FIGHTING FOR HONOR

FIGHTING FOR HONOR
DAVE WHITE ON WRITING
FIGHT CARD: BRIDGEPORT BRAWLER

For me, the chance to write for Fight Card was an honor. I am a big fan and have read most Fight Card books in the series. I have been writing seriously for a few years in the new pulp field – mostly around the 10,000 word mark, so tackling 25,000 words was something new. However, I was excited by the challenge. I based the main character in Bridgeport Brawler on my pops, who I lost a few years back.
Growing up I was always in front of the television with my dad and my uncle Chili. Inevitably, there was wrestling or boxing on the screen. Obviously, back in the day, there wasn’t pay per view. However, with my uncle living right next door, we were either over there or at our house when an event took place. Admittedly, I didn’t have the grasp of the names and stuff back then – I just enjoyed watching the stuff with pops and my uncle.
Names like Dick the Bruiser, Crusher Creel, and Pepper Gomez were in many family conversations, as well as Ali and Frazer and George Foreman. My dad had taken martial arts as a kid as well as boxed. So, growing up he would spend time teaching me different techniques.

I later got into the martial arts and loved it. Life moves us in different ways, but even after getting married and having kids, I still loved heading over to my uncle’s and watching fights with him and Pops. The names had changed, but the joy of watching with the two of them never did.
There was wagering, always friendly – well usually. But they were both intense fans and, as such, there was always a charge in the air whenever they sat in front of the TV to watch boxing. This, of course, didn’t make my mom or aunt happy, so they usually used those nights to not be around the house.
When I got out of high school, I took up martial arts pretty intensely and even competed in a few matches. Pops was always there to watch. He was also always eager to spar with me for practice.
Now this may seem like bragging, but it really isn’t. I got pretty good at martial arts, and while my dad had not been involved in the sport or boxing for some 20 years, I still couldn’t touch him half the time. More times than not it was me ending up on my backside.
Pops was just a natural. Growing up in the city, he was in more than his fair share of brawls. I always heard the stories. And, after all the years of sparing and him teaching me – as he called it – I have no doubt he could have turned pro and done decently in the ring, if not great.
The Bridgeport Brawler puts my Pops in to that scenario. He is the inspiration for the main character, and my uncle is featured as well. They are both gone now, and sorely missed. This book was a chance for me to relive some of the memories.