Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini was one of the most prominent boxers in American history.
He was the son of a great contender, Lenny Mancini, who was wounded in World War II before he ever got a chance at a championship. Mancini inherited his father’s ring nickname — “Boom Boom” — and his championship dreams. In 1980, Mancini succeeded in winning the lightweight championship of the world, earning him widespread adoration.
And then, in November 1982, Mancini met a South Korean boxer named Duk Koo Kim, Duk Koo Kim, was a little-known and lightly regarded South Korean challenger who had become the No. 1 contender, in just his second title defense. Duk Koo Kim went down in the 14th round — and he never got up. He died four days later from a brain injury. The referee, Richard Green, committed suicide seven months later. Kim’s mother committed suicide four months after that. Mancini remains tormented by the events of that day.
The tragic death forever tormented Mancini and changed the sport of boxing.
What happened in the ring that afternoon 30 years ago left a dark trail of tragedy, a lifetime of searing guilt for Mancini, and permanently altered the boxing landscape by immediately reduced the number of rounds in its championship bouts from 15 to 12.
Mickey Rourke, Ed O’Neill, Sugar Ray Leonard, and Ray Mancini give first-hand accounts in this story about legacy, fatherhood and forgiveness. The film details the precursor and aftermath of the historic 1982 fight, when Mancini took the life of South Korean fighter Duk Koo Kim in the ring, changing the lives of two families, and the sport of boxing, forever. The film hits theaters August 9th. You can see the trailer here: