Night At The Fights
The National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame (NIASHOF) in Chicago hosted “Night At The Fights” this past Thursday at the Des Plaines Theatre. We attended the beautiful event and were even honored with an Award! We took tons of video/photo and had a great time.
This was the first boxing event since the passing of beloved George Randazzo. The new President of the National Italian Sports Hall of Fame, Ron Onesti, is proudly keeping the tradition going and doing a great job of keeping the Italian-American community in Chicago together.
The event featured special guests, Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini, Antonio Tarver, Paul “Paulie” Malgnaggi, and the Jersey Girls. All the guests were so open and personable, happy to take pictures and sign autographs with anyone who asked.
They began the ceremony in a great way, paying tribute to George Randazzo. The Jersey Girls then sang the National Anthems for both Italy and America.
Afterwards, the fights began. They were very fun to watch and the crowd was getting into them. You could hear the old school paisans placing bets with one another on some of the fights… go figure!
There was also a bar, food, and live music. Hardcore was selling some shirts, including a limited edition Boom Boom Mancini tee. There was also tons of Italian sport items to place bids on. Everyone had a great time!
Hardcore Wins An Award
After a few fights, there was an awards ceremony in the middle of the ring. Hardcore Italians was honored with the Friendship Award. This is given on behalf of the NIASHOF for friends to the Italian community.
“We looked around for a recipient who is out there time and time again, supporting our heritage, supporting our culture, and representing what we’re all about”, said Ron Onesti, “We couldn’t think of a better organization [than Hardcore Italians].
My father and I accepted the award. I got on the microphone and told Ron I was proud of him, proud to win the award, and will continue to do everything I can for the Italian-American community.
It is truly an honor to all of us.
