Cuban born Frankie Otero, a former NABF Super Featherweight champion, was one of the most popular fighters in South Florida throughout his 10-year boxing career.  The overflow crowds attending his fights, and the support he received from the boxing community in Miami, were a clear testament to his popularity and drawing power.  Excitement and non-stop action were ingredients in all of his matches. 

Little did he know that the exclamation point to his boxing career would be his induction into the newly created Florida Boxing Hall of Fame.   

Arriving as a young child from Cuba with his parents and brother, the family settled in Hialeah, Florida, a city populated predominantly by families of Cuban heritage.  This would prove beneficial in Otero’s boxing career, as Cubans have historically been very passionate about their boxing and would surely gravitate to their countryman’s exciting style of boxing.   

Although he enjoyed the typical sports that other kids do,  Frankie was drawn to the sport of boxing by watching his boxing idol, the great Cuban world champion and future Hall-of-Famer Luis Manuel Rodriguez. 

After training as a teenager amongst the professional fighters at Miami Beach’s renowned Fifth Street Gym owned and operated by Chris and Angelo Dundee, Frankie entered the amateur ranks and won a South Florida Golden Gloves title.  Having tasted success as an amateur, the young fighter set his sights on a professional boxing career. 

The 20-year-old Otero embarked on his pro career in March 1968 with a 1-round knockout victory at the Miami Beach Auditorium, and in the next three years compiled an impressive record of 31-1 with his 21 KO victories earning him the nickname of “Cuban Bomber”.   With an exciting non-stop style of boxing and punching power, he developed a tremendous following in the local boxing community and became a top headliner in promoter Chris Dundee’s boxing shows.  

Now ranked among the world’s top ten fighters in the Junior Lightweight division, the 23-year-old boxer earned a much deserved title opportunity in June 1971 against Texas’ talented Kenny Weldon, holder of the North American Boxing Federation crown.  The slick boxing Cuban delighted the  hometown fans in attendance by winning a unanimous decision over Weldon, and thus became the new “NABF” Junior Lightweight champion.   

“I was young when I won the NABF title”,  said Otero recently,  “and at the time I didn’t realize what I had achieved.  It wasn’t until much later that I realized what the victory meant”. A year later, he lost his title in a close, controversial 12-round split decision to Mexico’s Jose Luis Lopez in a bout Otero was certain he had won. 

A year later, the South Florida boxing community and sports fans in general were excited at the announcement that Otero was scheduled to face former world Lightweight champion Ken Buchanan of Scotland. The fight became a topic of much discussion throughout South Florida boxing circles, and the buildup received extensive media coverage leading to the fight.   

With Buchanan exhibiting a 47-2 record and Otero’s outstanding resume of 42-2-2, fans of the very popular “Cuban Bomber” were sure to fill the Convention Center in support of their hero in anticipation of a great evening of boxing.   

“I was in great shape and had never trained as hard as I did for the Buchanan fight”,  said Otero.  “I knew he was a great champion and it would be a great fight, but I was confident”.    

As Otero headed towards the ring on fight night, he could feel the tension in the arena.  “The place was crazy, it was electric as I walked towards the ring. The fans gave me an ovation when they noticed that I was draped with the Cuban flag around my shoulders. I got a tremendous boost from the cheers”,  he stated. 

In spite of an excellent performance by Otero, which earned several standing ovations during the fight, Buchanan won a unanimous decision in a very hard fought contest.  “Buchanan had a long reach and a tremendous left jab and was very fast.  I knew after the opening round that it would be a very tough fight”, declared Frankie.  “I tried my best but he was too fast”.    

Otero’s spirited and gutsy performance against the great future Hall-of-Famer earned him the nickname of  “Fearless Frankie” by a local journalist.  

After an impressive win over highly ranked  Love Allotey of Ghana, Otero suffered a loss by stoppage against Puerto Rico’s Alfredo  “El Salsero” Escalera.   “He was the hardest puncher I ever faced, he got me good”,   Frankie would admit to this writer about the loss to the Puerto Rican.    

Evidence of Frankie Otero’s extreme popularity and gate appeal was again evident in early 1975 during his two action packed encounters against New York’s  Vilomar Fernandez at the Miami Beach Auditorium.  In front of large, enthusiastic crowds, “The Cuban Bomber” and Fernandez put on a very spirited and fast paced display that merited them many standing ovations. 

Although he lost both hotly contested fights by questionable decisions, the very popular Otero once again established himself as an unquestioned attraction with an unwavering support from his large fan base.  After enjoying several victories during the next few years, he decided to call it quits in 1977 at the age of 29. 

However, the allure of the ring once again enticed Otero, and after a seven-year layoff he returned in 1984 at the age of 35. Following a victory in the Bahamas in 1985,  Frankie would not fight again and retired with a record of 49 wins, only 9 losses and 2 draws,  and included his North American Boxing Federation title winning effort.  His 31 KOs gave further proof to his nickname of “Cuban Bomber”. 

The boxing accomplishments of Frankie Otero during his lengthy 10-year career, his extreme popularity and large fan base, and the unquestioned courage and abilities he displayed in South Florida rings, have earned him induction into the Florida Boxing Hall-of-Fame.  A well deserved honor for Frankie Otero,  “The Cuban Bomber”.    

Enshrinement ceremonies for the 2010 class of inductees will be held in Tampa, Florida this coming June.