What if Ray "Boom Boom" Mancini and "The Bubblegum Bomber" Sean O'Grady met in 1981?

Say instead of fighting Arguello - Mancini instead fought O'Grady. We'll say for the purpose of this thread that O'Grady had defeated instead of being stopped on cuts to Jim Watt in late 1980 in Glasgow, Scotland and held the WBC lightweight belt. Was there bad blood between these two? I heard that O'Grady made some kind of quip during a telecast that Mancini "takes a good punch for an italian." I don't recall if Mancini ever said anything or responded to O'Grady's remark. Anyway, it would have been a fun fight IMO!

 

Mancini was bigger and stronger than Sean.

TKO on cuts by Mancini in 12 rds.

 

Thanks Longhorn that's also were I was leaning towards. O'Grady was overpowered by the likes of Andrew Ganigan and Johnny 'the Heat' Vendrossa. And Boom Boom was better than those guys.

Mancini most likely by late-stoppage via cuts.

 

Mancini would atake ot Sean in about gthree rounds.

 

I love Sean O'grady, and feel that he was a good fighter, but the reality is he was very protected coming up. Mancini would have been way too dangerous and aggressive. I fear Sean would have gotten hurt badly.

 

The interview Sean gave KO Magazine after he retired was titled with one of his comments: "All of a sudden, I couldn't take a punch!" The sad fact is that Sean couldn't take it from Danny Lopez, Andy Ganigan or John Verderosa, because he finally stepped up in class when he faced them.

Jim Watt was beating Sean before any blood was spilled, and Watt was still ahead on points when the fight ending head butt occurred. Hilmer Kenty had walking pneumonia when they fought, and O'Grady still couldn't take him out. Boom-Boom is no HOFer, but Sean wasn't really a world class fighter like Mancini was. This would be Verderosa/O'Grady all over again. Ray would just steamroll Sean.

 

The way the original poster opened this thread makes my conclusion clear. What if Mancinni had fought O' Grady instead of Arguello? It's always been my opinion that Ray's losing effort against the great Alexis Arguello was his best perfomance ever. If that version of Mancinni had fought Sean, they may very well have had to carry Sean out on a stretcher.

Boo

 

Mancini was brilliant in that losing effort against Arguello. If it had been 12 rounds instead of 15 Mancini might have won it.

 

I believe that Mancini would have won this fight because of his superior durability. It would have been a great bout, with lots of action and torrid infighting. O'Grady would have had many fine moments, Conceivably Sean would have had Boom Boom in trouble from time to time. But Mancini would have stormed back and stopped O'Grady anytime between the fifth and tenth rounds.

O'Grady did not take a great punch, and he was fairly easy to hit. Mancini's offensive was non-stop...sooner or later he would have taken complete control of the match.

 

Being kayoed by Lopez and Ganigan doesn't mean that O'Grady couldn't take a punch. Both Lopez and Ganigan were devastating punchers.

If I remember correctly, Sean remained on his feet despite taking huge leather from Lopez. He was only 17 years old when they fought, too.

I don't think O'Grady's chin was ever the best in the world, but still, it wasn't exactly glass either. I tend to believe Sean when he says that very suddenly, his capacity to take a punch disappeared. Other boxers have said the same things about themselves.

 

Great post; I was going to post the same thing basically, but this says it even better.

O'Grady was a good, solid, workmanlike professional, nothing more. Mancini was a level above him.

 

Mancini woulda stopped O'Grady within 8.

 

IT would take eleven rounds, but Boom Boom would lower the Boom on O'Grady.

 

Have to agree with what everyone has said thus far. Both were very likable, crowd-pleasing fighters. It would be an action-packed fight while it lasted, but Mancini was a notch or two above, very rugged, and durable. He would eventually dominate and probably win by TKO around the 10th.

 

I agree. O'Grady was a better fighter than folks on this site credit him. I honestly think he would have beat Watt if not for the headbutt. He fought a really stupid fight against Gannigan.

His remark about "all of a sudden I couldn't take a punch" is common happening, as once a durable fighter gets his chin cracked he does tend to lose puch resistance.

As for O'Grady vs Mancini, I like Sean's chances, but who's to say who would win.