The rematch between Ray Mancini and Livingstone Bramble was set for February 16, 1985, at the Lawlor Events Center in Reno, Nevada. Ray wanted to recapture the belt he had lost, and this time the bout was broadcast on HBO.
Since we didn’t have HBO at our house, I went over my cousin’s house, where my mom was babysitting that Saturday night. I was nervous for Ray, since Bramble beat him rather easily the first time.
This time the fight was a little closer, but Mancini suffered cuts over both eyes, and bled profusely throughout the bout. He showed the heart of a warrior in going the 15 round distance, but lost a unanimous decision. He had to have 71 stitches put in over his eye after the fight, and hinted of retirement soon after. He would in face only fight two more times, in a comeback loss to Hector Camacho in 1989, and a TKO loss to Greg Haugen in 1992.
For the brief time he fought, his star shined brightly, and earned Ray a plaque in the Boxing Hall of Fame in 2015.
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