Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini To Visit Canastota’s Boxing Hall of Fame [VIDEO]
Former WBA Lightweight Champion, Ray "Boom Boom" Mancini will visit the International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota this Thursday (8/1). Mancini, who some say was involved in a fight that changed the face of boxing, will tour the hall and greet fans at 3pm. Click to find out why he's in town and details on the fight that changed his life forever.
Mancini is promoting the documentary and book about his life, "The Good Son." At the height of his boxing career in 1982 and at the young age of 21, Mancini stepped into the ring to defend his title against South Korean boxer, Duk Koo Kim.
In the 14th round, Mancini finally stops Kim with a straight right hand, and immediately after the bell rings, Korean lapses into a coma. He’ll never wake up; five days later, Kim’s mother, flown in from Korea, authorizes doctors to unhook her son from life support.
Months later, Kim's mother and the fights' referee, Richard Green both commit suicide. Mancini is never the same fighter again and boxing, in one of many moves to protect fighters, reduces fights to 12 rounds. Check out the trailer for the movie below and Mancini touring his hometown of Youngstown, OH.