WEST SPRINGFIELD — After 45 years of hard work, dedication, blood, sweat and tears, West Springfield resident and former Councilor Robert Mancini was recently inducted into the Classic Entertainment and Sports (CES) Boxing Hall of Fame.

Mancini began boxing at age 7, as an outlet for the bullying he endured. Every Friday and Saturday night, he recalled sneaking out of his Cumberland, R.I., home to avoid his parents discovering he was an “amateur fighter.”

In his first fight, Mancini faced off against the very boy who was bullying him.

“I socked him in the first round,” Mancini said. Following his first victory and the completion of nine more fights, Mancini had successfully hidden his boxing from his parents for three months.

For years, Mancini continued his passion, even upon his move to Massachusetts at the age of 10. “I fought for the Holyoke Boys Club for a few years,” he said. As the club would travel to a variety of places, Mancini described the crowds as “thousands crammed in” to a gymnasium-sized space.

One match that Mancini has embedded in his mind is when they were taken to a jail in Connecticut. Here, a 132-pound Mancini had to battle an inmate weighing in at 180 pounds. He claimed a victory that he will never forget.

Around 1987, Mancini began attending CES boxing events. While CES hosts shows around the world, Mancini said he would frequent the mixed martial arts shows when they visited the New England region.

Jimmy Burchfield, promoter of CES Boxing, became familiar with Mancini as he became a regular attendee, both watching and then assisting behind the scenes of the fights.

“[Burchfield] puts on the best boxing shows around,” said Mancini. “He brings them to the next level.”

Through getting to know countless individuals and his devotion to the sport, Mancini said, “I am well respected in the boxing community.” He went on to say that boxing is more than the sport, “It’s a huge family.” Fighters both past and present show the utmost respect for one another, he noted.

“People don’t know what boxers go through,” he said. With the countless hours of intense physical training and busted hands, he said, “You don’t ‘play’ boxing. It’s a hurt sport.”

Over the years, Mancini has visited countless gyms to watch kids train. He said he enjoys doing this, as he believes he can recognize those who will become world champions. He added that he likes to serve as a mentor and give pointers or advice, regardless if it’s used.

On the weekend of Nov. 27, 2021, Mancini and nearly 14,000 others attended the CES boxing event at the MassMutual Center. As always, Mancini showed up early with his all-access backstage pass to help set up and talk with fighters before showtime. Upon his arrival, Mancini said he noticed people avoiding him that he would typically converse with, including Burchfield. Although he thought this was strange, he said he didn’t think too much of it until people tried to stall him and prevent him from leaving, even to use the restroom.

Following the completion of “some great fights,” as described by Mancini, he said Burchfield called him up into the ring. At first, he thought Burchfield was recognizing him for his hard work behind the scenes that day. However, Burchfield said, “I want to honor someone who has been around me for a long time, and around the boxing community for 45 years,” Mancini told Reminder Publishing.

Standing in the same ring that world champions fought in such as Vinny Paz and Jaime Clampitt, Mancini was astounded to hear what came next.

Burchfield announced to the arena that Mancini, or “Bean,” as he’s referred to by his boxing family, would be inducted into the CES Boxing Hall of Fame.

“It was so surreal,” said Mancini. “This is the biggest award I could ever receive in my lifetime.”

Although this induction came as a surprise, Mancini said he was thankful that his son Michael and daughter Sabrina were in the audience.

He described this day as one of the “greatest moments” in his 52 years of life. “The only thing I wish was that my dad could've been there,” said Mancini. While he knew his father was looking down, in return, he said “I looked up and said ‘Dad – I did it.’”

To be recognized by Burchfield, someone Mancini truly admires, he said, “It doesn’t get better than that.”

Although his fighting days are long over, after receiving this award, Mancini said, “My movie can finally come to an end.”

Mancini served three terms on the West Springfield Town Council from 2006 to 2012. He also ran for School Committee this year, but finished seventh, with 1,463 votes. Mancini said he was not surprised at the result, based on the “great people” who ran for the same six seats. He said he still sees himself as a winner for garnering wide support in West Side.

He said he plans to speak with the mayor and ask if they can bring boxing to West Springfield High School. He believes the gymnasium is a perfect space for professionals to fight and to accommodate the crowds.

Sharing his passion with others and bringing boxing back to its true form is what Mancini hopes to accomplish.