Youngstown freshmen honor city favorite son 'Boom Boom' Mancini with exhibit

YOUNGSTOWN

On the ground floor of the Tyler Mahoning Valley History Center on West Federal Street, one of Youngstown’s favorite sons was home and loving it.

He brought some of his championship belts with him, but already on the walls and in cases in a corner of the cavernous room were so much of his history.

There were gloves. Shoes. A gym bag. Boxing shorts. Posters.

In one case, a green, red and white robe with an Italian flag on its back was hung carefully. It was the championship robe, the card next to it explained, that Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini had worn in fights against Jorge Morales, Jose Luis Ramirez, Alexis Arguello and Arturo Frias.

Standing not far away from what he says is one of his favorite pictures, a closeup of Mancini with a puffy, mangled eye and big smile, was the World Boxing Association 1982-1984 Lightweight Champion himself.

That picture, Mancini explained, was taken after his last fight when he retired, in February 1985. He was 24 years old.

The kids had picked it out, he said — 12 ninth-graders from the Youngstown Early College, in collaboration with the Mahoning Valley Historical Society, who worked to bring the Youngstown Boxing Hall of Fame to reality.

“Let me tell you something,” Mancini told the crowd, “these kids are wonderful for them to do this. I appreciate it, honest to God, I can’t tell you how excited I am about being here.”

Read more about the former fighter and the event in Saturday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.