In Sterling Hampton IV’s Twitch: The Story of Daniel Franco, one brutal night in the ring transforms a rising boxer’s life into a long and uncertain fight for survival. What begins as the story of a man chasing glory soon becomes one about rebuilding everything after the body and brain refuse to cooperate.
Daniel “Twitch” Franco is a professional Latin-American boxer heading into the biggest fight of his career, chasing the kind of future that makes all the punishment seem worth it. Sterling Hampton IV’s documentary follows Daniel as a fighter built on discipline, sacrifice, and the hope that boxing can change everything for him and his family.
Daniel Franco went from a promising boxer to an overnight sensation when he discovered his “Twitch”—a small gesture that reminded him to reset, keep his stance right, and tuck his chin, because you cannot win on emotion alone. Franco was quickly rising in the ranks of independent boxing.
It only takes one match for everything to change in an instant. In a fluke knockout, Daniel nearly loses his life and spends 10 days in a coma. His friends and family were told he did not have long to live, and then came a miracle moment that changed everything. Daniel was alive and facing years of rehabilitation. His memory was shot. He was forced to wear a helmet to protect himself from the effects of a massive concussion.
Twitch: The Story of Daniel Franco is both an inspiring story and a cautionary tale about concussion and brain trauma. After waking from the coma, Franco’s life had to start over from scratch. He had to relearn how to talk, eat, walk, and live all over again, facing each small victory and setback as he tried to rebuild his body, his identity, and his sense of purpose after boxing had taken almost everything from him. Today, he teaches kids how to box.
“It only takes one match for everything to change in an instant.”
Twitch is also educational. It shows that no concussion is too small to be taken seriously, which was antithetical to Franco’s work ethic of never letting an injury stop him from training. Only now are we learning the real effects and dangers of CTE, and yet driven athletes still ignore those warnings to their own detriment.
Lastly, the film delivers an indictment of the whole boxing industry. Promoters who are making money off men and women willing to pummel one another need to take major steps to protect their cash cows. All health care and insurance falls on the individual fighter. Fortunately, Franco was on his mother’s plan, but even then, the expenses were prohibitive. The film supports the idea that if you sign a boxer, you provide healthcare and insurance.
If a boxer is injured, they no longer receive a paycheck or can earn money in the sport anywhere else. Also, fighters make so little money that the risk is not worth it. Fighters like Franco stick with it for the sheer love of the sport.
Franco is a compelling, charismatic subject and serves as the film’s central figure. Since there is not much footage of Franco’s fights, filmmaker Hampton employs 2D and 3D animation to let us in on the action. His mother and friends also serve as an incredible support system to both Franco and the film.
Sterling Hampton IV’s Twitch: The Story of Daniel Franco lands as a portrait of a fighter forced to redefine strength when the ring is no longer an option. Daniel Franco’s journey proves that survival can be its own kind of victory, even when the cost is far too high.
"…Daniel nearly loses his life and spends 10 days in a coma."
