Comments Thread For: The Comeback of Boom Boom Mancini

[BIGPOPPAPUMP]

By Thomas Gerbasi - Don’t get scared away by the headline. This isn’t one of those sadly typical boxing stories where a fighter not just past his prime but past his sell by date in the sport returns for a payday. That’s not where Ray Mancini is at 52 years old these days.

Yet more than 21 years after his last bout, it’s almost like “Boom Boom” has made a return to the world’s consciousness in a way that no ill-advised comeback fight could ever do.

Whether it’s the brilliant 2012 biography by Mark Kriegel, “The Good Son,” a recent documentary of the same name that has earned critical acclaim, or the t-shirts popping up from brands like Roots of Fight and No Mas that celebrate the former lightweight champion’s heyday in the 80s, Youngstown’s finest is back.

“Who woulda thunk it?” laughed Mancini. “It’s always a surprise when people think of you in high regard or they want to do something. It’s so long after my career, I’m thinking ‘who cares now?’ But with the book and the documentary, and now we’ve got t-shirts and stuff like that, it’s a good time, and I’m very flattered by it.” [Click Here To Read More]

[TLC8]

Boom boom mancini always the class act!

My father met Mancini at a fight in Vegas, said Ray was all smiles, thumbs up, talk with you like he'd known you for 30 years. Just a very cool dude that came to fight ever night, always in great shape, fought some very tough competition and was apart of that 80's Golden Era he can forever be so proud of.... they don't make fighters from that era anymore. Ray Boom Boom Mancini forever a class act and a joy to see fight.

[New England]

great action fighter. this is good to see. i may put a boom boom fight on the tele.


kelly pavlik shamed that poor town. youngstown has good people, and they support fighters.

[LAPete]

Love The Boom! Good to see him back in the spotlight again.

[Ravens Fan]

My father met Mancini at a fight in Vegas, said Ray was all smiles, thumbs up, talk with you like he'd known you for 30 years. Just a very cool dude that came to fight ever night, always in great shape, fought some very tough competition and was apart of that 80's Golden Era he can forever be so proud of.... they don't make fighters from that era anymore. Ray Boom Boom Mancini forever a class act and a joy to see fight.

Back in the day I was always in AC watching the fights. And your fathers description would match just about everyone of the fighters that I had ever met there. The likes of Evander Holyfield, Bobby Czyz, the late great Alexis Arguello and even his old rival Aaron Pryor, who was actually a pretty funny guy. As well as Jersey Joe Walcott, who was at just about every fight that I went to in AC. I even met Michael Buffer and he was a pretty nice guy. The only one that was not friendly was Iron Mike. He really was a bit of an a$$, no make that a lot of one. But it seems he has mellowed with age.

The most memorable were when I met Arguello and Holyfiled. Alexis sat down and talked to me for a good twenty minutes or so. He then pulled a photo of himself out of a briefcase and signed it for me without me even asking.

As for Holyfield I was walking out the boardwalk when I met him. I had a photo of him because I knew he was going to be at the fight that night. I asked him to sign it and when he tried my pen would not work. I figured he would just walk off. But he actually stayed until one of his entourage went off to find a working pen. To say the least I was highly impressed.

As for Ray Mancini I never had the pleasure to meet Boom Boom. But he was all heart and one of my personal favorites. I also haven't been to AC to watch a fight in over twenty years. So, I am not sure how the modern fighters react to their fans. With that said, I agree with you that fighters from Ray's era and before were class acts and it was a pleasure as well as an honor to have met a few of them. And after all the years that have passed I still have those autographs and I know exactly were they are.

[JoeKidd]

Guys who come forward!

I was a Joe Frazier fan and a fan of anybody who had that style: Duran, Frazier, (Carlos) Monzon – guys who would come forward.

Same here. Totally partial to the guy seeking the fight. I would have even given Rios the victory over Alvarado for doing the stalking. The Russian over Bradley... It's obvious to me when the fighter's main aim is to stay away. There should be point deduction for that.

[JoeKidd]

BTW, Ray Mancini came to fight! He got hit too much though! Good to see his brains still seem to be intact!

[JoeKidd]

the 1980s was...boxing’s last Golden Age, an era where fights were on network television every weekend, fights were front page news, and the best usually fought the best.

It wasn't the stars or network television that made the 80's boxing last golden age. It was the boxers' attitude and fans' perception. Boxers wanted to be regarded as the best and consequently sought out the best. And fans would have it no other way. Today, each boxer has his own following and could fight any Joe Blow every other weekend. And fans on here are defending that sort of attitude.

[marvin douglas]

BTW, Ray Mancini came to fight! He got hit too much though! Good to see his brains still seem to be intact!

Back then, everybody got hit too much.

[I Love Jesus!]

Well of course Ray Leonard would pound Mayweather into oblivion but to be fair Mayweather is a natural lighter weight fighter. Everyone knows hes a welterweight impostor this is why he cherry picks his opponents. Then again he was terrified of the Pacman and he was small.