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By Thomas Gerbasi - Getting placed on the ballot for the International Boxing Hall of Fame’s Class of 2015 was enough for Ray Mancini. The former lightweight champion and undisputed action king of the 80s has never been one for accolades in his post-fighting years, mainly because he felt that despite having a career he was proud of and satisfied with, it might not have stacked up with those of the existing members of such an exclusive club.
“When they first called and told me I was on the ballot, I was like ‘wow, I’m truly honored,’” he said. “And I meant that sincerely. But I didn’t think my career warranted it. When I think of the Hall of Fame, I think of longevity. I only fought five and a half years as a pro. I only had 34 fights.”
But what a five and a half years they were. Take away two losing efforts in comeback fights against Hector Camacho in 1989 and Greg Haugen in 1992, and Mancini’s run from 1979 to 1985 captured a moment in boxing that may never be seen again. It was an era where fighters fought each other, the best didn’t shy away from the best, and it was all on display every weekend on free network television. Boxing used to get front page and back page coverage in newspapers, not relegated to the occasional story buried somewhere in the transactions section. It was an era that produced the likes of Sugar Ray Leonard, Marvin Hagler, Thomas Hearns, Aaron Pryor, and Matthew Saad Muhammad, just to name a few, as well as a humble, yet charismatic, kid from Youngstown, Ohio nicknamed “Boom Boom.”
“It was the first time that we were brought into the homes of the American public on a regular basis,” Mancini said. “Growing up, ABC Wide World of Sports had fighting - like one a quarter – and that’s where I saw (Roberto) Duran fight, where I saw Carlos Monzon fight, and sometimes it was even (Muhammad) Ali. That’s where you saw the good fights. In the 80s, it was on network television, Saturday afternoon, and we even fought on Sundays sometimes. We were like college and pro football. And that’s significant. And it wasn’t only CBS, but NBC had the guys who made the Olympics and showcased them as Tomorrow’s Champions, and that was also significant. I was very proud to be part of that; it was a very special time for boxing.” [Click Here To Read More]
“When they first called and told me I was on the ballot, I was like ‘wow, I’m truly honored,’” he said. “And I meant that sincerely. But I didn’t think my career warranted it. When I think of the Hall of Fame, I think of longevity. I only fought five and a half years as a pro. I only had 34 fights.”
But what a five and a half years they were. Take away two losing efforts in comeback fights against Hector Camacho in 1989 and Greg Haugen in 1992, and Mancini’s run from 1979 to 1985 captured a moment in boxing that may never be seen again. It was an era where fighters fought each other, the best didn’t shy away from the best, and it was all on display every weekend on free network television. Boxing used to get front page and back page coverage in newspapers, not relegated to the occasional story buried somewhere in the transactions section. It was an era that produced the likes of Sugar Ray Leonard, Marvin Hagler, Thomas Hearns, Aaron Pryor, and Matthew Saad Muhammad, just to name a few, as well as a humble, yet charismatic, kid from Youngstown, Ohio nicknamed “Boom Boom.”
“It was the first time that we were brought into the homes of the American public on a regular basis,” Mancini said. “Growing up, ABC Wide World of Sports had fighting - like one a quarter – and that’s where I saw (Roberto) Duran fight, where I saw Carlos Monzon fight, and sometimes it was even (Muhammad) Ali. That’s where you saw the good fights. In the 80s, it was on network television, Saturday afternoon, and we even fought on Sundays sometimes. We were like college and pro football. And that’s significant. And it wasn’t only CBS, but NBC had the guys who made the Olympics and showcased them as Tomorrow’s Champions, and that was also significant. I was very proud to be part of that; it was a very special time for boxing.” [Click Here To Read More]
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