Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini is a former Italian-American boxer from Youngstown, Ohio. He held the World Boxing Association lightweight championship for two years in the 1980’s. Mancini inherited his distinctive nickname, “Boom Boom”, from his father, veteran boxer Lenny “Boom Boom” Mancini, who laid the foundation for his son’s career. The name, however, perfectly suited the younger Mancini’s wild, “whirlwind” fighting style.

Mancini will always be known for the fight that would change both his life and the face of boxing: On November 13, 1982, a 21-year-old Mancini met 23-year-old South Korean challenger Duk Koo Kim. Kim had to lose several pounds before the fight to make the weight, and was dehydrated. The title bout, at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas, was televised live at 1:00 PST on CBS Sports. By fight time, Kim was spent.

It was, according to many observers, a fight filled with action, but Mancini had an easy time hitting Kim during the 14 rounds the fight lasted. Kim sustained brain injuries that led to his death five days later. The week after his death, the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine showed Mancini and Kim battling, under the title “Tragedy In The Ring”.