Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini: Is He Worthy of his Induction to the International Boxing Hall of Fame?

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By Jeffrey “Italian Medallion” Cellini

When I first began following boxing decades ago as a young boy, two superstars by the name of Ray were my idols, Sugar Ray Leonard and Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini. I followed both of their careers from start to finish, as both were mainstream darlings on national television at the beginning of their boxing professions. However, SRL’s star would shine brighter and longer among the all-time greats in the sport. Ray Mancini’s career was short lived and marked by the tragic death of Deuk-koo Kim, his opponent in one of his lightweight title defenses. I loved both athletes growing up and give them both credit for me becoming a lifetime fan of the sport of boxing. However, I found it hard to accept the fact that Mancini’s journey would land him in the International Boxing Hall of Fame with Sugar Ray.

Both of their careers have been well chronicled by boxing writers and authors for the past couple of decades. However, I wanted to reassess the credentials that would make boxing historians feel as though Ray Mancini shared a place among the all-time greats enshrined in Canastota, NY at the I.B.H.O.F.

Two stories are tied to the legacy of Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini. The first story that made this Youngstown, OH kid a must see fighter on national television was his quest to win the lightweight title for his father, who was a top title contender himself but was unable to fight for the title because of duty in World War II. The second story is about a man who had to overcome depression and anguish after a brutal war in the ring with one of his opponents.

Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini was the World Boxing Association lightweight Champion from May 8th, 1982- June 1st, 1984. He only made five title defenses in his two years as champion. Mancini was never considered to be among the top pound-for-pound fighters of his era. Furthermore, some boxing analysts did not even think he was the best lightweight in the world at that time, often ranking Edwin Rosario ahead of him in some of the polls. Ray was not one of the most gifted fighters in the ring, but he was full of heart and courage. He was a brawler from the opening bell to the end of the fight.

Ray Mancini never did have that signature win that would have placed him in the upper echelon of the all-time greats, but he did have a significant victory that would etch his name in among the all-time tragedies of the sport.

The pivotal moment of Ray Mancini’s career was in a title defense against Deuk-koo Kim on November 13th, 1982. Mancini won the title only six months earlier in May when he stopped defending champion Arturo Frias in the first round of a slugfest. Only two months later, he would make the first defense of his title against Ernesto Espana by halting the challenger in the sixth round. Mancini’s third championship fight in less than seven months was nothing less than a classic brawl. What was supposed to be an easy title defense turned out to be a nightmare for the champion. Deuk-koo Kim was more than Ray Mancini ever anticipated, and changed the course of his career.

Ray Mancini’s victory over the challenger will always be remembered for the tragic ending to the fight. Deuk-koo Kim’s heart was as big as the champion’s, but he just could not sustain anymore pounding. Mancini pulled out a grueling hard-fought 14th round stoppage over one of the toughest challengers of his career. Kim would collapse shortly after the fight and fall into a coma. The South Korean challenger would pass away four days later. Ray Mancini was never the same after this brutal encounter in the ring.

Ray’s rise in stardom in the boxing world came to a sudden halt in title defense number #6. Livingston Bramble ended “Boom- Boom” Mancini’s reign as champion in Buffalo, N.Y in June of 1984 by stopping Ray in the 14th round. Mancini would fail to regain the title in February of the next year and would eventually close out his career with two more loses.

Ray Mancini was only 5-4 in world title fights, with losses to Alexis Arguello being a very memorable match for the World Boxing Council lightweight belt (Oct.1981). Ray never did defeat a big name (except if you count an old Bobby Chacon) as champion. Hopes of facing Aaron Pryor in a mega-showdown fight never materialized after his defeat to Bramble. So the question remains, what did Ray do have his name placed next to all those other fighters names enshrined in the Hall?

The International Boxing Hall of Fame is not only a place where boxing fans can visit to pay honor to some of the sport’s all-time greats and legends, but to those fighters whose fierce battles in the ring remind us of why we love the sport. Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini’s career was not overwhelmingly spectacular, but it was enriched with some of the more human elements of the game that keep drawing us back to the drama in the squared circle.

Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini was one of my all-time favorite fighters. The meteor rise of this game brawler and the struggle of being a boxer inside and outside the ring in the midst of a tragedy is a story that could be told over and over for future generations of boxing fans. Hence, in my closer analysis, he has earned his rightful place in the International Boxing Hall of Fame.

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