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By: Sean Crose
I suppose it’s one of those cases where you had to be there. He may not have been the greatest lightweight in history – though he certainly was very good. He may not have had the longest title run – just a few short years, really. Yet Livingstone Bramble, who died this weekend at the age of 64 was nothing if not memorable. Nobody expected to him to win the WBA lightweight title back in 1984, but that’s exactly what the native of St. Croix did, stopping the bloodied champion, Ray Mancini, in the 14th. The two fought a very close rematch the following year, but once again, Bramble got the win (this time on the judge’s cards).
Things turned sour for Bramble when he was walloped for two rounds by Edwin Rosario in Miami before their 1986 fight was halted by the referee. It would be the last time Bramble stood in the ring a world champion. After losing his title belt to Rosario, the exciting Bramble would never again attain world championship status. That didn’t mean the man couldn’t be an entertaining ring practitioner, however. The truth was that Bramble was good television. Whether he was entering the ring holding a large snake, trading punches with Mancini, or even getting rolled over by Rosario, Livingstone Bramble fights were entertaining.
While his career went through a decline that essentially lasted for decades, Bramble did well in the early 90s engaging in exciting battles on programs like Tuesday Night Fights. He may no longer have been a dominant fighter, but the man by that point was epitomizing good boxing – not great boxing, but good boxing, which was something most former champions could’t say long after their primes had come and gone. Bramble, simply put, was a boxer through and through.
And while he’s no longer with us, Bramble left us with some very memorable ring performances. I still remember watching him win the title off Mancini, just as I watched him get rolled over by Rosario two years later. He fought in a legitimately great era but there was more than quirkiness and pet snakes that made Bramble stand out. “You know,” my dad said after Bramble had lost a close one in the early 90s “the guy’s okay.” True enough. He was a legit standout, as well. Those of us who saw Bramble ply his trade won’t be forgetting him.
Rest in Peace.
