Scott Frank

Scott Frank (born 1958) is an American former professional boxer in the Heavyweight division. He is most famous for his 1983 attempt at becoming world Heavyweight champion. Frank, who claimed he had no plans for a long boxing career, was undefeated in 21 bouts when he personally called World Boxing Council world heavyweight champion Larry Holmes to ask for a championship fight.

Frank is from Oakland, New Jersey,

Amateur career Frank first organized bouts in his neighborhood with other kids at his house when his parents were not present; he would charge patrons 50 cents each to watch and, with an average of 100 attendees coming to his house to watch the bouts, the two fighters, of which Frank was one of them, would earn $50; Frank would get $35. He was able to earn $140 before his parents found out about the fights.

Professional career He debuted as a professional on 2 May 1978, defeating 32-fight veteran Joe Maye over six rounds, dropping him in round five, at Totowa, New Jersey.

Frank won three more fights before facing Chuck Wepner, who had famously faced Muhammad Ali for the world heavyweight title before and who was allegedly the inspiration for the Rocky Balboa character. On 26 September 1978, Frank won the New Jersey state heavyweight title by beating Wepner, who had won 36, lost 13 and drawn (tied) 2 of his 51 previous fights, beating Wepner by a twelve-rounds unanimous decision at Totowa. On 13 March 1979, Frank retained that title by beating Guy Casale, who had won 10, lost 1 and drawn 3 of his 14 contests, by a ninth-round technical knockout at Totowa.

On 8 January 1980, Frank faced Ron Stander in another Totowa program; this one headlined by a fight featuring Frank's gym-mate Rocky Lockridge. Stander had faced Joe Frazier for the world heavyweight title in 1972, losing to the champion by a fifth-round technical knockout. Frank beat Stander so severely, that the fight was stopped after round one by medical advice, giving Frank a first-round technical-knockout win.

Frank's next major fight came against the 22 wins, 1 loss Renaldo Snipes as the secondary fight of a program whose main event was Aaron Pryor's defense of his World Boxing Association world Junior Welterweight title against Miguel Montilla on 21 March 1982 at the Playboy Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City. Snipes had dropped Larry Holmes before losing to him in a fight for Holmes' WBC world heavyweight title on the previous October. Frank and Snipes fought to a ten-rounds draw (tie).

Now ranked among the top ten in the world among the heavyweights by the WBC, Frank faced the 23 wins, 4 losses Steve Zouski at the Ice World in Totowa, on 26 January 1983. Zouski also faced Mike Tyson and George Foreman, among others, in his career. Against Zouski, Frank won by ten-rounds unanimous decision. The bout between Holmes and Frank came about because Frank, who was ranked in the top ten among heavyweights by the WBC, placed a call to Holmes' house to talk about a fight between the two.

Just two weeks later, Gerrie Coetzee of South Africa achieved what Frank could not do, becoming the first White world heavyweight champion in 23 years by beating Michael Dokes for the WBA heavyweight title.

Rest of career True to his promise, Frank retired after the Holmes title fight. He briefly returned in 1987 for a fight against 2 wins. 20 losses Stan Johnson on 25 May at Alexandria, Virginia, which he won by first-round knockout, and then, in 1997 when, on 1 May, he defeated the 10 wins, 2 losses prospect, Derek Amos, by a fifth-round technical knockout at the Asbury Park, New Jersey convention center.

Professional boxing record

Retirement Frank retired from boxing with 24 professional fights, of which he won 22, lost 1 and drew 1, with 16 wins and the Holmes loss being by knockout.

On 14 November 2002, he was inducted into the New Jersey Boxing Hall of Fame.