The battle of the bleeders......who wins??? Both were exciting to watch. ray had the edge in power.......paz in speed. both had good chins.
This decision goes to Pazienza. Not only was he faster than Ray, he was naturally bigger and stronger. (Remember, Vinny eventually became a winning light heavyweight. Ray never boxed above 140.) As a super middleweight Paz physically manhandled Robbie Sims into retirement, and at lightweight, he took out Roberto Elizondo in ten. Elizondo was at least as dedicated a bodypuncher as Mancini was. Despite the incredible media hype in favor of Mancini, Ray only defeated one first rate opponent during his career (at the time of their bout), in his shutout win over Ramirez. (I also think Ray's match with Chacon was stopped prematurely, and in any event, the older and smaller Schoolboy was no longer the prodigy who kayoed Little Red.) As a lightweight, Paz defeated Elizondo, Harry Arroyo, and secured his 15 round credentials in his title win over Greg Haugen. Pazienza UD 15 Mancini
Mancini would win.He was totally superior technically.Can you imagine what Arguello would have done to Paz compared to what Ray was able to do with Alexis? Vinnie was too often looping shots that Mancini would have stepped inside and countered all night long.
This is probably one of the best dream matchups that I've heard suggested in a while. Although I'd give the edge to Paz, I wouldn't bet money on it. Both men were tough as nails, and had all the right stuff to make an exciting fight. What's more, both guys could talk up a storm, and rile up his opponent. I can't imagine what the pre-fight press conference would look like for this one. Great Match!!!!!!
In all fairness, Art Frias, Orlando Romero, Ernesto Espana, Bobby Chacon and Deuk Koo Kim, were all pretty good fighters. Although, I agree with you that Paz should still be the favorite.
To those questioning Mancini's opposition, I will return serve; who'd Paz ever beat? Mancini's resume looks better than his. Gilbert Dele? He really only beat Haugen once out of three. Melvin Paul maybe? The vaunted Robert Elizondo? :-( Mancini wins this. Paz, for all his speed, really wasn't much of a boxer, and was very easy to lure into slugfests, which is what Mancini would dictate. Once the trench warfare is established around the fifth round, Mancini starts to come on strong. I disagree with the notion Paz was stronger at this weight. He wasn't. Once he started lifting he could have made that claim, but that's a different guy entirely. Mancini UD 15
Like Salsanchezfan & some others were saying... Ray was a pretty darn good fighter in his prime... He was a warrior who would never give up (he was a lightweight version of Evander Holyfield... a bigtime overachiever). He was very exciting to watch (which made him my favorite fighter of all-time) but he was also a good technical fighter. His performances against the likes of Arguello, Bramble, Ramirez and Kim prove my point.
If the Pazman gets on his bicycle like the third Haugen fight he could have probably earned a decision against Mancini. If he stays in the trenches and wars with Boom Boom he would be playing right into the rugged Mancini's hands. Although Paz has a nice body of work in his career and deserves enormous praise for gutting himself back from that horrific neck injury - I still give Mancini an edge in a head to head matchup. He was relentless and I don't see Paz being able to do what the great Arguello and the very good Bramble did. Mancini by either UD or late stoppage on cuts
To paraphrase a Pazienza quote,..."Paz had more on the ball than Mancini"...for all the reasons Duodenum mentioned, plus Pazienza was more versatile, even if in a somewhat sloppy way, and would not be there to be beat on like so many of Boom Boom's hapless, mostly grade "B" opponents. Vinnie, whom I mostly disliked during his fighting days, was given a boxing lesson BOTH times, in my opinion by Greg Haugen, and was given to grandly overstating himself, was still too smart for Mancini, and would have taken a not so close 15 round decision over Ray, out moving and outmaneuvring Mancini, and landing the great majority of his flashy, but harmless punches and scoring points, all the while being able to take anything Ray dishes out when caught.
