not sure if this belongs here or in the classic... anyhoo.. any of you know much about frankham...or the story behind this article... http://www.grtleeds.co.uk/Culture/boxing.html
Ali performed a few light-hearted sparring exhibitions at the Royal Albert Hall in London in 1972 and faked the knockdown, much to the sell-out crowd's amusement. Frankham was only a light-heavyweight and a notorious non-puncher (although a serously skilled boxer). Harry Mullan did a brilliant feature on Frankham and mentions the picture in Johnny's bungalow. Said Mullan: "The living room is dominated by a blown-up picture of Johnny standing over Muhammad Ali, who's aping a knockdown during their exhibition at the Albert Hall." Frankham, by the way, couldn't settle in his bungalow and wound up living in a caravan behind it.
When I read the title of this thread I was thinking of a fighter from the 1980s who got banned for beating up the referee ! But I think that might have been Bobby Frankham, who may be his son ?
Remember a mate of my dads,Phil Mathews, once telling me something about being robbed in a ****in war with Frankham.Probablly just after he told me he should of beat Bunny sterling and just before he claimed he would've hit to hard for Hagler.:nut. Usually do a body swirve if I spot Phil about town,but might ask him about the Frankham fight next time i see him. Punchy old timers eh:nut ya gotta love em
Believe me, Phil Matthews was a serious puncher. Frankham said that Matthews would have killed him with his right hands if he had not been in shape. Just mention American Tom "The Bomb" Bethea to Phil and he'll be happy.
Yeh,me dad said he could lay em out for fun:bbb Did'nt he spark Bethea out cold? Been told he had the punch to go all the way,just liked to party a bit to much. He's a funny bloke though,completly radio
Aye, he dropped his own bombs on the dangerous Bethea in three pulverizing rounds. Bethea had stopped reigning world middleweight champion Nino Benvenuti (non-title) and gone the full 10 rounds with Monzon.
