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April 23, 2009

TC boxer wins state Golden Gloves

Franks, 23, converted from MMA to boxing

BY MIKE ECKERT

TRAVERSE CITY -- Reality still hasn't set in for Chris Franks.

When it does, the 23-year-old from Traverse City will realize he's a state champion boxer.

Franks put together a 5-0 record at the Michigan Golden Gloves tournament to secure the 165-pound novice state title.

"The impressive thing about Chris is the first amateur bout he had was this tournament," said his trainer Bill Bustance, who operates Trigger Boxing. "He came in over a year ago. I worked with him a bit and said, 'You're a pretty good boxer. You ought to try the Golden Gloves.'"

While Franks had never competed in a boxing match prior to the Golden Gloves, it wasn't his first time in a fight. Franks has been doing mixed martial arts for some time and started boxing with Bustance only to improve his cage skills.

"I started doing it for MMA to just make sure may hands would be good enough to go pro in the cage," Franks said. "I started sparring with his boxers and decided to give it a shot. His guys are all contenders, so I figured I could contend myself."

Success in the ring started right away for Franks, who beat James Gasco in his first bout. The referee stopped the fight in the second round after two eight counts.

Making the move from the cage to inside the ropes took some adapting for Franks.

"It was different," he said. "It was an adjustment to fighting in the cage. I didn't have trouble so much with nerves, it was adjusting to the head gear and having my hands completely closed off. And, to not throw kicks."

Franks continued to advance in the tournament after a 5-0 decision over Benton Harbor's Bryant Picon in the Western Michigan finals. He then faced Jackson's Jake Morse in Grand Rapids for the championship bout and secured another 5-0 decision to win the state title.

"By the time I made the Western Michigan championship, I pretty much expected to win it all," Franks said. "Bill said he was bringing the goods down there and I had confidence in him. He trained me pretty good."

The championship qualified Franks to compete in the Ringside National Championship in Kansas later this summer.

"I'm going to take May off, get back together with my family and celebrate this win," Franks said. "But I'll have a couple of cage fights and probably a few (boxing) bouts to get sharp for the tournament."

That's right. Franks is still MMA fighting and training for both sports.

"There are different things I like about both," Franks said. "But I'd pick MMA because that's where I originally started. If it wasn't for MMA, I wouldn't be boxing."

"There's a lot of different variables. In boxing, the talent is a lot more refined. People have been doing it for years. But in MMA, there are so many different dimensions."

Bustance and Franks both agreed that his boxing skills have made him a better MMA fighter.

"It's helped me tremendously," Franks said. "Where the fighting starts in the cage is on your feet."

But does being an MMA help him be a better boxer? Bustance said not so much.

"(MMA) is really sloppy and not as sophisticated," Bustance said. "Boxing is the best fighting there is, those (MMA) guys can't fight. People say Chuck Liddell could fight (Mike) Tyson. No he can't. It wouldn't even be close."

For now, Franks will continue to train and fight both sports, and will keep his options open for what the future holds.

"I guess I'll keep taking my coaches advice," Franks said. "They have not done me wrong so far."

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TC boxer wins state Golden Gloves
by BY MIKE ECKERT , , Thu Apr 23, 2009, 06:55 AM EDT

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