He was 17-1-1 (8KO) when he faced Ray Boom Boom Mancini. He hadn't beat any top fighters but he was the Korean and OPBF LW Champ. He had made 3 defenses of the OPBF Title. His only loss was by decision in his 3rd pro fight. He also had a draw in his 7th pro fight. Anyway... let's pretend he recovered 100% after the Mancini fight. What could have been? Let's look at the fight itself. It was a great back and forth fight. Kim, who wrote on his Hotel mirror, "Kill or be killed", was a 4-1 underdog and struggled to make weight for the fight. Mancini did not take Kim lightly even though most felt it would be an easy win. Both men fought great, Mancini eventually stopped Kim in the 14th but the fight was close up until that point. We all know what happened after the fight... after Kim's death his Mother and later the ref took their own lives. So, how good could Kim have been? I think very well. This was Kim's first big fight and he did well. Mancini was on fire at the time and to do that well vs. him was a big deal. How would Kim have done vs. other top LWs of the day. How about vs. the top JWWs? How about a rematch with Mancini? Mancini had fought very well in a losing effort vs. Arguello in his first title fight. Mancini also beat Jose Luis Ramirez among others. Mancini wasn't the same after the Kim fight but he did go on to beat Bobby Chacon before losing two close fights with L. Bramble (LTKOby14 and LSD15). He retired for 4 years after the Bramble fights. He came back with no tune-ups and fought a prime H. Camacho for the vacant JWW WBO Title (LSD12), many felt Mancini should have won. After two disputed losses in a row (the other was the rematch vs. Bramble) he retired again. He came back 3 years later but was stopped by G. Haugen (LTKOby7) before retiring for good.
I've always found it difficult to guage Kim's true potential due to the tragic nature of his death......I guess I'll say he'd be a solid contender and a fan favorite.
Why are fighters so brimming with potential when they die young? Some kind of phenomenon I never understood.
Sorry to hijack the topic but i always thought of Ray Boom Boom in terms of what he may have accomplished if he hadn't been insanely thrown in with the explosive thin man at the tender age of 20. He shoudda been maken his pro debut that nite.
