Ras-I Alujah Bramble, the former WBA lightweight champion who was born Livingstone Bramble, died Saturday at age 64. His son, Shanoy, confirmed his father’s passing to noted cutman Jacob “Stitch” Duran. The cause of death is unknown.
Bramble (40-26-3, 25 KOs) won the title on June 1, 1984, in Buffalo, N.Y., when he stopped future Hall of Famer Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini in the 14th round of a stirring battle. He defended the belt with a 15-round decision over Mancini in their rematch on Feb. 16, 1985.
A deeply eccentric personality, Bramble often wore a snake around his neck into the ring. At the news conference before the rematch, he pulled out a voodoo doll, poked it in the eyes, and turned to Mancini.
“Ray,” he said, “tell me how your eyes feel. See how your eyes are jumping now?”
His manager and trainer, the legendary Lou Duva, was known as one of boxing’s most colorful figures, but even Duva had to laugh at some of Bramble’s antics.
“I mean, what we have here is a nut,” Duva said at the time. “A real coconut head. A cuckoo.”
But Bramble, behind all the theatrics, was a legitimately elite fighter in his prime. He had a great chin, heavy hands, and the confidence to mix it with anyone.
He was unpredictable, sometimes off-the-wall, but also gregarious and full of appreciation for his fans.
He became close with Stitch Duran after a chance encounter in Las Vegas.
“I met Bramble years ago at Golden Gloves Gym [in Las Vegas],” Duran said. “Being a fan, I asked him when he was going to fight next. He stopped, looked at me and said, ‘Now, if you ask again!’ We became friends after that moment.
“One of the hardest punchers I ever did pads for. A true friend. I’ll miss his smile.”
Bramble fought many of the great lightweights and super lightweights during the talent-rich 1980s. In addition to his two wins over Mancini, he knocked out Tyrone Crawley in the 13th round in a 1986 title defense in Reno.
He also shared the ring with the likes of Kostya Tszyu, Edwin Rosario, Roger Mayweather, Buddy McGirt, Rafael Ruelas, and Charles Murray.