Livingstone "Hurricane Donna"/"Coconut Head" Bramble

A generation before Emanuel Augustus became a television mainstay (although their careers did overlap for a nine year period), there was another entertaining but frustratingly underachieving world-class super-journeyman marching to his own drumbeat from lightweight to welter, and who both thrilled with his in-ring performances and left fans equal parts tickled pink and baffled with his combination of playful charisma and esoteric leanings...and refusal to consistently take seriously the sport in which he was so talented. Unlike his Chicagoan predecessor Mr. Augustus/Burton, the St. Kitts native at least managed to capture a world title belt and squeezed in a couple of defenses over a period of 2+ years.

Whereas the unluckier Augustus/Burton had dancing without music as his signature (though hardly lone) antic, the no less colorful Bramble had a penchant for wild haircuts, silly hats, and wearing snakes as scarves. Both also managed incredible longevity given the number of top shelf fighters they faced, with Augustus clocking 16½ years and Bramble just a few months shy of a whopping 23 years in the pros. To put that in perspective, a person born when Bramble made his pro debut would generally be considered too old to make a pro turn of their own at the age of 23, when he faded into Bolivian (never officially retiring and hinting at comebacks numerous times over the 1st decade of the millennium).

Both stayed overlong, with Augustus sputtering across the finish line on a 5 loss streak (two of them stoppages, belying his lifelong reputation for having an iron chin) while Bramble went 0-6 versus a motley crew he would've used to wipe his ass in effortless tuneups even a few years past his prime in the early/mid-90's. Bramble last tasted success before the Y2K "bug" proved to be a non-issue, and was still taking lumps for cash a few months into the nascent Iraq War. :verysad

Ever proud of his cultural heritage (the lesser Antilles of the West Indies, and the broader Caribbean region) and religions (he was both a Rastafarian and self-avowed voodoo witch doctor), he embraced the mystique the American boxing community bestowed on him and was a character more typical of what you'd find in professional wrestling than pro boxing. The difference is, regardless of whether any of his persona was a put-on, it certainly wasn't scripted and he was in full artistic control of his own brand. (longtime manager & trainer Lou Duva, whose brother Dan promoted Bramble, went on record saying he found attempting to influence him, let alone direct him, a useless task)

With under four years in the game a young Bramble toppled Ray Mancini to end his WBA reign, and effectively cordon off Boom-Boom's short prime with a bloody tourniquet. Mancini would never again be victorious in the ring - and while many blame his dissolution in large part on the mental effect of his 1982 defense over Deuk-Koo Kim, which proved fatal to his opponent, the fact of the matter is that Mancini continued to fight & beat top challengers between Kim & Bramble. While the Kim tragedy very well may have been a burden he continued to shoulder and hampered Mancini's effectiveness (and certainly his aggressive instincts) he was still a capable, active champion when Bramble first met him, and ruined him.

That and the Mancini rematch eight months later serve as the pinnacle of Bramble's long career, and he was dethroned himself in fairly short order not much later by Chapo Rosario, but for an entire decade thereafter Bramble consistently took on a steady cadre of top dogs (though not without soft touches sprinkled in). In that span he never again defeated a big name - due to a mixture of hard luck and just plain flagging motivation, not quite giving enough of himself in training camp, etc - but came very close a few times and was never an easy night for anybody even as the years piled on.



In lieu of any live televised boxing this Friday night, let us commemorate a true original in the squared circle.



Bramble vs. Mancini I:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0eXwB6mdeQ

Bramble vs. Mancini II:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vxJjgR1HAs

Bramble vs. Crawley:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9uuZ1CS3LW0

Bramble vs. Pendleton I:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hyUoTncN2Vc

Bramble vs. Carr:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTHbiqTOZFQ

Bramble vs. Mayweather:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kue1NLSjv2k

Bramble vs. Tszyu:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g35-1wOSks8

Bramble vs. McGirt:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrDrXaWHMHc

 

Yeah, those knockouts were not matters of deficiency in chin.

 

:good

Even after Chapo burst his bubble he remained a very respectable journeyman for an insanely long time.

 

Livingstone Bramble > Jake the wrestler. :deal

 

Then again, put Bramble in between Roberts & some prim-o crack rock and shit might get real.. :err: