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Mancini is thriving after return to Mahoning Valley

Tribune Chronicle / Joe Simon Former boxing world champion and Youngstown native Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini speaks Wednesday to a “dad’s meeting” put on by Trumbull County Action Program at the Warren West Community Center.

WARREN — Not many things catch former world champion boxer Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini off-guard, but that indeed happened Wednesday.

The Youngstown native was a guest speaker at an event put on by the Trumbull County Action Program at the Warren West Community Center, and he admitted he wasn’t sure what he should talk about at a monthly “dad’s meeting” put on by TCAP.

“Sometimes it’s best just to speak from the heart,” Mancini said.

Mancini, a father of two sons and a daughter, talked to a group of about 15-20 parents and children and shared his own story — revealing the difficulties he endured while raising a family during a divorce. A man who absorbed — and landed — more than his fair share of punches said the trying times made him and his family tougher.

The 57-year-old’s life story has him back in Youngstown nowadays.

Tribune Chronicle / Joe Simon Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini, left, and Van Nelson, CEO of Trumbull Community Action Program, jokingly pose for a picture after Mancini spoke at the organization’s event Wednesday.

Mancini grew up in Youngstown, of course, and moved back to the area from California four years ago — partly to help the city grow and also to pursue his own business venture. Mancini, who became an actor and film producer after retiring from boxing, is trying to bring more films to the Youngstown area. He said he’s had four major projects here (including “Youngstown: Still Standing”) and hopes to continue to pursue films “in the 3 to 15 million dollar range” — as well as a full digital media studio — for the Mahoning Valley.

“In 1989, I wrote a thing with my goals and aspirations,” Mancini said. “I wrote, ‘Build a studio in Youngstown.’ That was 1989 and I still have that (goal). I’ve always come back to do things. My relationship with my city is a little different than most.”

That it is.

Mancini has long been loyal to the area. During an illustrious boxing career, he fought five times in Warren — including a bout at Mollenkopf Stadium in 1982, the first defense of his World Boxing Association lightweight championship. His other four fights were at Packard Music Hall and five others took place in the Youngstown area — all victories.

Mancini enjoyed a famed-yet-short career that included the tragic fight against Deuk-koo Kim, who passed away days after their bout. Mancini took some time off following the fight and retired three years later. He made a comeback in 1989 and fought once more in 1992 before retiring for good.

He finished 29-5 with 23 knockouts, and in 2015, Mancini was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota, N.Y.

“That’s our Canton. That’s our Cooperstown,” said Mancini, referring to the sites of the pro football and baseball halls of fame. “I’ll never forget when they called to tell me I was on the ballot. It blew me away. I told the writer, ‘Wow, I didn’t think my career warranted it,’ only because I only fought five-and-a-half years as a pro. … He said, ‘No, no, I disagree. It wasn’t the quantity of your fights, it was the quality of your fights. You belong in there with anybody else.’ That meant the world to me.”

Mancini said he still follows the sport closely. He’s optimistic of its growth, partly because the heavyweight division is again thriving.

Current top-ranked boxer Anthony Joshua, a British fighter who holds three of the four sanctioned belts, is 20-0, and the No. 1 contender, American Deontay Wilder, who holds the fourth sanctioned belt, is 39-0. The two seem on a collision course, one that Mancini is looking forward to watching.

“What I like about Wilder is he’s so unorthodox,” Mancini said. “He’s so wild, but he makes it exciting. He comes after you, he throws punches in weird angles. Nothing special, but he can punch like a son of a gun. Joshua is more stand-up, more refined, can punch pretty good, too, so that’s the matchup. It’s gotta be, but make it now. Don’t wait. They’re all, ‘We’ve got to let it marinate.’ No, the food is ready to be eaten now.”

Not many know a good fight better than Mancini.

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