Frankie Otero - Discussion

GPater11093 · Mar 6, 2010

Never heard of this guy before until I read this article

FRANKIE OTERO THE LAST OF THE GREAT CUBAN FIGTHERS

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In boxing, which is a business based on bull**** excuses, Frankie Otero has carved a reputation as an honest man. Frankie always told the truth, which is one of the endearing qualities that made him a local hero in Miami during the late sixties and early seventies. There was an interview after the first bout against Ken Buchanan, which Frankie lost on points, when a reporter thrust a microphone in front of the Cuban lightweight.
"Do you think you were robbed?" the reporter asked.
"No, He beat me fair and square. Hes a terrific fighter."
"How about the knockdown?" the reporter insisted, "It looked like a slip to me..."
"Oh, no," Frankie interjected, "it was a clean shot. He hurt me. It took some effort to get up."
The Otero honesty, combined with a mop of curly dark hair, a pleasant smile and an elegant, flashy style, made the Cuban exile a popular drawing card in Miami Beach arenas.
The record books will tell you Otero had sixty pro fights. His 49-5-2 record includes 31 knockout victories and 4 defeats by the quick route. He was ranked number one in the world as a junior lightweight, fought on network television, and for a time was North American junior lightweight champion8 Otero scored wins over Love Allotey, Kenny Weldon, Bill Whittenberg. Felix Figueroa and Jimmy Trosclair. He lost to Ken Buchanan, Alfredo Escalera, Vilomar Fernandez, and Jose Petersen.
In his sixth pro fight he faced Willie Sands in Key West. There was no Florida boxing commission at the time and the local appointed officials were inept. In the dressing room, a cornerman started wrapping Frankies hands with a roll of electrical tape.
"What are you doing?" Frankie asked.
"No inspector here to supervise this," the cornerman answered, "so with this, you will hit like you have bricks in your hands."
"Wow," Frankie answered with his usual wit, "You better run to Sand's dressing room. I wonder what they are taping him with..."
Otero was one of Chris Dundee's most popular fighters, packing small arenas in South Florida. When he broke into the ratings, back in the days when the world had less than a dozen champions, Chris Dundee rushed into the gym to tell his protege the good news.
"So," Frankie answered, "Does that mean I have to fight really tough guys from now on?"
Hank Kaplan, the world's top boxing historian, saw almost every one of Otero's fights, from prelims to the top crust.
"Frankie was a tiger," Hank recalls, "when they knocked him down he got up and fought back hard. He had a lot of talent, boxed well, was quick, avoided punches, could fight inside and he had heart. Frankie fought some real tough guys, like Buchanan, Escalera, Jose Luis Lopez, Kenny Weldon and Victor Ortiz. The fans loved Frankie."
In his first year fighting main events, Otero twice beat a tough New Orleans lightweight named Jimmy Trosclair.
"The first time I saw Trosclair, I was impressed," Otero remembers, "The guy had a rosary tattooed around his neck. He looked tough. I remember thinking -what the hell are you doing in this ring, Frankie? You are a middle class college kid from a good family and you are going to fight this guy with a rosary tattooed on his neck? You should be playing golf. I beat Trosclair twice, outboxing him both times."
"Bill Whittenberg was another tough guy. He knocked me down but I got up and won the fight. Sometimes I fought better after I was tagged. It woke me up."
"Buchanan was very strong. I was a junior lightweight and he was a lightweight with lots of upper body strength. The first fight was close. I made him miss a lot and tagged him some nice shots, but he won it on the second half. In the rematch he stopped me in six. I just didn't have it that night."
Dr. Ferdie Pacheco who was on Frankie's corner from beginning to end, remembers an incident from the first Buchanan fight.
"Going into the last round," the fight doctor stated, "I emptied the ice bag inside Frankie's cup, to cool him down. He went rigid, his eyes opened in surprise and he said- Now, Doc, was that absolutely necessary?"
"I had a great team," Frankie remembers, "Richie Riesgo was my trainer, and Pacheco and Luis Sarria worked my corners. Chris Dundee was my promoter. I trained at the Fifth Street Gym and I sparred with champions like Luis Rodriguez."
One afternoon a young fighter from Panama named Roberto Duran showed up at the Fifth Street Gym. Chris Dundee attempted to match Duran and Otero in a main event.
"Chris and I were watching Duran spar with Vinnie Curto who was a top middleweight with an iron chin. Chris was telling me -I'll make this match. You can take this Duran guy- Just as Chris finishes saying this, Duran drops Curto. Now understand this, no one dropped Curto, not even top ten middleweights. He had a chin like reinforced concrete. And Duran, who was a lean, little lightweight put him down with one shot, with sparring gloves. I looked at Chris and he shrugged.-You fight him, Chris.-I said. Roberto and I became friends, but we never fought."
After retiring from boxing, Otero became a real estate broker in Hialeah. He owns a three bedroom townhouse and investment properties. Nancy, his lovely wife, works at Miami International Airport.
The boxing bug remained in Frankie's blood. Besides his real estate, Otero became a matchmaker, trainer and booking agent. He even returned to the ring, winning a couple of prelims before realizing that age had dimmed his reflexes.
Otero's boxing trips as a matchmaker and cornerman have provided trips abroad. Frankie has been in Brazil, the Bahamas and Europe. He has even bumped into fans who remember his glory days.
"I was in London, at the Thomas A'Beckett pub and gym and the promoter tells me -Hey, we have a celebrity here today, a movie star-... and suddenly this guy enters the room, looks at me and says -Hey, it's Frankie Otero, how are you doing?... I look and I don't know who the hell he is, but he's happy to see me... -Frankie-he says -it's me, Phil, from the Fifth Street Gym. Don't you remember me?.. I look at him and I remember this young amateur that was one of my biggest fans, used to follow me around the gym...I say hello to Phil, and I'm wondering what he's doing in London, and the promoter turns to me and says -I didn't know you are a friend of Mickey Rourke.... I just stood there, nodding my head. So Phil became a movie star. Go figure."
Otero's only regret is not having fought for a world title, although he was ranked number one in his division for a year.
"Negotiations fell through," he says, shaking his head, "Back then there was only one champion. Today with all the alphabet soup groups, I would have been a champion. Still, there's something to be said. I did very well at a time when there were some good fighters punching around."
Amen.
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Just interested me in him abit.

Anyone know anything about Otero?

AREA 53 · Mar 6, 2010

Frankie Otero was a really exciting fighter one moment then after the Buchanan fights seemed to melt away, Frankie was a real honest guy so unlike a lot of fighters would not delude himself if he did not have it anymore, Frankie caught Buchanan in a transitionary period, in the first fight he fought the slik speedster and fought really well, its an excellant fight, albeit with Buchanan in control most of the way, But frankie launched quite a few exciting rallies and never stopped trying, in the return Ken Buchanan planted himself more, stood his ground and let frankie come onto his punches, Buchanan'a counter-punching dismissal of frankie in the 6th round showed pure class, no disgrace to Frankie, who seemed to me always better suited to Jr Lightweight where he was a handful for anyone, Frankie was a credit to the sport.

Dream Fight Frankie Otero Vs Bobby Chacon ( at Jr Light !)

lora · Mar 6, 2010

Yeah,the first fight with Buchanan is a very entertaining bout.One of the better displays of Buchanan's underrated infighting as well, from what i remember.

He gives a speech about wanting the rematch with Duran after it.

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Frankie Otero - Discussion

GPater11093 Barry Full Member

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Frankie Otero - Discussion

GPater11093 Barry Full Member

AREA 53 Boxing Addict Full Member

lora Fighting Zapata Full Member