[Rocco Del Sesto]

01/17/67 Tuesday
Houston, TX, USA
Mark Tessman – LHW (6-0-0) vs. Al Franklin – LHW (0-1-0)

Mark Tessman - Rating 6 USA
Light Heavyweight 1966-72

Tessman is already in the game. I've included a file with some bio info added.
32 wins / 4 losses / 0 draws / 9 KO

Hometown: Houston, TX

Except for a fight against Gene Romero in New Orleans and against Richie Smith in Miami Beach, Tessman compiled a 23-0-0,6KO record in his native Texas over a 2-1/2 year period. Some of the biggest names in those wins were over Tommy Sims, Von Clay, Tony Montano, Milo Calhoun, Billy Marsh and Marlon Connor. Then in December 1968 he went into the ring against veteran fighter Henry Hank. Hank stopped Tessman in the 6th round after Tessman suffered a severly cut eyelid.

Tessman managed to come back the next month and win 10 round decisions over Bobby Rascon, Eddie Talhami(twice), Roy(Cookie) Wallace and then Hank in a rematch in June 1969. He followed the second Hank fight with knockouts of a couple local Texas fighters to set Tessman up with a 30-1-0 record and a shot at the WBC/WBA Light Heavyweight Title against Bob Foster in June 1970. The scheduled 15 round fight lasted until the 10th round when it was stopped for a TKO victory for Foster.

Heading back to his hometown Houston, Texas, Tessman atfter an almost 2 year layoff came back to win a couple local fights then lost a 10 round decision to Eddie Owens before traveling to Johannesburg, South Africa in July 1972 to take on Pierre Fourie. Fourie won the 10 round decision and Tessman hung up the gloves after that.


Al Franklin - Rating 1 USA
Light Heavyweight 1966-70
2 wins / 6 losses / 0 draws / 1 KO

Hometown: Pontchatula, LA

Rating by: Rocco Del Sesto

Boxrec has him listed at 177lbs when he fought HW-Leroy Caldwell in his last career fight in April 1970, thus has him listed as a Heavyweight. I've rated him as a Light Heavy which is what he appeared to fight as mostly by the opponents he faced. He lost his first 5 fights, a 6 round decision to MW-Roger Watkins(9-5-0,4), a 6 and then a 10 round decisions to Mark Tessman, then two 6 round decision losses to Middleweight Bobby (Songbird) Williams(16-27-0,6). Franklin finally broke through with a win against LHW-Dave Burch(16-9-0,10), then deated Roger Watkins in a rematch in September 1968 by 3rd round KO. Franklin didn't fight then again till that one fight against Caldwell in 1970.

The fight....
Not much to write here..
Mark Tessman’s last fight was a 6 round decision over Cassius Clay Scott to run his record to 6-0. Franklin fought his first professional bout in September the previous year loosing a 6 round decision to middleweight Roger Watkins. This 6 round bout went the full distance with Tessman winning the decision.
Our replay went the full 6 rounds also. Tessman dominated the first 3 rounds then sort of let up in the 4th letting Franklin stage a bit of a comeback to win the 4th round. Tessman though connected enough in the final two rounds to give him the UD victory with a 59-55 score on all three judges cards. Not a much exciting to write about in this fight.