Frankie Dunn

Grew Up… a long time ago. Frankie, it seems, is at the end of the road. He’s spending his last years looking back on his life, trying to atone for his mistakes. He attends mass so often that even his priest is beginning to feel the weight of his guilt. As his priest puts it, “The only person comes to church that much is the kind who can’t forgive himself for something.

Living… in his office at The Hit Pit, a grimy gym near downtown Los Angeles. Frankie’s glory days as a boxing coach are far behind him, though he’s still on the lookout for the next superstar boxer.

Profession… coaching the inexperienced Maggie Fitzgerald. Frankie says that he doesn’t usually train girls, until he meets the tenacious Maggie. Despite her age, Maggie proves herself to be worth Frankie’s time and effort, even after he questions her decision start boxing relatively late in life: “You wouldn’t start training to be a ballerina at 31, now, would you?”

Interests… coaching boxing and getting in touch with his estranged daughter. Frankie tells Maggie that he and his daughter “aren’t exactly close.” Despite his persistent letter writing, Frankie’s daughter refuses to acknowledge him. She returns his letters unopened.

Challenge… getting Maggie to a title fight. Frankie, unexpectedly, finds that Maggie is not only a great fighter, but she’s proving to be a wonderful friend. The two dark horses seem to make a good team.

Personality… tough, terse, and unsentimental. Frankie is a no-nonsense coach. He’s not there to make friends with his fighters – it’s his job to give them tough love and rile them up.