BoxingScene once again led the way in the Boxing Writers Association of America’s Bernie Writing Awards, repeating as the overall leader in placements while increasing its total haul from the previous year.
BoxingScene collected 11 top-three finishes and 10 honorable mentions across the six writing categories in the BWAA’s 2025 Bernie Awards, surpassing last year’s combined total of 18 recognitions.
BoxingScene took first place in three of the six categories, with Eric Raskin’s “The Golden Age of Women’s Boxing – And the Consequences That Await” winning in the Boxing Column category, Lance Pugmire's "Everything We Know About the New TKO Boxing League – From Payments to Potential Problems” taking first in the Boxing News Story category and Tris Dixon’s “They Called Me Mr. Eddie" finishing first for Boxing Feature under 1,500 words.
Dixon was the only writer to be recognized in all six categories, with his feature “The Heart and Soul Behind a Boxing Wonderland" taking second place in the Boxing Feature (over 1,500 words category) and earning third place in the Boxing Investigative Reporting category for his story "Investigating Boxing’s Unhealthy Relationship with Performance Enhancing Drugs.” Elliot Worsell was recognized in five categories, coming in second in the Boxing Event Coverage category for his story “We Know Oleksandr Usyk Feels, But Is He Actually Human?” and third for “Pay-Per-View, Paywalls and Now Real Walls Keep the World Out" in the Boxing Column category.
Additional BoxingScene honorees included Norm Frauenheim, who tied for third in Boxing Column and placed second in Boxing Feature (Under 1,500 Words); David Greisman, who earned honorable mentions in three categories; Kieran Mulvaney and Jason Langendorf, who were recognized in Boxing Event Coverage; and Ryan Songalia, who received his second recognition with an honorable mention in the Boxing Column category.
The BWAA’s 101st Annual Awards Dinner is scheduled for June 25 at the Edison Ballroom in New York City, two days before the WBO/WBA junior middleweight title fight between Xander Zayas and Jaron “Boots” Ennis takes place across town in Brooklyn. Tickets are $275 per person, with cocktails to begin at 7 p.m. ET followed by the dinner and awards at 8 p.m.
In addition to boxing writing awardees, top achievers will be recognized at the dinner, including Fighters of the Year Terence Crawford and Mikalea Mayer, plus Trainer of the Year awardee Robert Garcia, among others.
The following is the official news release from the Boxing Writers Association of America:
Thomas Hauser was the big winner in the 2025 Boxing Writers Association of America’s Bernie Writing Awards.
Between his first, second and third place finishes, Hauser captured five spots in the top three.
His two first-place finishes in the categories of Boxing Event Coverage and Boxing Investigative Reporting were for The Guardian. His second place for Boxing News Story and one of his third-place finishes for Boxing Feature (Under 1,500 words) were also for The Guardian. Hauser’s other third-place finish for Boxing Feature (Over 1,500 words) was for The Ring.
The other first-place winners were:
Eric Raskin, Boxing Column, BoxingScene.com
Lance Pugmire, Boxing News Story, Boxing Scene
Tris Dixon, Boxing Feature Under 1,500 words, Boxing Scene
Michael Rothstein, Boxing Feature Over 1,500 words, ESPN.com
BoxingScene.com captured 11 places in the overall voting.
The BWAA’s 101st Annual Awards Dinner is Thursday, June 25 at the Edison Ballroom, 240 W. 47th St., New York, NY. Cocktails commence at 7 pm while the dinner and awards start at 8:00. Tickets are $275 per person.
For further information, contact BWAA president Joe Santoliquito at: jsantoliquitoBWAA@yahoo.com
The complete list of all the winners and Honorable Mention finishers is as follows:
2025 BERNIE WRITING AWARD WINNERS
BOXING EVENT COVERAGE
First Place
THOMAS HAUSER, “The Saudi Boxing Juggernaut Comes to Times Square,” The Guardian, May 3, 2025
Second Place
ELLIOT WORSELL, “We Know Oleksandr Usyk Feels, But Is He Actually Human?” BoxingScene.com, July 20, 2025
Third Place
JIMMY TOBIN, “An End Appropriate in Magnitude: Terence Crawford Dominates Saul Alvarez,” InbetweenRounds.com, September 14, 2025
Honorable Mention:
Manouk Akopyan, The Ring; Tris Dixon, Boxing Scene; Jason Langendorf, Boxing Scene; Kieran Mulvaney, BoxingScene.com; Dan Rafael, danrafael.substack.com; David Weinberg, 973ESPN.com
BOXING COLUMN
First Place
ERIC RASKIN, “The Golden Age of Women’s Boxing – And the Consequences That Await,” BoxingScene.com, March 27, 2025
Second Place (Tie)
OLIVER FENNELL, “Use Your Delusion,” Boxing News, October 30, 2025
DAN RAFAEL, “Tales from an Unforgettable July 4th Boxing BBQ for the Ages,” danrafael.substack.com, July 2, 2025
Third Place (Tie)
NORM FRAUENHEIM, “Remembering the Writer, Fighter and Charming Curmudgeon Michael Katz,” Boxing Scene, January 29, 2025
ELLIOT WORSELL, “Pay-Per-View, Paywalls and Now Real Walls Keep the World Out,” BoxingScene.com, May 9, 2025
Honorable Mention:
Matthew Aguilar, Fights ATW; Tris Dixon, Boxing Scene; David Greisman, BoxingScene.com; Lee Groves, The Ring; Andreas Hale, ESPN; Ryan Songalia, BoxingScene.com; Don Stradley, Donstradley.blogspot.com
BOXING NEWS STORY
First Place
LANCE PUGMIRE, “Everything We Know About the New TKO Boxing League – From Payments to Potential Problems,” Boxing Scene, March 19, 2025
Second Place
THOMAS HAUSER, “BoxRaw’s Sparring Club,” The Guardian, August 9, 2025
Third Place
DAN RAFAEL, “Iconic Two-Time Heavyweight George Foreman Dies,” danrafael.substack.com, June 7, 2024
Honorable Mention:
Alan Dawson, Uncrowned.com; Tris Dixon, Boxing Scene; Norm Frauenheim, The Boxing Hour; David Greisman, BoxingScene.com; Don Stradley, The Ring; Elliot Worsell, Uncrowned.com
BOXING FEATURE (Under 1,500 words)
First Place
TRIS DIXON, “They Called Me Mr. Eddie,” Boxing Scene, October 27, 2025
Second Place (Tie)
OLIVER FENNELL, “Elite Operator,” Boxing News, August 7, 2025
NORM FRAUENHEIM, “Quiet Man: Bam Rodriguez, a Dad with More to Fight For,” The Boxing Hour, November 22, 2025
Third Place (Tie)
THOMAS HAUSER, “The Thrilla in Manila Fifty Years Later,” The Guardian, September 30, 2025
RYAN O’HARA, “The Battle of Eras: Floyd Mayweather, Jr. vs. Terence Crawford,” Fights Around the World, October 1, 2025
Honorable Mention:
Manouk Akopyan, The Ring; David Greisman, BoxingScene.com; Lee Groves, The Ring; Eric Raskin, BoxingScene.com; Joseph Santoliquito, Philadelphia Inquirer; Don Stradley, The Ring
BOXING FEATURE (Over 1,500 words)
First Place
MICHAEL ROTHSTEIN, “Heather Hardy’s Bouts Are Behind Her, but a Bigger Fight Lies Ahead’,” ESPN.com, April 18, 2025
Second Place
TRIS DIXON, “The Heart and Soul Behind a Boxing Wonderland,” Boxing Scene, September 25. 2025
Third Place (Tie)
THOMAS HAUSER, “Michael Katz: A Remembrance,” The Ring, January 4-5, 2025
SEAN NAM, “Brawl for All: How Clout Chasers Ruined Boxing,” The Baffler, June 2025
Honorable Mention:
Gordon Marino, Examined Life; Lance Pugmire, Boxing Scene; Don Stradley, donstradley.blogspot.com; Elliot Worsell, BoxingScene.com
BOXING INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING
First Place
THOMAS HAUSER, “The Tragic Cautionary Tale of Paul Bamba,” The Guardian, March 28, 2025
Second Place
ALAN DAWSON, “This Is a Power Grab: What Boxing Insiders Really Think About Planned Revisions to Ali Act,” Uncrowned.com, August 19, 2025
Third Place
TRIS DIXON, “Investigating Boxing’s Unhealthy Relationship with Performance Enhancing Drugs,” Boxing Scene, February 26, 2025
Honorable Mention:
Abraham Gonzalez, FightsATW.com; Ryan O’Hara, Fights Around the World; Eric Raskin, BoxingScene.com; Elliot Worsell, Uncrowned.com
The judges for the 2025 Bernie’s were: Ron Borges, former Boston Globe and Boston Herald, IBHOF; Tommy Deas, USA Today Sports Network; Steve Farhood, former Showtime Boxing Commentator, former Ring Magazine Editor, IBHOF; Bernard Fernandez, Philadelphia Daily News (retired), former BWAA President, IBHOF: Anthony Carter
