40 years ago

Date: 1st June 1984

Venue: Memorial Auditorium, Buffalo, New York

Title: WBA World Lightweight Title

Promoter: Main Events

Tv: ESPN

Ray Mancini
( 29 - 1 - 0 )
Weight: 135 lbs

Livingstone Bramble
( 20 - 1 - 1 )
Weight: 134½ lbs

On Friday, June 1st, 1984, the Memorial Auditorium in Buffalo, New York, hosted a highly anticipated WBA World Lightweight Title fight between Ray Mancini and Livingstone Bramble. The event, promoted by Main Events, saw Mancini defend his title for the fifth time. Mancini, hailing from Youngstown, Ohio, held a record of 29-1-0, while Bramble, from Saint Kitts and Nevis, had a record of 20-1-1. The fighters weighed in at 135 lbs for Mancini and 134½ lbs for Bramble. Referee Marty Denkin officiated the fight, which ended with Bramble defeating Mancini by TKO at 0:53 in the 14th round.

Mancini started aggressively, attempting to justify his $1 million purse, while Bramble's was $150,000. However, many of Mancini's early punches found only air, as Bramble deftly blocked or picked off his opponent's attacks. In the first round, Mancini suffered a bad cut on his right eyelid, apparently from a solid left hook, but Denkin ruled the cut was caused by a butt. Throughout the fight, Bramble's arms blocked many of Mancini's body blows, effectively countering with combinations led by right uppercuts.

Bramble's height and reach advantage were evident, as he frequently switched stances and effectively engaged Mancini in close quarters. In the sixth round, Bramble cut Mancini's nose, and by the ninth round, Mancini's left eye was also cut. Mancini's breathing became labored due to blood in his mouth and nose, and by the 10th round, both his eyes were nearly closed, with his punches losing strength.

The turning point occurred in the seventh round when a right hand from Bramble buckled Mancini's right knee. Mancini's exceptional conditioning and fighting spirit allowed him to remain standing throughout the following rounds. In the eighth round, Bramble landed powerful punches, forcing Mancini to hold on after a lead left wobbled him backwards. Bramble maintained this momentum through the ninth and 10th rounds.

Despite a brief lull in the 11th round, when Bramble momentarily stopped throwing punches, he resumed his attack in the 13th round. As the final round commenced, Mancini was visibly wobbly, and at 0:53, Bramble secured a TKO victory, dethroning Mancini as the WBA World Lightweight Champion. The fight had a significant impact on both fighters, with Mancini requiring eight stitches in one eyelid and six in the other after being taken to the hospital. The event drew a crowd of 14,500 spectators.