When you think of a social media star or influencer, you probably imagine someone in their early 20s captivating an audience with fresh content. However, the biggest name in boxing social media right now is a 78-year-old retired journalist and former amateur champion whose no-nonsense approach to breaking down boxing technique has earned him followers and admiration worldwide.

So, how did a pensioner with little knowledge of social media burst onto the scene and become a sensation with boxers and fans alike?

“It all happened by accident, really,” Frank explains. “For the last 15 years, I would train regularly. I like to stay active, and one day my son asked me to throw an uppercut combination. Then he said, ‘Do it again,’ but this time he filmed it. He said he was going to upload that on TikTok, and then it all took off from there.”

Frank’s son didn’t stop there. “He would also post to Instagram, and there was nothing for a while. Then, in one month, we went from zero to one hundred and forty thousand subscribers, and in the space of about six months, we’re now at over four hundred thousand.”

Frank’s journey to becoming a social media star started long before the era of TikTok. Hailing from Lochee in the west of Dundee in Scotland, he practically grew up in the boxing gym. He first attended his local boxing club at just four years old, a club run by his father. From that first moment of stepping through the doorway of the local amateur gym, Frank knew boxing was the sport for him.

“I would go in with my two older brothers; they were much older than me. One was nine years older, and the other was eleven years older, both national youth and senior champions. I used to just go along to the gym at first and just watch and listen and soak up the atmosphere.”

It wasn’t until he was seven that Frank first stepped into the ring, and from then on, his amateur career went from strength to strength, with him boxing both nationally and internationally.

“It was like a free holiday!” Frank recalls. “We would go away for two weeks and box four times in that period. Boxers can’t believe it now. They will ask, ‘How many fights do you think you have had?’ and they can’t believe it when I say two hundred. But that’s how it was. You would be boxing every week, and if you got to the finals of a championship, then you would be boxing three times in just one night.”

This intense pace of competition was the norm. “You would always be matched with someone from another club and have another fight lined up. It was just how it was. You would pile up the bouts, which also piled up the experience.”

Over the years, Frank trained with and observed some of the great names of Scottish boxing, which helped shape his incredible knowledge of technique, footwork, and ringcraft.

“My dad would study the philosophy of the sport and then talk to me about it. He would impart his wisdom on me, which is now kind of what I’m doing in a way for young boxers.”

He continues, “He would talk about common sense. These days, it’s all about attack. You see people trying to kill each other, but nobody seems to be thinking of the skillful aspect of boxing. Nobody is thinking of defense.”

With this foundation and a deep hunger to learn, Frank became a true student of the game, absorbing every opportunity to gain knowledge.

“You would learn so much just by watching. I would be boxing at shows every weekend with some incredible boxers. I would watch Dick McTaggart, who won the gold in the Olympics in 1956 and bronze four years later. He won everything there was to win at the amateur level. You would just pay attention to him, and you would gradually be able to unpick bit by bit the right things and the wrong things of what he was doing.”

After many years in the sport, Frank eventually stepped away from boxing to pursue a career in journalism, working for various organizations like The Press and Journal, The Express, BBC Sports, and Sky Sports. Ironically, it wasn’t until he retired from the media that his boxing career truly took off again, this time in a completely unexpected direction.

Frank believes the key to his success is authenticity, whether on camera or off.

“I think I know how to speak to people, same in the gym. It’s not good enough to just tell someone to do something. You also have to tell them why they are doing it.”

“That’s a big issue with coaching these days. Nobody is explaining the why. Why we’re doing this. What is the outcome of doing it this way compared to the other? That’s what I’m trying to show people when I’m demonstrating technique. If I can explain it and it gets through, then it’s the most enjoyable feeling I can have in boxing.”

In addition to his newfound social media fame, Frank travels around the country giving seminars to young boxers, all eager to learn from the man who expertly breaks down the sport and helps find solutions to problems some have struggled with for years.

“I love going and seeing the many different gyms around the country and speaking to the many young men and women. People think it’s about finding a world champion, but for me, I love getting into the grassroots and encouraging those who just love to put on a pair of gloves and work on their craft.”

Of course, Frank occasionally encounters exceptional talent. “Every now and then you come across a diamond and think, wow! But for the most part, it’s all about making boxing enjoyable and helping those involved in it to keep improving.”

When asked how it feels to experience this career renaissance as an influencer after all these years in the sport, Frank reflects:

“I was a journalist and broadcaster for about 55 years, and last year I thought it was time to step back, thinking that’ll do me. I wasn’t able to really be involved in boxing with family and work taking more of a front seat, and like I said earlier, it all just happened as a happy accident.”

“When I see someone who has been struggling with how to punch, and then I show them a few tricks, and later I ask, ‘Did that make a difference?’ And when they say yes, then that’s what it’s all about, really. I’m just happy to be able to help and make a difference. If that’s with thousands of people or even just one or two, I just love being able to show people a thing or two in boxing.”

To keep up with Frank on social media, he is known as FranksNobleArt on both Instagram and TikTok.