Things you didn't know about Tommy Frank
Tokyo 2020 Olympic gold medallist Galal Yafai (4-0, 3KO) will defend his WBC International flyweight title to ‘Super’ Tommy Frank (15-3-1, 3KO) in the main event of Matchroom Boxing's latest NXTGEN card in Birmingham on August 19.
Yafai rose to fame after scooping up gold in the most recent Summer Games, but who exactly is his fifth foe, Frank? Find out all you need to know below:
Tommy Frank was born July 17, 1993 in Sheffield. He lives in Intake, a village around five miles south-east of Sheffield city centre, South Yorkshire.
Tommy is one of the most notable names to come from Intake, the other is Jarvis Cocker from Pulp!
At the age of five, Tommy had an operation to repair a hole in his heart and has since been an ambassador for Yorkshire-based national charity Heart Research UK. The operation took place in St. James's University Hospital in Leeds. Two years ago, Tommy actually met the surgeon who once held his heart in theater.
Despite his earlier frailties, Frank took up boxing at the age of 12 at the Sheffield Boxing Centre in Hillsborough under the tutelage of head trainer Glyn Rhodes MBE. Glyn described Tommy as: “An all-round nice lad and a good role model to all the kids in the gym.”
He compiled an amateur record of 23-22, winning a Yorkshire amateur championship. Louie Lynn and Raza Hamza were two notable defeats.
After leaving school, he studied plumbing at Castle College in Sheffield, following the same trade as his father, then worked as a labourer before turning professional in 2016.
In the middle of working on a house building job in Broomhill, a western suburb of Sheffield, labourer Tommy walked up to his site manager and simply told him he was leaving to become a professional boxer and just walked off the site!
Frank made his pro debut only two months after his last amateur bout in May, on July 30, 2016, scoring a four-round points decision over Sergey Tasimov at the Magna Centre in Rotherham.
He sold 100 tickets for his debut.
The champion has now won five titles so far in his career – two major titles and three regional belts.
He dedicated his Central Area title win in April 2018 to his friend, Scott Westgarth, who tragically died two months prior, in February, after sustaining injuries during a 10-round fight with Dec Spelman.
The flyweight often spars with his teammate Keanen Wainwright.
He is managed and promoted by Dennis Hobson.
He is backed by long-term sponsors, Supreme Auctions; Worksop Timber; G.Siddons; Innovation Alloys; LB Sports Therapy; Bar Kelham; Newgen CBD; Morleys Meats Sheffield.
The Sheffield star often gets involved with free community schemes in his area, offering free sports and activities to local children during the summer.
Tommy is a dog owner, he has a cocker spaniel.
He is engaged to his fiancee, Charley Batham. The couple got engaged in 2019 after six years together.
Roll of Honour
Central Area super-flyweight title
Commonwealth super-flyweight title
WBC International Silver super-flyweight title
IBO Inter-Continental flyweight title
British flyweight title
What Tommy says about Galal Yafai
“I think they’re overlooking me. I have a lot of respect for Galal and Robert McCracken and he’s got a good team around him. So, I don’t think they personally will be overlooking me but I just get the sense that, in general, maybe by Matchroom and others. Of course, that’s all because he’s an Olympic gold medallist and it’s to be expected, in a way – so it doesn’t worry me.
“Despite being a former British and Commonwealth champion, in some ways it’ll be a big upset in boxing [if I win]. A win in his backyard will get me a lot of credit and kudos, I’m going there to spoil the party and really looking forward to the occasion.
“To be honest, this is probably the biggest fight of my career. The highlight, so far, has been winning the British Title but winning this fight with the eyes of the boxing world on me, live on DAZN, could be life-changing financially and mean appearing on bigger shows.
“I honestly wasn’t expecting this opportunity coming off the back of the loss to Jay Harris; it’s fallen into my lap and was too good to turn down. And I’m intending to make the most of it.”
What has Galal Yafai said about Tommy
“I'm excited to be fighting in my home city for the first time as a professional and to be headlining the show makes it even sweeter. I haven't fought in Birmingham in around 10 years so it's going to be special fighting in front of my friends and family for the first time since capturing Olympic Gold and starting my pro career with Matchroom.
“Tommy Frank is in the opposite corner and he'll be fully motivated to get the upset but this is my city and I'll be getting the win with a big performance on home soil. My career is progressing nicely and this is another step on my journey towards fighting for and winning World Titles. See you on August 19 Birmingham.”
'Super' Tommy Frank Fan Page
Article sponsored by HÖRFA