In the mid-'70, the International Press Club in Pico-Rivera promoted amateur boxing cards with Tony Mora doing the matchmaking. If memory serves, the fights were on Tuesday nights.
Every Tuesday night, coaches would take their fighters to the IPC, hoping to get a fight. The promoters had what some would call house fighters; one was local boy Herman Montes. Herman had racked up some good wins over some decent opposition. The '70s was a time in Southern California when the amateur ranks were loaded with outstanding talent, especially in the lighter-weight divisions. Herman had fought and beaten his share of those talented fighters. So circa 1975, I took Frankie and Tony to the Press Club, hoping to get them some action. As soon as we walked in, Tony Mora hurried to me and told me the Montes wanted Frankie for Herman; I agreed on the spot. I had studied Herman, and I knew that his Sunday punch was his right hand: he could knock off a brick wall with that right of his, but at that time, his left was not as strong, so I told Frankie, being that he was a southpaw, to move to his right, to take a half-step and to jab, and to fire a combo after the jab every time he took a half-step, and that would keep him away from Herman's right. I figured he could do that for three rounds to win the fight.
Frankie boxed beautifully for the first two rounds to win the rounds. He kept Herman turning to his left, looking to land his potent right hand, but by the time Herman set himself to throw his right, Frankie had already taken another half-step to his right, thereby throwing Herman off his stride. In between the second and third rounds, I told Frankie to keep boxing the way he had boxed the first two rounds, and he would win the fight. Bell rang for the third and final round. Frankie was boxing beautifully, then about mid-round, he stopped right in front of Herman, and "POW" Herman landed a big right hand; Frankie froze, and for a second, he looked like he was out on his feet; he probably was. But then he shook his head and went right back to out-boxing Herman for a clear unanimous decision victory.
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