Frank Liles (born February 14, 1965 in Syracuse, NY) is an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 former boxer

Boxing

Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...

 who held the WBA

World Boxing Association

The World Boxing Association is a boxing organization that sanctions official matches, and awards the WBA world championship title at the professional level. It was previously known as the National Boxing Association before changing its name in 1962...

 super middleweight

Super middleweight

Super Middleweight is a boxing and Muay Thai weight division that has a weight limit of 168 pounds .- 1960s–1983 :There was interest in a division between Middleweight and Light Heavyweight in the late 1960s, the mid-1970s, and the early 1980s...

 title.

Amateur career

Liles won a bronze medal at the 1987 Pan American Games

Boxing at the 1987 Pan American Games

The Men's Boxing Tournament at the 1987 Pan American Games was held in the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis, United States from August 8 to August 23.- Medal winners :-Medal table:-External links:*...

. Liles had a stellar amateur career, compiling an Amateur Record of 285-14.

Amateur Highlights

• 1985 3rd place National Golden Gloves as a Welterweight
• 1986 National Golden Gloves Champion as a Welterweight
• 1987 Runner-up United States Amateur Championships as a Welterweight
• 1987 3rd place at Pan-American Games as a Light Middleweight
• 1987 United States Amateur Champion at Light Middleweight
• 1988 Runner-up for Olympic team berth at Light Middleweight, was decisioned twice by Roy Jones, Jr. after defeating Jones twice in 1987 including a 3-0 decision in which Jones received 2 standing eight counts.

Pro career

Known as "Fabulous", Liles had a very successful pro career that began in 1988. Liles lost to Tim Littles on points in 1992. In 1994 he beat Steve Little

Steve Little

Steve Little was an American boxer at super middleweight. He fought out of Reading, Pennsylvania.- Amateur career :...

 to capture the WBA super middleweight title. He successfully defended the title seven times over a five year span, including wins over Michael Nunn

Michael Nunn

Michael Nunn is a former American boxer. Nicknamed "Second to Nunn," he was a 6' 2" southpaw with great speed. Nunn was the IBF middleweight champion and the WBA super middleweight champion...

, Segundo Mercado

Segundo Mercado

Laurensio Segundo Mercado is a retired male boxer from Ecuador.Mercado represented Ecuador at the 1988 Summer Olympics, losing on points in the boxing competition to Martin Kitel of Sweden...

, and a rematch win over Tim Littles

Tim Littles

Tim Littles was an American boxer in the super middleweight division.-Professional career:Littles turned pro in 1989 and became a super middleweight contender during the early to mid 90's. His name will forever be linked with his arch-nemesis Frankie Liles who was the WBA super middleweight...

. He tried many times to get a fight with his amateur nemesis Roy Jones Jr. unsuccessfully. He lost his title to Byron Mitchell

Byron Mitchell

Byron Tarone Mitchell was an American boxer of height in the super middleweight division.-Amateur career:Mitchell was the 1996 National Golden Gloves Middleweight champion.-Pro career:...

 in 1999 and retired in 2002.

Career as a trainer

Liles worked as a trainer for the Japanese kickboxing organization called K-1

K-1

K-1 is a defunct world-wide kickboxing promotion based in Tokyo, Japan founded by Kazuyoshi Ishii, a formerKyokushin karate practitioner. K-1 combines stand up techniques from Muay Thai, Karate, Taekwondo, Savate, San Shou, kickboxing, western-style boxing, and other martial arts...

 from 2003-2009. He spent a great deal of time training athletes oversees, mostly in Japan. Liles was the head trainer for several K-1

K-1

K-1 is a defunct world-wide kickboxing promotion based in Tokyo, Japan founded by Kazuyoshi Ishii, a formerKyokushin karate practitioner. K-1 combines stand up techniques from Muay Thai, Karate, Taekwondo, Savate, San Shou, kickboxing, western-style boxing, and other martial arts...

 fighters including Musashi

Musashi

Musashi may refer to:* Japanese corvette Musashi * Japanese battleship Musashi* Musashi , a 1935 novel by Eiji Yoshikawa* Musashi's, a Japanese feline musical group* Brave Fencer Musashi, a 1998 Playstation video game...

, Remy Bonjasky

Remy Bonjasky

Remy "The Flying Gentleman" Bonjasky is a Dutch super heavyweight kickboxer of Surinamese descent. He is a three-time K-1 World Grand Prix champion, who has won the title in 2003, 2004, and 2008...

, & Bob Sapp

Bob Sapp

Robert Malcolm "Bob" Sapp is an American kickboxer, mixed martial artist, professional wrestler, actor, comedian and former professional American football player. Sapp currently has a combined fight record of 21–21–0, mostly fighting in Japan...

. Liles has also worked with many American boxers including the likes of Manny Pacquiao

Manny Pacquiao

Emmanuel "Manny" Dapidran Pacquiao, PLH is a Filipino professional boxer and politician. He is the first eight-division world champion; having won six world titles, as well as the first to win the lineal championship in four different weight classes. He was named "Fighter of the Decade" for the...

, whose trainer Freddie Roach was Frankie's trainer for much of his career.

External links