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Congrats To 4 NYFIGHTS Contributors Who Won Awards in BWAA Writing Contest
Congratulations are due writer/reporters Hector Franco, Ryan O’Hara, Matt Aguilar and Randy Gordon, NYFIGHTS family.
These ace craftsmen contribute to NYFIGHTS, and each was recognized in the 2023 Boxing Writers “Bernie” writing awards.
Franco has to get an extra nod, for getting second place in the Boxing Feature (under 1,500 words) category.
“The idea was that Amanda Serrano had gained a victory in her loss,” the Florida resident Franco told me.
“She crossed a threshold for boxing fans in Puerto Rico of being more than just the appetizer while they wait for the next Miguel Cotto or Felix Trinidad. She had become them, within that one night all the hopes and aspirations of her fanbase behind her and, in that sense, she didnt lose.”
Attaboy Hector! NYFIGHTS is fortunate to feature stories by Mr Franco
“And that’s when you know you have made it,” Franco wrote. “Only pain can bring forth such passion when the fanbase feels just as much of the defeat as the fighter.”
Here is more of a taste of the winning article:
Serrano has likely punched her ticket to Canastota as a seven-division champion when she decides to hang up the gloves. But, in the hearts and minds of Puerto Rican boxing fans, she has now etched her name along some of the best the island has produced. One night at the Garden put all eyes and hopes on her, and she didn’t disappoint. “It was truly amazing to have all my Puerto Rican people flying out from Puerto Rico coming to support me,” stated Serrano after the fight. “I felt like I was Tito Trinidad, Miguel Cotto; this is their home. And to have all the Irish people out there, even if they were booing me, it was just a great turnaround. It was an amazing feeling, and you had two women main eventing a sold-out MSG; who would have thought that?”
Also, our Ryan O’Hara, a Colorado resident and NYFIGHTS news chaser, got an honorable mention in the Boxing Event coverage category. His story posted on Fight Nights.
Gordon Investigation Ran on NYFIGHTS
Long Islander Randy Gordon, the venerable “Commish” did a bang up job shining a light on the con job perpetrated by Jackie Tonawanda, who fashioned herself as “Lady Ali” in the 70s.
Randy Gordon outed Jackie Tonawanda as a con artist.
I edited the effort; Gordon did SUCH a thorough job. The Sirius XM host went back for this NYFIGHTS piece to his stint at Ring magazine, when he figured out that Tonawanda was all hat, not much cattle.
And last but not nearly least, vet fightwriter Matthew Aguilar, a Texas native, netted a first place. “Wilfredo Benitez’s Greatest Fight,” ran in the summer 2022 Ringside Seat magazine. (Our Glen Sharp also contributes to that publication, which is definitely worth the purchase price.)
“Thanks to Ringside Seat for the opportunity to tell Yvonne and Wilfred’s story,” Matt said. “And thanks to the BWAA for this honor.”
Congrats to all award winners. And yes…extra shoutout to the award winners whose work is featured on NY FIGHTS.
