World champions

Five World Champions. Inducted onto city’s Walk of Fame.

Five World Champions. Inducted onto city’s Walk of Fame.

It’s an honor for a community to have a world champion, but to have five in one sport is really something. The city of Youngstown claims five gentleman. Jeff Lampkin, Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini, Greg “The Flea” Richardson, Kelly The Ghost Pavlik and Harry “Dirty Harry” Arroyo.

Jeff Lampkin captured the International Boxing Federation’s Cruiserweight world title.

Boom Boom Mancini, World Boxing Association lightweight champion. He also held the WBA lightweight title.

Kelly (the Ghost) Pavlik won the World Boxing Council and World Boxing Organization middleweight world titles.

Harry Arroyo won the IBF lightweight world title.

Greg Richardson won the WBC bantamweight world title.

Youngstown Ohio. Home of Youngstown Ohio. I was born in a city that at one time was known for its Steel Mills, and Italian mobsters. But the city had five local lads that won world champion boxing titles.

Five world champions are lightweight champion Harry Arroyo (40-11-0), cruiserweight titlist Jeff “Prime Time” Lampkin (39-19-1), lightweight champion Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini (29-5-0), middleweight champ Kelly “The Ghost” Pavlik (40-2-0) and bantamweight titlist Greg “The Flea” Richardson (31-8-1).

“These aren’t minor belts won, but belts from the big three which is the IBF, WBA and WBC. Another local boxer who never won a world title but came so close was Ernie Shavers.