Ray "Boom Boom" Mancini HOF material?

By current standards yes he is fine.

As a truly worthy great fighter?....no, not even close though i do think he is very underrated.

 

I've nothing against Mancini, but he is borderline at best.

I think the media helped him out a bit.

 

Yeah, he had a background just made for the media.

 

ESPN has a fascination with Ray Mancini. Yeah, he's in.

 

No way. But the IBHOF has lowered standards so much that he may actually have a shot.

Arguello ripped him apart. Bramble took him out to lift his title. If he'd managed to secure a superfight with Pryor and prevailed in it, then a stronger case could be made. But he was really a media manufactured story because of his father's career. (The boxing press continually harped on the fact that Lenny was promised a title shot at Sammy Angott after having a nontitle bout against The Clutch, but conveniently ommitted the fact that the elder Mancini lost that nontitle affair to Sammy, and would have had no more success in a title fight with Angott.)

Boom-Boom was only 22 years old when he won his final victory over Bobby Chacon, in just his 30th fight. His best win was the 12 round shutout he pitched over Ramirez on Ray's Ohio turf to qualify for Arguello. The other WBC LW Champion during Ray's title reign besides Alexis was Rosario, who many considered superior to Mancini. At no time was Ray clearly the world's best lightweight, especially after the Kim tragedy.

I don't think Jess Willard belongs, but he did knock out who some considered the heavyweight GOAT in a scorching hot marathon bout in Havana to take the undisputed big enchilada. Mancini may not have even been the best lightweight in Youngstown, Ohio during his career. (He certainly would have lost to Harry Arroyo after the Kim tragedy took away his spirit for boxing.)

 

hes already in the hall of fame

 

The World Boxing HOF yes, but I don't see Mancini's name listed among the enshrinees for the IBHOF.

 

IBHOF is in castanota right? I thought for sure he was in there.

 

Google "IBHOF/Roster of Inductees" and you tell me. (Perhaps my eyes are playing tricks on me, but I just can't find Mancini's name in that third column of the Modern category. It goes down from Joe Louis to Barry McGuigan directly. No Mancini listed between the two.

 

I am not sure that Arguello ripped him apart...I remember it being an exciting and competitive fight till it was topped...I will have to watch it again tonight to be sure?

 

I would say yes. He has some solid wins: Frias, Kim, JL Ramirez, (an aging Chacon), Romero...

Looked good in defeat: Arguello (Don't know many LW's who would have done as well!), Bramble (very close), Camacho (I agree w/ the one judge who scored 116-112 mancini and that is the score I come up with!!!)

WBA LW champ for 2 and a half years

I would not say that he is a shoe in, but he would get my vote.

 

I've always liked Mancini, but I have to agree with the concencus here, that he probably wasn't all time great material.

34 pro fights, involving a record of 29-5, just doesn't cut it for me. Had he managed to win some of his fights with say Arguello, Bramble and Camacho then we might be able to make a case for him. As it stands however, he is just a very good fighter at best, but not ratable among thet elite.

 

I like boom Boom. he was one of my favorites grwoing up. A lot of people say he was just a brawler without a punch but he was around in a great era-my era. His fight with Kim was a heart stopper that came the very next day of the Arguello-Pryor fight. Those were the days-only two champions per division. Nowadays, who knows what's what?

Anyways, Mancini Kim was intense and changed the landscape of boxing as we know it today.

Other memorable fights that you can him in are: Romero-mancini

Mancini-Bramble which is on it's way to my door step this very second.

Mancini-Arguello-The student vs. the Master.

Mancini-Frias

Mancini-Haugen (Destruction of a legend)

Yes he is HOF material.

 

he was better then Ray Leonard IMO.