PHOTO: Bildbyrån
Frank Andersson is one of Swedish sports’ greatest heroes.
But he was also a really nice profile on the side of the mat.
Which TV profiler Bengt Magnusson experienced after the Swede’s World Cup gold in 1982.
There are so many immortal stories about the late sports hero Frank Andersson. He was one of Sweden’s absolute best wrestlers of all time, but also a real troublemaker on the side of the mat and he often got into trouble.
Frank’s heyday
He became “Frankie Boy” with the entire Swedish people and loved as much for his sporting successes as for his wonderful personality. Frank Andersson was unpredictable like few others and could really come up with anything.
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The time as a Swedish wrestling giant was extremely successful with a career that offered an Olympic bronze, three WC golds, two WC silvers, four EC golds and three EC silvers. The last WC gold came in 1982 in Katowice, Poland, and when the victory was secured, Andersson offered great entertainment in the interviews afterwards.
– I’m back at the top. I’m world champion – that should boost business, said world champion Frank to the visiting journalists.
– I needed this. After the successful years -77 and -79, Igor Kanygin (Soviet rival) started to destroy the business.
READ MORE: “Hoa-Hoa” reveals the truth about when Frank Andersson was going to buy milk and disappeared: “Nah, that’s how it was…”
Andersson’s nob
The newly crowned champion was only interested in talking about money in the victory interviews and in the interview with Radiosporten, the Swede suddenly started raving about his sponsors loud and clear in the microphone.
– Don’t cut this out. I have to do my job, Frank said jokingly.
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But that’s when he saw the TV journalist Bengt Magnusson, then on SVT, which all took a completely different turn. Andersson simply refused to do a victory interview with the TV channel and offered Magnusson the nicest slip.
– Here you show up when everything is over. Then you can stand there and talk to yourself. As for Swedish tennis juniors, you can afford to go around the world, said a bitter Frank Andersson.
READ MORE: When Frank Andersson made the craziest entrance ever at the pub and took over the party: “I rented a crane…”
More glitches on TV
The wrestler leader Ake Lindegarth, who was on site in Poland, was immediately concerned about the nob. Because it would give good publicity and attention to Swedish wrestling, which in the 80s needed all the help it could get.
– I’m not forcing you. I understand your attitude, Lindegarth told Frank.
In the end, Frank Andersson managed to be persuaded and did a victory interview with SVT, which after all broadcast the final match on live television. But the good “Frankie Boy” did the interview completely in his own way and continued with his joking quips to Bengt Mangusson during the interview.
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