By Thomas Gerbasi
Boxing’s not dead. Though the aftermath of last Saturday’s Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao bout has the mainstream vultures circling the sport and deeming it finished for the rest of eternity, those who cover and watch it on a regular basis know that the world has been trying to kill off the sweet science for a hundred years, but to no avail.
So remember, boxing is here. It’s not going anywhere. And no one knows that better than Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini. Back in 1982, the then-lightweight champion engaged in a punishing bout with Korean challenger Deuk-Koo Kim, and when Kim tragically passed away from injuries sustained in his 14th round loss, boxing was written off, considered too brutal for “civilized” society.
And maybe it is, but it’s still here over 30 years later, and despite the negative aspects associated with it, when it’s done right, there’s nothing better in sports. Mancini knows it, and on Friday night, he’ll be letting viewers of truTV in on this secret as color commentator for the Top Rank card featuring local tri-state area favorites Glen Tapia of New Jersey and Seanie Monaghan of New York in separate bouts.
In a way, it’s the perfect show for Mancini to make his debut on, because what Top Rank is doing is key to not just the survival of boxing, but the ability of the sport to transcend the hardcore fanbase. When Mancini was an active fighter, he didn’t just fight for himself, but for his hometown of Youngstown, Ohio. The two were synonymous, and as his manager Dave Wolf guided Mancini’s career, he always made sure that the city’s favorite son always made enough appearances at home to keep Youngstown natives happy and engaged.
“It’s everything,” Mancini said when asked about the importance of building local fanbases. “You’ve got to build these kids with grass roots marketing. That’s what has to be done, and that’s what Dave Wolf did with me, and nobody did it better. In 1980, my first full year in boxing, I fought in Ohio seven times, and I had 12 fights that year. And the reason I’m saying it’s important to have that grass roots marketing is that when you start climbing the ladder and you move to other venues, they’ll follow you. And believe me, Dave used that when he was negotiating my purses. (Laughs) He used to say ‘look, the kid brings a couple bus loads, a couple plane loads of people, and they drop big money.’ And that’s what he used. It helped my negotiating power.”
It also guaranteed that wherever Mancini went, Youngstown followed, and that meant big crowds. And when you’re a ticket seller and fan favorite, people outside of the sport want to eventually know why. That’s when a small town kid with an action-packed style, charisma and a great story becomes a star. And in Mancini’s case, it also led him to the Hall of Fame, with his induction coming up this June in Canastota, New York.
But first, it’s the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, and a reunion of sorts, as Mancini calls the fights for his longtime promoter, Bob Arum of Top Rank.
“Bob’s always been good to me and I love Bob,” he said. “I fought for him and he’s one of those guys that will fight you on everything when you want to negotiate, but he’ll give you everything he says he’s gonna give you. And I’ve got a much better respect for him being on the outside looking in.”
It’s also another opportunity for Mancini to educate and entertain fans tuning in to the fights.
Anyone who’s been lucky enough to hear him talk about his sport will admit to having been educated and entertained, though one of boxing’s most honest fighters – in and out of the ring – still considers himself a work in progress.
“I did a lot of commentating through the years, and even when I was fighting I was getting offers to do it, which I appreciated and I enjoyed very much,” he said. “But a lot of times I’ll watch those old fights and go ‘man, that’s bad, I can’t even understand myself.’ (Laughs) I know I talk fast. And believe me, I make a concerted effort to slow down and get my thoughts across. People say ‘oh no, that’s good, people know you’re passionate about what you’re talking about.’ Yeah, but it’s not good when you don’t finish your sentences.”
Mancini laughs, promising that he will try to slow down on Friday night, but that enthusiasm he has for the sport is infectious, whether he’s talking fast or not, and as far as his knowledge of the game and its history goes, it’s top notch. But what the 54-year-old truly brings to the announce booth is something few analysts can – an insider’s view of boxing at its highest level.
“Every other sport brings ex-players back to do commentary, but for a while in boxing they were only using writers,” he said. “And not to knock writers, because you guys know the game as well as anybody and can talk about it. My only complaint is, it’s hard to talk about it from an internal point of view if you never got smacked on the chin.”
He’s right. There are those like Larry Merchant who are students of the game and who have seen the ins and outs of it from a journalist’s point of view, and those like Mancini, who provide a perspective only one who has been in the ring can give. But whether you’ve been in the ring or not, anyone who covers or enjoys the sport will agree that the key to boxing maintaining its hold on the public comes down to one thing Mancini always delivered.
“You have an obligation to the public, and that’s to entertain,” he said. “We’re entertainers and we’re in show business. Business comes before the show, I got it, but you’ve got to entertain the fans and that’s the bottom line in any performer’s repertoire.”
Fighters like Tapia and Monaghan may never reach the heights of a Mayweather or Pacquiao, but no one leaves their fights asking for refunds. So maybe boxing is not ending, doom and gloomers. If promoters put on action fighters in action fights in those fighters’ hometowns, this sport will live forever. Just ask Ray Mancini.
