Lewis in his corner, took the fight against Hopkins with only one week’s notice. He also had to lose 16 pounds and he lost that fight, which took place January 27, 1996 at the Veteran’s Memorial Coliseum, Phoenix, Arizona USA, by a TKO in round one.
Steven Frank, like his brother Ronson, never fought at home.
Steven Frank’s last fight was against Billy Durbin in Nassau on September 20, 1997 and he won a unanimous decision.
He retired with a record of 17 wins (five kayoes), four losses and one draw.
Raul Frank was born January 12 1969, in Guyana.
Like Steven, he also had a successful amateur career also winning the Novices, Intermedia and Open divisions in the same year helping Dowden’s to second place at the Inter Club championships.
Unlike his other two brothers, Raul Frank did fight at home.
He won his first professional fight by defeating Wayne Coates by a TKO in round five.
His career was up and running with an 11-fight win streak over boxers like Roy Smith, Gordon Carew, Nedrick Simmons, Marcelle Daniels, Jeff Roberts and Barrington Cambridge, all quality fighters.
For good measure he also threw in a couple of foreigners like Rafael Solis and Eduarto Iriarte.
However, he lost his first fight when he travelled to Cayenne to take on Ludovic Proto of Guadeloupe, losing by TKO in round five on May 3, 1989.
Raul Frank was to have two epic fights against Michael Benjamin losing both by split decisions.
In the first fight on June 28, 1992, Benjamin won by the 10 rounder by a split decision and in the rematch held on Boxing Day 1992, Benjamin again eked out the split decision in their super welterweight bout.
Raul Frank’s first title came after he had taken his talents to the USA. He defeated Purcell Miller for the vacant USBA welterweight title.
That set the stage for his world title fight showdown against the late Vernon Forrest for the vacant IBF welterweight title. The fight on August 26, 2000 ended in a no contest after Frank received a cut in the third round. The bout was stopped by the order of the doctor and the bout declared a no contest. In the rematch at Madison Square Garden, New York, the Guyanese lost by a unanimous decision.
Raul Frank later went on to win the vacant IBF Latino super welterweight title defeating Mohamad Abdallah said Salem by a unanimous decision on May 21, 2004.
A year later he defeated Fernando Hernandez to win the vacant USBA super welterweight title at the Wolstein Centre, Cleveland.
He also fought for the IBF light middleweight title eliminator on October 1, 2005, the bout ending in a draw over 12 round against Rodney Jones.
Frank was named USBA fighter of the year 1997 and was ranked number one in the world from 1999-2001.
He retired in 2009 with a record of 27 wins (13 kayoes) five losses and three draws.
