Mancini’s appearance this weekend ‘dream come true’ for Pepe

Sep 06, 2018 829

BY: Gregory Gay

For five years, Johnny Pepe has tried to convince Hall of Fame boxer Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini to appear at the annual Carmen Basilio Quest for Champions event, the Watertown Area Boxing Club’s biggest show of the year. Pepe has featured various notable boxing names at past events, such as Christy Martin last year and even the show’s namesake, Carmen Basilio. But Ray Mancini holds special meaning for Pepe.

“When I boxed, from ages 14 to 18, when I was a teenager and up into my 20s, he was my idol,” Pepe said. “I tried to fight like him.” Pepe would travel to the International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota and seek out Mancini, telling the WBA lightweight champion from 1982-84 how much he has meant to him.

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SOURCE: http://www.watertowndailytimes.com/

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