There’s nothing else I ever wanted to be: Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini, former WBA Lightweight champion

Ray Mancini is a self-proclaimed “product of his environment.” Growing up in Youngstown, Ohio, he took the blue-collar work ethic that is engrained in that town and brought it to the ring. This week’s episode gave me the delight of sitting down with Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini, a former WBA Lightweight title holder, and talking about many different ideals of sports and life. In our conversation, we discuss how his father’s service in World War II led Ray’s drive to win a title for him, how growing up “on the streets” taught him what he needed to know about life, what it means to prepare for a fight mentally, and how intestinal fortitude can’t be taught.

We dive into how dishonesty ultimately ends up hurting you the most, how living with his trainer helped Ray land into the mindset of a fighter, how the support from his parents paved the way for his own parenting style, and how visualizing your goals can ultimately lead you to them. This is an inspirational talk with plenty of life lessons to take away. Ray is a great storyteller and speaker who takes the lessons he learned as a boxer and applies them to his everyday life. Tune into this special episode and find out how to get a “Doctorate in life” from Ray.