During his life Frankie Duarte has battled opponents both inside and outside of the boxing ring. He beat them all.
At 15, Duarte discovered boxing through television. He’d sit with his dad and watch the Gillette Friday night fights, and local matches from the Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles, CA. He idolized fighters like Mando Ramos, Ruben Navarro, and Frankie Crawford. He’d go in his room and pretend he was a champion–when he got knocked down, he always got up and won. He dreamed of one day fighting at the Olympic.
His parents were worried about him. He liked running with gangs and engaging in nefarious activities. His dad suggested boxing as an alternative. Duarte agreed. They traveled to a gym run by the LA Teamsters Club in downtown Los Angeles.
Once there, Duarte was hooked. Every day for the next three years, he took a bus to the gym.
It didn’t take long for Duarte to get noticed. He overheard a trainer say he was a natural. Durate liked that. He felt good in the ring, as if the squared circle was his second home. He won his fight bout in less than a minute. Other knockouts followed. He captured the Golden Gloves and Diamond Belt amateur titles, but the demons beckoned.
His dream of fighting professionally at the Olympic Auditorium came to fruition in 1973. He fought 11 of his first 16 fights there. He won them all, scoring 14 knockouts. As his name recognition grew, so did the adulation. He loved the ring walk. When the crowd spotted him waiting in the wings, their cheering would build to a crescendo.
Duarte’s first loss was hard to take. He rebounded, but lost again a few months later. He turned to drink and drugs to ease his losses. He battled, but his training habits were poor. His fight with crosstown rival, Albert Davila, was huge. The winner would get a shot at the world title, but Duarte wasn’t training. He took diet pills to help him make the weight. His legs felt weak. The sharp-punching Davila stopped Duarte in Round five.
Duarte was devastated. He hid out. Many of his so-called friends weren’t returning his calls. His new trainer reminded him about his boxing skills. After winning three tune-up fights, he returned to the Olympic to fight Francisco Flores for the California State featherweight title. Duarte prevailed by a majority decision.
His next bout was against future champion Rolando Navarrete. The winner would get a shot at a world title. Though beat-up for 10 rounds, Duarte wouldn’t quit. He disappeared from the ring for two years, his drinking out of control.
By 1984 he was ready to give boxing another try. He’d cleaned up his act, but no trainer would touch him. Then he was introduced to the Goossen family. They believed in Duarte, convinced he still had a lot to offer in the ring.