Ray "Boom Boom" Mancini: Show Some Love for The Real Life Rocky of Youngstown

Raymond Michael Mancino is a 5'4 former Lightweight Champion who retired at the incredibly young age of 24, with a record of 29-5 23 KO's although he did have 2 more comeback matches. I've long thought watching old VHS tapes my family had made of Boom Boom's matches that he was one of the most under appreciated and underrated fighters in the last 40 years. His career will unfortunately forever be linked to the tragic death of Duk Koo Kim who died following their brutal match, the match lead to multiple tragedies including Kim's mother and the referee taking their own lives, and that fight is the reason why matches are only 12 rounds today. Sadly that one awful day has outshined his legacy of being one of the most exciting, thrilling easy to root for all action fighters in the history of the sport.

His fights were a stark contrast to the long dull hugfests that defined many of the heavyweight matches of the day so to a young kid with ADD I credit watching Boom Boom as the reason for me being a fan of the sport today, was he technically brilliant, incredibly skilled, have an iron chin, and unbeatable, not at all, yet back then, none of that really mattered, when Ray was knocked down he dusted himself off and picked himself up by his bootstraps and went right back into the ring, to try and win again. The fans loved him for it, they didn't shun or shame him they wanted to see him succeed, because that's what we used to do in this country, root for the underdog, not kick them to the curb because they had the out and out audacity to lose a match and disappoint us, and shatter our expectations of them, fighters are not perfect, they're regular guys like us, just a little tougher, and we should show more respect to the guys who lose a few along the way and find a way to get back up and win again.

Ray Mancini was great fun while he lasted, he won quite a few, and lost when he stepped up, but he kept trying as hard as he could to win, never letting it demoralize him too much, then when he realized he couldn't hang anymore, he hung up his gloves and retired, going on to have a short career in broadcasting, and as a producer of a few low budget movies and TV shows, he invested well, and now lives in the LA, remarried with 3 kids. Ray is a great American story, starting out in Youngstown finding fame at a young age, investing well, never lost his way and kept his head on straight, and ending up living a comfortable life in the City of Angels, he is a great role model for fighters to pattern themselves after. So show some Love to Boom Boom he really deserves it. One of Boxing truly underrated Great Guys.:bbb:bbb:bbb:bbb


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Educate Yourselves on Boom Boom
Mancini Vs. Camacho
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODZ1HrNFUrc
Mancini Vs. Arguello
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXy3VHC0obY
Mancini Vs. Bramble 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vxJjgR1HAs
Mancini Vs. Torres
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIubXnra_CY
Mancini Vs. Romero
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPqbVSkVLCY
Mancini Vs. Frias
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iF45ovmlr28
Mancini Vs. Ramirez
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWb-lYmrt5o

 

Warran Zevon's Boom Boom Mancini
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMfjyD8__Yo
Mancini Vs. Chacon
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fADbhG0XObc

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6n7buWxf4gI

 

Boom Boom Interviews GGG
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LmKHtfC50jw

 

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