Boom Boom Time Again

Ray Mancini isn't walking in a shadow at all. "I've told my father that if I am half the man he is, I'll be happy in life," he says. "But there are so many ways I want to be different from him, too. There aren't many sons that can really give something to their fathers. I'm fortunate to be able to. A lot of people ask me if I'll retire if I win the title. What will be my motivation? It's pride. A lot of guys win it once and lose it. But to hold on to it...."

The intensity is his own. Not his father's. It's a real, tangible thing, like a left hook, and it has taken him far. Whether he wins the title or not, young Boom Boom's all right. He's tackling life face first. And it ain't no gig.