25 min
Ray 'Boom Boom' Mancini 'Life Story' BoXing Daily 'Life Stories'
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- Sports
Today's episode is about Ray Mancini, who competed professionally from 1979 to 1992 and who has since worked as an actor and sports commentator. He held the WBA lightweight title from 1982 to 1984. Ray was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. On November 13, 1982, a 21-year-old Mancini met 27-year-old South Korean challenger Duk Koo Kim. Kim had struggled to make the 135 lb weight limit, and had to lose several pounds shortly before the fight. The title bout, at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, was televised live on CBS Sports. It was, according to many observers, a fight filled with action. Mancini won by TKO in the 14th round. Moments after the fight ended, Kim collapsed and fell into a coma, having suffered a subdural hematoma, and died four days later. This fight changed lives and boxing forever, The aftermath had catastrophic repercussions and not just for Mancini, who was still only twenty-one at the time. A few months after Kim died, the South Korean’s mother killed herself and, shortly after, the same fate befell Richard Greene, the man who had refereed the fight. A glaring media spotlight only added to the emotional turmoil. In addition to this boxing changed forever as Kim's death lead to the WBC to take steps to shorten its title bouts to a maximum of 12 rounds. The WBA and WBO followed in 1988, and the IBF in 1989.
Today's episode is about Ray Mancini, who competed professionally from 1979 to 1992 and who has since worked as an actor and sports commentator. He held the WBA lightweight title from 1982 to 1984. Ray was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. On November 13, 1982, a 21-year-old Mancini met 27-year-old South Korean challenger Duk Koo Kim. Kim had struggled to make the 135 lb weight limit, and had to lose several pounds shortly before the fight. The title bout, at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, was televised live on CBS Sports. It was, according to many observers, a fight filled with action. Mancini won by TKO in the 14th round. Moments after the fight ended, Kim collapsed and fell into a coma, having suffered a subdural hematoma, and died four days later. This fight changed lives and boxing forever, The aftermath had catastrophic repercussions and not just for Mancini, who was still only twenty-one at the time. A few months after Kim died, the South Korean’s mother killed herself and, shortly after, the same fate befell Richard Greene, the man who had refereed the fight. A glaring media spotlight only added to the emotional turmoil. In addition to this boxing changed forever as Kim's death lead to the WBC to take steps to shorten its title bouts to a maximum of 12 rounds. The WBA and WBO followed in 1988, and the IBF in 1989.
25 min
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