Another in a long line of give all warriors who seemed to burn at both ends career wise has heard his final 10 count this day. Truly hits home. He'll be remembered as the overlooked and underrated battler who did what so many thought impossible at the time..handing a ring legend JC Chavez his first official trip to the canvas and first official defeat. Just a beautiful fight. But Randall had long proven to be a tried and true hard fast boxer-puncher with brutal rivalries v the likes of Primo Ramos, Edwin Rosario, Freddie Pendleton among others and went in a 18-1 underdog but clearly had set a boxer-puncher game plan with Chavez. Randall had some real tough luck in and out of the ring, some of the latter his own doing in last years of a dwindling career. He flukishly lost and then regained the title with a trilogy v Juan M Coggi from Argentina in between. He and Chavez had the immediate rematch and to this day I will always believe he was on his way to another more convincing victory before a grand Vegas screw job. He and Chavez battered one another with tremendous body work and it was Randall growing stronger and visibly rocking Chavez before a sudden clash of heads in the 8th round saw Chavez cut and Randall deducted a point..for an 'accidental' headbutt and that was the difference in Chavez reclaiming the belt by tech decision. There would be no needed immediate rematch this time though. Chavez would go another 10 long years before squaring off with Randall who by that time had been in hard battles on and off with substances and riding a severe losing streak at the tail end of career. It all caught up very badly with him in his last years suffering pugilistic dementia and Parkinson’s and residing in a nursing home until his death. Guys like Frankie tend to go by the wayside when fans talk top stars or all time greats etc. We get stuck on "names" and lose stories. But make no mistake he was a helluva fighter through and through. No frills, no ego or phony diva flash just a plain spoken man with a Southern drawl who earned his place and earned respect. Rest easy Champion and thank you for the memories.
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