It was the night Frankie the Fist traded bills for thrills, amendments for ring talent and votes for, well, pounding the stuffing out of a former NFL linebacker.

Pembroke Pines Mayor Frank Ortis donned the boxing gloves and brawled with Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor Aug. 29, headlining an amateur summer boxing showdown to benefit the Pines Police Athletic League.

The Saturday evening inside Walter C. Young Auditorium, at 955 N.W. 129th Ave., treated packed crowds to a pugilistic powerhouse of 15 bouts. Each card boasted the P.A.L. Boxing program's best fighters, including Pia Abraham, a recent gold medalist in the 2009 Women's Golden Gloves Championships.

"I’m trying to resurrect P.A.L. to get it to be a greater organization for the city," said Ortis, whose marquee slugfest with Taylor resulted in a draw. "I wasn’t satisfied with the way P.A.L. was heading. PAL can give these disadvantaged kids a new hope."

While the showdown matched amateurs according to height, weight and skill, Ortis's clash with the New York Giants player couldn't have been more uneven, said the Pines official.

Boxing enthusiasts and P.A.L. supporters alike donated about $10,000 toward the program, a juvenile crime prevention league maintained by the Pines Police Department.

Proceeds could be funneled into rebuilding the existing PAL building at 7900 Johnson St. and shifting the location behind the Pines Police station, said Ortis.

PHOTO: Mayor Frank Ortis throws a few practice punches before his bout with former NFL linebacker Lawrence Taylor during the Police Athletic League Summer Amateur Boxing Showdown.
PHOTO/Submitted