This past Tuesday night droves of comedians and comedy fans came out to The Stand NYC to see who would take home the first ever RoastMasters NYC Championship belt.
After an incredibly publicized 16 comedian, single elimination tournament spanning 6 weeks, one comic was left standing: Zac Amico. The Secaucus, New Jersey native outwitted the top battlers in all of Manhattan to become the first titleholder in RoastMasters NYC history.
Amico faced the daunting task of having to battle twice in the night. His first battle was a rematch with Comedy Central Roast Battle star Christi Chiello. After edging her out in a spirited opening match, he waited patently to face the winner between Evan Williams and J.P. McDade’s battle. The tall and lanky McDade soundly defeated Williams setting up a rematch between him & Zac. The first time these two met in June, J.P. handed Zac his first and currently only defeat in his RoastMasters NYC career.
Amico was able to gain retribution as he & J.P. closed out the Tournament with a tremendous tit-for-tat struggle that lived up to the hype. A star-studded panel of 7 judges consisting of Big Jay Oakerson, Sal Vulcano, Mike Lawrence, Dan Soder, Mark Normand, Nate Bargatze, and the host of Comedy Central’s Roast Battle, the Roast Master himself, Jeff Ross, voted in Amico’s favor crowning him the champion. Amico graciously accepted the title belt and thanked everyone for their incredible support.
“Huge thanks to everyone involved in Roastmasters. Thank you Mike Lawrence and Luis J. Gomez, Patrick Milligan, and everyone at The Stand…and thanks to all the incredible comics I’m honored and humbled to share a stage with: J.P., Christi, and Evan are all awesome, talented, and wonderful.”
Photos: Lisa Ganksky
Comedy Central Roast Battle Champion Mike Lawrence had this to say: “No one worked harder than Zac and had it pay off as well. Lots of people worked as hard, but ultimately they were losers. Zac has a face only a mother could love and jokes only a racist uncle would repeat out loud.”
Not only did Amico win a championship belt, he will also be competing in Comedy Central’s Road To Roast Battle 2 this season. Currently, a total of 11 comedians, plus RoastMasters NYC host Luis J. Gomez, were selected out of the tournament field of 16 to test their might for the 2017 Comedy Central Roast Battle Championship.
