Frankie Scarboro Explains Bad Blood with ‘Privileged’ Wayne Lawrence Ahead of Fight

Undefeated junior lightweights Frankie “The Franchise” Scarboro and Wayne Lawrence are set to face off in an eight-round bout this Saturday at Rosecroft Raceway in Fort Washington, Maryland. The fight, promoted by Lamont Roach Sr.'s NoXcuses Promotions, will be broadcast on the ProBox TV app.

Scarboro, 28, from Cheverly, Maryland, has a long-standing rivalry with 23-year-old Lawrence, who hails from Toledo, Ohio. Their clash has been marked by heated exchanges in the lead-up to the match, with Scarboro characterizing Lawrence as “privileged.” He accuses Lawrence of leveraging his early fame—evident from appearances on The Ellen DeGeneres Show and ESPN First Take—as a shortcut in boxing, rather than putting in the necessary hard work.

“I forgot he even existed,” Scarboro stated, reflecting on how Lawrence reached out to him with a fight proposal. He found Lawrence’s tone condescending, which led to Scarboro leaving his messages “on read,” a modern insult that implies being ignored after the recipient has viewed the message. Lawrence’s taunts, claiming Scarboro “was never going to be anything” and was “running out of time,” struck a personal chord with Scarboro. “So I definitely took that personal, and this fight is big to me,” he emphasized. “Don’t poke a sleeping bear, and I think he poked a sleeping bear. Saturday is my show.”

The tension intensified following Lawrence's recent win over Ferris Dixon Jr. in August. Scarboro acknowledged a connection between the two fighters: “There’s a sneaky teammate connection. Dixon and Wayne grew up together. They trained together. It’s kind of the same gym,” Scarboro explained. He understands that facing a previously beaten opponent comes with heightened determination: “I understand it’s harder the second time around. If you beat a football team, they come back harder. I’m well prepared.”

Despite his intense focus on boxing, Scarboro places significant importance on education and community service. “I’m a business administration major,” he stated, highlighting his ambition beyond the ring. “My career goals outside of boxing are through the roof. I want to chase my dreams, and I’m glad to be doing it in real life.”

Scarboro's father, Francois Scarboro Sr., shared insights into the contrasting paths of his son and Lawrence. “Nobody wants to take the long road to success, and we are the epitome of the long road,” he said. “Everyone is going to find out what hard work gets you versus a paint job on trash. I am not calling the kid trash. But anybody who tells me they stop the sport for a while to do what they want to do and then want to come back and beat someone who, even with a broken hand, was in the gym strengthening his left, or who, with sprained ankles, put a stool in front of a speed bag and hit it for hours, or someone who gets up at 6 a.m. every morning to swim for two hours, followed by five hours on the bridge, and still has time to sit in as a substitute teacher—there's no way Bam, Bam is going to win this right here. We have the power of love behind us, the skill set, and it’s our destiny.”

As the anticipation builds for this matchup, both fighters prepare to showcase their skills and ambitions in the ring. Scarboro's confidence radiates, rooted in his strong religious beliefs: “I feel like I’m in the right situation at the right time. It’s a quote that I have tattooed on my arm: 'God's timing is perfect.' I honestly believe God’s timing is perfect, and I have all the things in my world and myself.”