THE KING OF L.A.
kindergarten,” Duarte told CBS Sports in 1987. “When I was 13 years old, I got into drugs. We had nothing better to do than hang out in alleyways and sniff glue. We advanced to downers, like reds – eventually, by the time we were 22 years old, doing heroin. So sad that I wasted so much time.” To keep Frankie out of trouble, Duarte’s father encouraged his 15-year- old son to begin amateur boxing at the Teamsters Gym in downtown Los Angeles, trained by veteran coach Louie Jauregui. Duarte acknowledged Jauregui in Boxing Illustrated, saying, “He’s never gotten the credit he deserved, and I’d like to be able to give him credit. He was one hell of a teacher.” When Jauregui began devoting full-time training duties to upcoming welterweight prospect Armando “The
F rankie Duarte, a two-time world title challenger heralded as one of his generation’s most exciting Southern California fighters, passed away on Memorial Day, May 25, 2026, at age 71. He succumbed to a malignant brain tumor at his home in the Mar Vista area of Los Angeles while peacefully surrounded by family. Duarte was commonly known as “The Uncrowned Champion” by boxing writers and fans alike because of a highly disputed 15-round unanimous decision loss to WBA bantamweight titleholder Bernardo Pinango at The Forum in 1987. Many of Duarte’s biggest battles were waged against himself. He overcame a troubled youth to become one of the toughest and most relentless warriors of his era. But his fearless spirit inside the ropes was in strong contrast to his gentle soul and humble demeanor outside the ring. A class act, Frankie was always fan-friendly, never refusing an autograph, picture or interview when requested. A 10-year-old Duarte watched “Boxing from the Olympic” on KTLA Channel 5 every Thursday night with his father, Steve, and was inspired by such boxers as Raul Rojas, Joey Orbillo and Amos “Big Train” Lincoln. Growing up near a tough barrio caused Frankie to drop out of Venice High School in 10th grade, leading to gang-related delinquency and multiple run-ins with local law enforcement. “I wanted to be a boxer all my life, all the way back to
FRANKIE DUARTE NEVER BECAME A WORLD CHAMPION, BUT THE ALL-ACTION WARRIOR WON THE HEARTS OF TINSELTOWN WITH CINEMATIC FLAIR By Gene Aguilera
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