Freddie was born into a boxing family on March 5, 1960, in Dedham, MA. As one of seven children he learned quickly the importance of being quick and persistent. At an early age he and his brothers were in the gym learning to box. His father Paul was a onetime New England featherweight champion and his mother Barb became the first female judge for professional boxing in the state of Massachusetts.
Having fought in the amateurs for a number of years, with 150 amateur fights under his belt, he turned pro in 1978. The legendary Eddie Futch trained Freddie throughout his professional boxing career, which yielded a record of 41 wins (17 by TKO) – 13 losses – 0 draws. Freddie fought most of his career as a Super Bantamweight (122 lbs)