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00:00We are in beautiful Miami Beach, Florida, where two lightweight champions will defend their titles.
00:09WBA champion Livingstone Bramble defends the title he took from Ray Boom Boom Mancini.
00:16Their two memorable battles were all guts, and for Bramble, two knights of glory.
00:23And they will end it the way they started it.
00:26Fight it.
00:27It's over.
00:30But tonight, he faces one tough opponent.
00:33Edwin Rosario's disappointment of last June reinforced his determination and dangerous punching power.
00:39A left hand, and Camacho's hurt.
00:42Rosario is right on it.
00:44That's the left hook, Barry, I was talking about.
00:47And a right hand by Rosario, who moves in for the kill.
00:51Bramble faces Rosario in the third defense of his WBA lightweight crown.
00:56Then, WBC champion Hector Macho Camacho tries to shake off last June's battle with Rosario and reestablish his flamboyant image as boxing's brightest star.
01:09Tonight, he faces Cornelius Boze Edwards, an ex-champion who's no stranger to the wars of the ring.
01:20He's trying to become only the third junior lightweight champion to capture the lightweight crown.
01:25His opponent tonight, Hector Macho Camacho and Alexis Arguello are already in the record books.
01:30Camacho and Boze Edwards fight for the WBC crown.
01:35Two lightweight title fights in a spectacular doubleheader tonight on HBO.
01:40It's a resort.
01:41By day, it's a community full of rest and relaxation for the sun worshiper.
02:10A sporting paradise and the site of many big events.
02:14Right down the road, the Orange Bowl awaits number one Oklahoma and number two Miami tomorrow.
02:22But tonight, we're live from the Abel Holtz Tennis Stadium in Miami Beach, Florida.
02:26First, WBA lightweight champion Livingstone Bramble defends his title against former champion Edwin Rosario.
02:32It's scheduled for 15 rounds.
02:34Then, WBC lightweight champion Hector Macho Camacho defends his crown against Cornelius Boze Edwards.
02:41That one is scheduled for 12 rounds.
02:43The Atlantic Ocean is just a few blocks away from this fabled resort.
02:47The city of Miami has hosted many memorable battles in boxing history.
02:51Archie Moore and Joey Maxim.
02:53The first fight between an 8-to-1 underdog, Cassius Clay, and Sonny Liston.
02:58The memorable first fight of Aaron Pryor and Alexis Aguayo.
03:02And tonight, this tennis center plays host to a boxing card which many believe to be one of the most exciting in recent memory.
03:08The tradition of historic matchups in this great city continues as boxing returns to Miami Beach.
03:15Hello, everybody. I'm Barry Tompkins.
03:18Welcome to Miami Beach.
03:19A lightweight double dip with me, as always, the champ, Sugar Ray Leonard.
03:23And, Ray, I think right now everybody's kind of talking about our heavyweight unification series.
03:26They're talking about Leonard Hagler.
03:28Not a lot of people are talking about the lightweight division, and that may be the toughest division in boxing right at the moment.
03:33Well, Barry, with the exception of the IBF champion, Jimmy Paul, and one of his top contenders, Vinny Pazianza,
03:39we have the cream of the crop here.
03:40We have personality, talent, so tonight should be a pretty exciting card.
03:44Let's talk about the first fight up, and that is Livingstone Bramble versus Edwin Rosario.
03:48Four to one odds on this fight, Ray, and I got to say, that really surprises me with a guy like Rosario
03:53having that punching power that he showed against Camacho, but Bramble's a big favorite.
03:56Well, I tell you, I'm not too fond about the odds-makers sometimes because I think what we have here is Edwin Rosario,
04:01a fighter that gave Edwin Camacho a goal for his money.
04:05He was able to hurt Camacho, and this fight here against Bramble, Bramble has to be his best
04:10because Rosario can do a little bit of everything.
04:12Yeah, I suppose it either says how good or how much respect Bramble has or how little respect Edwin Rosario has.
04:18We'll find out in just a little bit.
04:20Also with us, as always, and this time perched on high, the pugilistic equivalent of a skybox, if you will,
04:27Larry Merchant is up top, and Larry has a little bit more on this most competitive of all divisions.
04:32Larry?
04:32In quality and depth, the lightweight division really is the heavyweight division of boxing, has been for several years.
04:42Maybe the reason is cyclical.
04:44Maybe, too, an old trainer said it when asked, where have all the prize fighters have gone?
04:50They're around, he said, only they're playing basketball or something else.
04:55Because, happily, lightweights are too small for basketball, too big to be jockeys, so they remain lightweights.
05:02Presumably, that's why there are so many good ones around.
05:06And absolutely, that's why we have such an attractive doubleheader.
05:10We'll get to the peacock of the division, Hector Camacho, a bit later.
05:14But for now, as referee Mills Lane puts it, let's get it on.
05:20Livingston Bramble, a champion.
05:22Edwin Rosario, a dangerous challenger.
05:25He is the defending champion, Livingston, Pickle Bramble.
05:38Usually, after every Bramble fight, I commit myself to a mental institution for about ten days.
05:44I wish you.
05:47I wish you.
05:51Just leave all the madness in yesterday.
05:55You're home.
06:03Three years ago, the public thought I was a wild and crazy dude who was very tough.
06:08And the Duvas, they did a well and good job at building me up to the negative image that they wanted to present to the public or to the boxing world.
06:19And it was great.
06:20I wish they did it, you know, did me and not make believe or whatever and build me up like a mean wild guy.
06:26It was Dr. Du and Voodoo that used to sell tickets to see the Rastafarian boxer.
06:33But the WBA's lightweight champion has made a few changes.
06:37Lou and Dan Duva are no longer with Livingston Bramble, nor is the image he claims they created.
06:42In his own words, Bramble says he's grown up.
06:46He's moved his menagerie of animals to his new home in Hampton Township, New Jersey, married his sweetheart from Montana, and replaced the media's version of witchdoctry with full-time fatherhood.
06:57Out from under the hype, the real Livingston Bramble has emerged, and his true character is never more evident than in his relationship with a four-year-old boy named Shannoy Bramble.
07:11How are you doing, Shannoy Bramble?
07:12Good.
07:14I think the first time I really felt for him is when he was with his son.
07:18There's this bond between them.
07:20It's incredible.
07:21And to see him sit down and explain things to him, and actually listen to his son.
07:29A lot of parents forget to do that.
07:31You know, the child's going on and on.
07:34I mean, he sits down and listens, and he respects the respect between the two of them is incredible.
07:39This kid right here, from the day he was born, I know I had responsibility.
07:46And as we grew, we grew together.
07:48I started raising him on my own, and this kid inspired me.
07:54I'll tell you, my goal right now is to go back to college and get my teaching degree so I can go back to a poverty era and teach the kids,
08:04because I think they need people like me to work with them.
08:07You know, when a kid says, Daddy, could I ride a new run?
08:10I love it.
08:11He makes sure I'm in shape.
08:13He'll have only told me I look good in training once in my whole life.
08:16That was the day before the Crowley fight.
08:20He said, Daddy, you look good.
08:22I felt good, because he was very honest.
08:25He pushes me on, and he never lets me slip.
08:29Many believe that Bramble would slip following his bitter break with his manager and promoter and a year of inactivity.
08:35But by round 13 of the February 16th confrontation with Tyrone Crawley, Livingston Bramble silenced his critics.
08:42The WBA champion convincingly kept his title and his convictions.
08:46I could build myself up to be very mean in the ring, but once I leave the ring, that's where my frustration stays, right there.
08:55Right now, it's just my son and my wife, and that's what we got going for us right now.
09:01We are a family, and boxing is our job.
09:05And we all, the three of us, we're working toward being number one in that area.
09:10Of course, you know I'm Rastafarian.
09:12I think my Rastafarian faith and belief got me a peace of mind.
09:17And it made me so strong that it's really hard to tear this pit bull down right now.
09:22Hey, man.
09:23You want me to pick you up?
09:25Yeah.
09:25All right.
09:31Livingston Bramble calls himself the most misunderstood champion, and the man he faces tonight, Edwin Chapo Rosario, calls himself the people's champion.
09:40When Hector Camacho won the decision over Rosario in June, his son said, Daddy, you're lucky to be alive.
09:46Edwin Rosario agreed.
09:51His luck was that he ran a lot.
09:53I don't just believe I won this fight.
09:55I know it, and so does the entire world.
09:59The loyalty of Edwin Rosario's fans has never wavered.
10:03They've watched him win and lose the lightweight crown.
10:06In 1983, the pride of Puerto Rico battled Mexico's Jose Luis Ramirez for Alexis Arguello's vacated title.
10:13And after 12 very close rounds, Rosario walked away with the decision.
10:18One year and a half later, Ramirez was given a rematch.
10:21At first, it seemed no contest for the champion with a knockdown of the challenger inside of two rounds.
10:27But two rounds later, the tables turned, and Jose Luis Ramirez was in control.
10:32His barrage of punches ended the fight and gave him the lightweight crown.
10:36Edwin Rosario was disappointed, but not surprised.
10:39When I fought Ramirez, I wasn't up to par.
10:49I had a lot of problems with my trainer, and there were a lot of hangers-on, and that distracted me.
10:56For the fight with Camacho, I was in the best condition in my life, both physically and mentally.
11:07My body was strong, and so was my mind.
11:10But with clear-cut opportunities to knock out Camacho, many question if Edwin has the killer instinct.
11:19When I was fighting Camacho, I knew I had him hurt, and I had my chance.
11:26But I also knew that he was a malicious and dirty fighter, and I didn't want to go inside, risk an elbow, or get cut.
11:35Now, I also realized that the judges were all on the side of Hector Macho Camacho.
11:41What I have learned now is that I'll have to be 100% and knock Bramble out.
11:58The people treat me now as a hero, because I only lost a decision by the judges, but to the world, I have won.
12:06Edwin Chapo Rosario is, as he puts it, the uncrowned people's champion.
12:13Tonight, he hopes to take the WBA lightweight crown from Livingstone Bramble and bring it home to the people of Puerto Rico.
12:19But in their hearts, it will always be Chapo time.
12:23Well, he says he's the uncrowned champion.
12:35Tonight, he hopes to make it the crown champion.
12:37As you look at Edwin Rosario, he comes off, interestingly enough, a fight.
12:41Even though he lost, he probably got more respect and more credibility out of that fight.
12:46There's his record, 23 wins, two losses.
12:48The one to Ramirez, and of course, the one to Camacho.
12:52So, 19 knockouts, and there's a great irony here.
12:55Funny game, the sport of boxing, Ray, because in the ring with Edwin Rosario right now is Hector Macho Camacho.
13:01I'm surprised to see that.
13:03In fact, I was too sure it was Camacho, but I tell you, funny things happen in boxing.
13:08He has just gone out of the ring to go back to his locker room, of course, to prepare for his own fight, which comes up after this.
13:13But an interesting twist of events, because I can remember before that fight, there was a lot of animosity between these two.
13:19Because, of course, Rosario hailing from Puerto Rico, and even though Camacho is Puerto Rican, the Puerto Rican people on the island, of course, think of him as an American Puerto Rican.
13:29There was a lot of inbred rivalry between those two, and not a lot of liking each other.
13:36And right now, of course, here they are, best of friends, and a cause against Livingstone Bramble.
13:41So, Edwin Rosario now perhaps facing his biggest hour.
13:47His opponent tonight, the champion, Livingstone Bramble.
13:51New image for the man.
13:52He's a guy, Ray, in our talking with Livingstone Bramble, I really had the feeling he's a guy who really has his head screwed on straight.
13:58He knows exactly what he's all about.
14:00There's a little bit of flash and a little bit of trash.
14:02But in that record of 24 wins and one loss with just the one draw, and the loss and the draw were early in his career, 15 knockouts.
14:10In all of that, there's a very businesslike, I-know-what-I'm-doing attitude.
14:13Well, we're seeing the same Bramble, yet a Bramble without all the confusion and pandemonium that surrounds his career.
14:20Let's take a look at the comparison between these two and the tale of the tape.
14:24The champion, of course, Livingstone Bramble is 26 years old, three years older than Edwin Rosario,
14:29and he has an eight-inch reach advantage, which when we spoke with him, he feels he can utilize in there.
14:34We've never made much of reach, but Bramble does feel it's to his advantage.
14:38He feels that he can jab his man and that he has a good enough jab to be able to knock a man out.
14:43I don't think that his reach, as far as a jab is concerned, will be all that important, Barry.
14:48What he uses those very long arms for a lightweight is for is defensively.
14:53He uses them as a vertical shield in front of his body, as you'll see.
14:57And here's our punch stat, our computer toy that gives you an analysis of the action that a fighter gives,
15:04quantitatively, Bramble and the two Mancini fights.
15:07A Mancini, a fighter coming right at him through all those punches.
15:11Rosario, you can see the difference between his fights depending on the opponent.
15:16So how many punches Rosario throws tonight, obviously, will be depending on the strategy of Bramble
15:21and how close they are together.
15:24And there you see how they utilize the jabs.
15:27Again, two marked differences depending on the opponent.
15:31I think Bramble will try his jab if Rosario is right in front of him.
15:36And let's take a look then at the WBA rules.
15:39They are very similar to the WBC rules.
15:41The most obvious difference, of course, they fight 15 rounds in the WBA and 12 rounds in the WBC.
15:45The only other change is that number five, the three-knockdown rule in WBA rules, is in effect.
15:51So if the man is knocked down three times in a round, the fight is over.
15:54All the other rules, the judging, the scoring, no standing eight count,
15:57and a fighter can be saved by the bell only in the last round.
16:00The same in both WBA and WBC.
16:03So in the ring, both the combatants here.
16:08There's a look at Edwin Chapo Rosario.
16:11Both fighters seemed very loose, too, before this fight.
16:14Well, they're two experienced fighters in championship fights.
16:17The thing about Rosario is that there were a lot of skeptics before the last fight
16:21who had completely discounted him, to my amazement,
16:24because he had lost, after all, only one fight up to that time.
16:28Now they're asking him to prove that he's tough enough to fight this very, very tough champion.
16:36He did let Camacho get off the hook in that fight.
16:40It was an interesting thing, Larry, just to elaborate a little more on what you touched upon a moment ago.
16:43Now, Bramble, according to everybody that we've spoken with,
16:47and, of course, our own observations, is a very good defensive fighter.
16:50And yet, when we spoke with Rosario, he said, and I'm quoting, he said,
16:54he doesn't have any defense.
16:57Well, a lot of things are said before fights.
17:01He's a very odd fighter, Bramble, an anomaly,
17:03in that he's an aggressive counter-puncher.
17:07It's almost against, the terms are against each other.
17:13He moves forward behind those long arms,
17:15trying to encourage his opponent to punch at him,
17:18and then he punches the opponent.
17:20It's almost a conflict of terms, aggressive counter-puncher.
17:23But he's very effective at it.
17:25Another added element for HBO viewers tonight, too.
17:28Here is a shot from the Goodyear blimp that is with us tonight.
17:31And with us, in fact, the first time in the 62-year history of the Goodyear blimp
17:36that it has covered a championship boxing match.
17:38So a first, and there's a look at the Goodyear blimp.
17:41And at night, of course, always outlined and lights.
17:44Beautiful sight, and one that's very familiar to sports fans in every sport.
17:47It's that big football in the sky and a big football weekend,
17:51Oklahoma-Miami, 49ers and the Dolphins.
17:54Right now, let's go up to the ring announcer, Frank Freeman,
17:56for the pre-fight introductions.
17:57Washington fans, this is a Don G. Yvette Productions,
18:06a Willie Martinez president.
18:10Presentation under the supervision
18:12of the Florida State Athletic Commission,
18:16Robert Shevin chairman,
18:18commissioners Jimmy Resnick and Mars Grady,
18:21and Colonel George Porter, executive director.
18:27This bout, the officials designed and assigned
18:33for WBC, Julio, WBA, Julio Castillo.
18:42The judges, Rogelio Perez, Jesus Tellez, Warren Mayo.
18:50The tank keeper, Sam Grinaldi,
18:52counting for the knockdowns, Richard Grava.
18:56The doctors, Jack Grossman, Theodore Struhl,
19:01and the referee, Ernesto Magana, from Mexico City.
19:07And the principals, in the blue corner,
19:12from Puerto Rico, wearing the gold and blue trunks,
19:17weighing 135 pounds,
19:19with a record of 23-2 with 19 KOs,
19:26the former WBC lightweight champion,
19:30Edwin Rosario.
19:35Rosario.
19:39And his opponent in the red corner,
19:43from Hamilton Township, New Jersey,
19:46wearing the black and check trunks,
19:51weighing 135 pounds,
19:54with a record of 24-1-1
19:58with 15 KOs,
20:01the World Boxing Association champion,
20:05Livingston Bramble.
20:08Bramble.
20:09Bring them together.
20:24Bring them together.
20:25I want to hold the mic up to your face.
20:27Into the face.
20:28Right.
20:29Okay.
20:30Now,
20:31so we're just about set to get started here.
20:34One issue that we probably should touch on,
20:36Larry Merchant,
20:37and that is the dreadlocks worn by Livingston Bramble.
20:40Something of a story here.
20:42Those dreadlocks are sort of like knots in the hair
20:45that some fighters complained about.
20:47Now his hair is more braided than hanging down,
20:50but he's been warned that if it gets in the way of Rosario,
20:54that the referee is authorized to clip it off with scissors.
20:57I don't know if the referee has a license to barber here in Florida.
21:01This is a new issue on me.
21:02I think there is one,
21:06perhaps a bottom line here in our conversations
21:07with both these fighters.
21:09They talked about some of the things they said already.
21:11Livingston Bramble had a simple quote.
21:12He said,
21:13if you see him take a step back,
21:15the fight's mine.
21:16And it is the fact that Rosario does not fight backwards,
21:19going moving backwards very well.
21:20Rosario said,
21:21you won't see me move backwards.
21:23You'll only see me move side to side.
21:24Just remember that both of these fighters
21:27are accustomed to going after their opponents.
21:31So this first round figures to be
21:33an important round for dominance,
21:36for territory,
21:38to determine who is going to be the boss.
21:40Both of them are looking at it that way, Ray.
21:44One thing about it though,
21:45Bramble has always been the one
21:47that would make the fight.
21:48Very aggressive,
21:49inside and outside.
21:51This time he says he's going to use the left jab.
21:53Let's see if whether or not it works.
21:55Rosario seems extremely loose here,
21:59just ahead of the opening bell.
22:01Rosario,
22:02in some people's estimation,
22:04was thinking perhaps a little bit more
22:05about his narrow loss to Hector Camacho
22:08than he was about the fight upcoming tonight
22:10with Livingston Bramble.
22:13Round one,
22:14set to go.
22:15Whoa,
22:16that was close.
22:21Crowd into this fight,
22:22right off the bat.
22:25Good left hook,
22:26the biggest weapon
22:27of Edwin Rosario.
22:35Bramble said,
22:36look for all kinds of fireworks
22:37in the first round.
22:41Because you have to establish dominance,
22:43in the words of Livingston Bramble.
22:49Bramble puts a lot behind that left jab.
22:51You notice he puts his entire body,
22:53in fact he mentioned the fact
22:54his foreign part of his fame
22:56is like his right hand.
22:57Very potent,
22:58very crisp.
22:59With Rosario,
23:00he has to get a lot of angles.
23:01In fact,
23:02he said he won't move back,
23:03he was side to side,
23:04angles.
23:08Pretty good right hand by Rosario.
23:09Good stiff jam by Bramble.
23:32Normally Bramble would cut the ring off.
23:35Rosario used the entire ring.
23:38A lot of mobility.
23:46Jeff keeping Rosario off of Bramble.
23:51And a lead right that time snuck in.
23:53There is even this early, Ray,
24:01a little bit of swelling
24:02under the right eye of Rosario
24:04caused by that left jab.
24:06Well, you have to understand
24:07the fact that Bramble's
24:08a good, solid puncher.
24:10Puts his entire body behind it.
24:16Rosario puts punches together
24:17very well.
24:19Rosario is doing a little bit
24:21of backing up here.
24:26He backs away
24:27to get in position,
24:28then he fires back.
24:29There, he fires back
24:30with a good left-white combination.
24:31Very good combination,
24:32and it locks Bramble back.
24:47Another good left hand
24:48sneaking in over the gloves
24:50of Bramble by Rosario.
24:53Even first round.
24:57Very good left jab
25:03by Bramble.
25:04Ten seconds remaining.
25:06We'll remind you that
25:07Tito Alba,
25:08our interpreter,
25:09Spanish to English,
25:10will be in the corner
25:11of Edwin Rosario,
25:13and we'll have an interpretation
25:14between rounds.
25:15I don't think anybody
25:17dominated that round,
25:20but I did think
25:21Rosario was more effective
25:22at what he wanted to do
25:24than Bramble was
25:26at what he wanted to do.
25:28Charlie would.
25:29But you're not moving
25:29your hands quite enough.
25:31You know?
25:32Clip them punches.
25:37And your knees
25:38are too straight up.
25:42No water?
25:43I need some water.
25:58You have to use
25:59the left hand also.
26:00Stay loose, town.
26:09Stay loose.
26:11Make a miss.
26:13The issue here
26:15is whether Bramble
26:16could take the punch
26:17of Rosario,
26:18who is probably
26:19the hardest,
26:19sharpest puncher
26:20he's ever faced,
26:21and whether Rosario
26:23can stand the pressure
26:24and toughness
26:25of the champion.
26:27Bramble said
26:28he really didn't think
26:29the fight would go 15 rounds,
26:30and he said honestly
26:31I doubt it'll go 10.
26:38What Bramble has
26:39in front of him
26:40is a guy
26:40that is a great counterpuncher,
26:42one of the best counterpunchers
26:43in the lightweight division.
26:45Um, also a good, sharp,
26:47accurate puncher
26:48in Rosario,
26:49guy that gives you
26:50so many angles,
26:51left, right, left, right,
26:52lateral movement.
26:53Bramble,
26:54he has a tendency
26:55to wear his opponents
26:56down with just
26:57his aggressiveness.
26:59Rosario just missed
27:01with that short left hook.
27:02That was the one
27:02that really got
27:03Hector Camacho.
27:05Bramble there
27:06for a second
27:06was going to turn
27:07to South Hall.
27:08This guy is ambidextrous.
27:11Well, it's also been said
27:12when he does that
27:12he takes one awkward step
27:14and leaves himself open.
27:15But he comes,
27:16he fires back
27:16so quickly, Barry,
27:17and very few fighters
27:18are able to count on that.
27:22The jab of Rosario
27:23starting to back
27:25Bramble into the ropes.
27:27Good combinations
27:28by Edwin Rosario.
27:37And a great right,
27:38left hand by Rosario.
27:39That was a sneaky quick
27:45left hand
27:45and it drove Bramble
27:48into a corner
27:48and a good uppercut
27:50and another.
27:51And Bramble backs up
27:52he's hurt.
27:59Rosario dishing it out
28:01to Bramble.
28:05Long way to go
28:06over a minute remaining.
28:07There's a cut over Bramble's
28:09right eye.
28:13Some tremendous shots
28:15by Rosario.
28:18Bramble just trying
28:19to cover up.
28:25And down goes Bramble.
28:27It's all over.
28:37Tremendous victory
28:38for Edwin Rosario.
28:41I said when this round started
28:42the issue was
28:43whether Bramble
28:44could take Rosario's punch
28:46which is the hardest punch
28:48he's ever faced.
28:49It turned out
28:50that he couldn't.
28:52This is a man
28:53that had never been
28:54knocked off his feet before.
28:56And there was no question
28:57about it.
28:58So the preamble to Bramble
29:00has turned out to be
29:01the scenario for Rosario.
29:04And now
29:05what Hector Camacho
29:08was looking at
29:09is a rematch
29:10of that great fight
29:12we had earlier in the year
29:13if he can win.
29:14If he wants it.
29:15If he wants it
29:16is another issue.
29:18Or rather Camacho
29:19who knows and admitted
29:20he was really in a fight
29:21the last time
29:23has made noises
29:25about moving up
29:26one division.
29:28And after seeing this
29:29I'm not sure
29:30that he would want
29:32any part of this man.
29:34Let's take another look
29:34at it right.
29:38That was just
29:39the most impressive performance
29:40and he showed
29:41a good ability
29:42to finish this time.
29:43The right hand
29:44did a lot of damage
29:44then here
29:45Bramble buckles
29:46and again
29:47Rosario
29:48a good finisher
29:49he connects
29:49with the right hand
29:50to the side of the head
29:51a lot of clenching
29:52at this point here
29:53Bramble still
29:54a little on Queer Street
29:55and again
29:56Rosario
29:57just in there
29:58good shot punching.
29:59The fact that this time
30:00he made no mistake
30:02about it
30:02he finished
30:03there was some criticism
30:04that he could have
30:04finished Camacho
30:05and he didn't
30:06and in fact
30:07there was some criticism
30:08Camacho himself said
30:09he kind of dogged it
30:10between the 6th
30:11and the 10th rounds
30:12in the Camacho fight
30:13and he just kind of
30:14coasted
30:15waiting to go the distance
30:16and figuring he'd win
30:17the fight
30:17this time
30:18no question about it.
30:19Well Camacho
30:19has those legs
30:20to get him out of trouble
30:21here with Bramble
30:22relies a lot on strength
30:23the uppercut
30:24short punch
30:25inside punch
30:26is very very very sharp
30:28very accurate punch
30:29devastating shots
30:30well the people's champion
30:33who was
30:34I don't think
30:34there's any doubt about
30:35just the people's champion
30:36in the country of Puerto Rico
30:38is fast becoming
30:39the people's champion
30:40internationally
30:41you know
30:42one thing about Rosario
30:43he didn't think
30:44that he
30:44if he should have won
30:47this fight
30:47he wouldn't be
30:48recognized
30:49but I think he will be
30:50I don't think
30:51there's any question about
30:52that was a very
30:52very impressive
30:53performance
30:55very impressive
30:57so Rosario
31:00hardly winded
31:01although there was
31:01a little bit of swelling
31:02under his eye
31:03Bramble seems to be okay
31:04he's now with his baby
31:05and his wife in the corner
31:06let's go up to the ring
31:07announcer Frank Freeman
31:08we'll get the official decision
31:10ladies and gentlemen
31:13the time
31:15two minutes
31:1628 seconds
31:18of the second round
31:19winner by a knockout
31:21and you
31:23WBA lightweight champion
31:25Edwin Rosario
31:28well a family affair
31:46going on in the ring
31:47right now
31:48Edwin Rosario
31:48with his daughters
31:50and in the other corner
31:51is Livingstone Bramble
31:52with his son
31:53but there was no question
31:54about who was the master
31:55tonight in the ring
31:56well both guys tried
31:57to establish grounds
31:58in the early round
31:59one thing about it
32:00Rosario kept moving
32:02lateral position
32:02side to side
32:03never really moved back
32:04used that left jab
32:05very very well
32:06once he was able
32:07to hurt Bramble
32:08he put his punches
32:09together very well
32:10did it surprise you
32:11that Rosario was able
32:12to get inside
32:13as easily as he was
32:14against Bramble
32:15well not really
32:15because I knew
32:16fully well
32:17Rosario has a technique
32:18to get inside
32:19very good counter punch
32:20in Rosario
32:21good hands
32:22sharp punching
32:23just devastating
32:24we talked about
32:24the fact that Bramble
32:25had never been hurt
32:26though and that jab
32:27has always been able
32:27to keep a smaller
32:28opponent like Rosario
32:29off of him
32:30but tonight it just
32:31seemed as though
32:31Rosario just walked
32:32right through the jab
32:33well if you remember
32:34Bramble himself said
32:35what's the first round
32:36that first round
32:37is the key weapon
32:38that I can dominate
32:39alright Larry Merchant
32:41is just about set
32:41in the ring now
32:42with the winner
32:42Edwin Rosario
32:43will have an interpreter
32:44I'm sure it's going
32:45to be a very happy
32:45young man from Puerto Rico
32:47Larry you've got it
32:48okay
32:49okay
32:56alright
32:57we're here
32:57with Edwin Rosario
32:58the once
33:00and present
33:01champion
33:02champion again
33:03Edwin
33:05could you have
33:06any clue
33:07in the first round
33:08that he would be
33:10that easy
33:10to hit and hurt
33:11I had said it before
33:20that it was an easy
33:22victory
33:23he said that
33:29Bramble was not
33:31the best lightweight
33:32in the world
33:32and that he was
33:33going to beat him
33:33okay
33:34and that he was
33:35going to prove it
33:35he doesn't have
33:38anything to prove
33:39he already demonstrated
33:40that he's the best
33:41what did he see
33:43in Bramble
33:43that convinced him
33:45that he would win
33:46decisively
33:48Bramble is a stand-up
34:05fighter
34:06that he doesn't have
34:07very much boxing skills
34:08and that he was
34:10going to come forward
34:10and he was going
34:11to be there
34:12and he has
34:12devastating power
34:13punch power
34:15and he was going
34:15to hit him
34:15with that
34:16everybody felt
34:17because of
34:19one of your defeats
34:22that you were not
34:23going to be able
34:24to stand up
34:25to a very strong
34:26man who would
34:27back you up
34:28the way Bramble did
34:29would you comment
34:30and that
34:31he says that he
34:52when he's well prepared
34:53and he's in optimum condition, it's very difficult to beat him.
34:56And any boxer, no matter how good defense he has,
34:59no matter how offensive he is, he's going to beat him.
35:04And for those who have a doubt, he already demonstrated
35:06that he's the best lightweight in the world.
35:09After failing to finish Camacho in that fight,
35:13was he determined once he had this man hurt
35:17that he would finish him as quickly as possible?
35:23Did you help him? How did you do it?
35:26No, what happened was that there were a lot of comments.
35:28Every time I made a interview, they said,
35:31Edwin, what's wrong with you?
35:33You're too good with the boxers.
35:35I said, well, I put my fights,
35:38which were the ones I did earlier,
35:41and I said, hey, I'm going to the boxers,
35:43I'll remate and now I'm not doing that.
35:45But from now on, I'm going to prepare well
35:47with the courage I took in the fight of Camacho
35:49and when I'm in bad conditions, I'm going to go to the pit.
35:53He says that really everybody that came to see him
35:56before the fight told him why he didn't finish Camacho
35:58when he was in trouble.
36:00And that really made his mind up to look at his fights.
36:03He looked at his fights and he saw that,
36:05what everybody was telling him,
36:07that whenever he put a boxer in bad condition,
36:09he didn't follow up.
36:10And now he really followed up.
36:11Tell us how you feel about the possibility
36:14of fighting Hector Camacho again
36:16to unify the title.
36:32He says that he feels very happy
36:33because now he knows that this will be a reality
36:35and that he has demonstrated to the world
36:37that he's really the best lightweight.
36:38Thank you very much and congratulations, Edwin.
36:42Once upon a time, this man was regarded
36:45as a future dominant fighter in prize fighting.
36:49He's coming back to being very close
36:51to what was expected of him.
36:53Now back to ringside.
36:55Okay, thanks very much, Larry Merchant.
36:56You know, Ray, it's always been amazing to me
36:58how a guy like Rosario who came along,
37:01as Larry Merchant mentioned,
37:02this guy was going to be the greatest lightweight of all time.
37:04Then he lost to Jose Luis Ramirez
37:06and all of a sudden people said,
37:07nah, this guy is really nothing.
37:09He loses the fight to Camacho
37:11and something in that fight
37:12just all of a sudden gave him respect.
37:14And tonight he just put it all together.
37:16Well, when Rosario lost to Ramirez,
37:18people said, well, the guy doesn't have any more.
37:19He was hit by a guy
37:21that's not really considered a one-punch knocker out of.
37:23Then he come back, he fight Camacho,
37:25hurt Camacho, looked quite impressive.
37:27People say, this guy has a chance.
37:28And with Graham, but they didn't think
37:29a guy could hold his own.
37:31But he fought a very intelligent fight,
37:33very tactical fight, inside, outside,
37:34used that jab, kept his hands high, too,
37:37if you remember, kept his hands very high.
37:39He hurt Graham, and then took him out.
37:40Does a fighter, though,
37:41ever start to question himself?
37:43I mean, do you suppose that Edwin Rosario,
37:45after he lost to Ramirez,
37:46started to have doubts about his own ability?
37:48Well, not Ramirez.
37:48I think the fight that stood in his mind
37:50was more so hitting Camacho.
37:52He kept referring back to Camacho's fight.
37:54Kept saying, well, I could have done a little better.
37:56I could have been a little more aggressive.
37:57I had Camacho hurt.
37:58I didn't take advantage of it.
38:00I don't know, Gary.
38:00For some reason, that fight there stuck with Rosario.
38:03All right, let's go back up to the ring now.
38:05Larry Merchant, I believe,
38:06is with the loser of the fight
38:07at Game Livingstone-Bramble.
38:08Larry?
38:12Livingstone-Bramble, in two words,
38:14what happened?
38:16Well, I got thumbed early in the round,
38:18and I went down,
38:20and I just couldn't see nothing.
38:21I was just living.
38:22I can't see in front of me,
38:23and I just stayed down there
38:24because I couldn't see nothing.
38:26You got thumbed early in the second round?
38:28Early in that same round.
38:29It seemed, however,
38:31that he was getting to you,
38:33that he was reaching you
38:34with the punches
38:35and doing what he wanted to do,
38:37whereas you were having difficulty
38:39doing what you wanted to do.
38:41Well, I was just taking my time
38:42and warming up slowly.
38:43I started landing the jab to the head,
38:45and I was going to concentrate on the jab.
38:47But like I said,
38:47after I got thumbed,
38:48I just couldn't see nothing at all.
38:50It's one thing, you know,
38:51to lose rightly,
38:53but I did get thumbed,
38:54and I couldn't see it.
38:55And, you know, what can I say?
38:56If you replay it, you'll see the thumb.
38:58How do you regard him as a fighter now,
39:01having been in that short time?
39:03Rosario is a good puncher, like always.
39:05We know he was a good puncher,
39:06but I know that it's just a matter
39:08of a couple of rounds
39:09where I would have got to him
39:10and win the fight easy.
39:12Thank you very much, Livingston.
39:13And now back to Barry and Ray.
39:18Okay, Ray,
39:18we're going to have an opportunity
39:19to look at that entire second round
39:21once again.
39:22And that was the round, of course,
39:24in which Edwin Rosario
39:25just kind of picked up the pace
39:27from the first round.
39:28Larry Merchant hit it on the head,
39:29I think, when he said
39:30Rosario did what he wanted to do
39:32better than Bramble did
39:33what he wanted to do
39:33in round number one.
39:34So here we are now
39:35into the second round.
39:36Well, Rosario definitely
39:37did not move straight back.
39:39Gave a lot of lateral movement.
39:41Here, he's using that jab,
39:43trying to keep Bramble at bay.
39:47I saw him start to move back
39:49on one occasion early in this round,
39:50and you could almost see him say,
39:52uh-uh, I'm not going to do that anymore.
39:54Now, if you watch the way
39:55that, uh, Rosario throws his jab,
39:57he throws jab,
39:58and then he bobs and weeds
39:59a little bit.
40:00Never a stationary target.
40:01Here he covers with the left hook,
40:04and again, constantly moving
40:05to his right or to his left.
40:06Never directly in front of Bramble,
40:08because if so,
40:09Bramble can eat you up.
40:10Bramble just trying to do
40:21the same kinds of things
40:22that have taken him
40:23to all those victories
40:24and to the championship
40:25and to the two victories
40:26over Mancini,
40:27but he was just unable to.
40:28Now, he said he was thumbed.
40:29I haven't seen him be thumbed yet.
40:32Now, that was a good, sharp,
40:33neck uppercut to the eye.
40:35And also, you notice that
40:39there is no...
40:40Bramble's not aggressive here.
40:41He's basically on defense.
40:43Here he's stung,
40:44and Rosario just
40:46railing away at him.
40:46Now, that might have been
40:47where he was thumbed.
40:48If you notice,
40:48he really covered up right away.
40:50I don't know if it was
40:50from the punch
40:51or from what he said
40:52was the thumbing.
40:53To the bite,
40:54to the head.
40:54There is another shot,
40:56the uppercut,
40:58that Rosario threw.
41:01Those are short,
41:02very powerful shots
41:03that Rosario's thrown under.
41:06And he's coming under the gloves
41:08and up over the top of the gloves,
41:10not wasting a lot of punches here,
41:12but finishing
41:12like he never has before.
41:14Well, he was very aggressive.
41:16Stay on top as a man.
41:17He knew he had Bramble hurt.
41:20And I've never seen
41:20Bramble in this condition.
41:21Watch for the right hand now.
41:28There was the right hand
41:29that put Bramble in more trouble.
41:30There he goes down.
41:31And a tremendous right hand that was.
41:34Bramble claimed he stayed down,
41:36but maybe because
41:37he couldn't see anything.
41:40As he said,
41:41he was allegedly
41:41thumbed.
41:43I must say,
41:43I really,
41:44I did not think
41:44that he was going to be down
41:45for the count.
41:46I thought he was going to get back up,
41:47and it really didn't look
41:48like a lot of fighters
41:49when they get hit that hard
41:50that many times.
41:51You can see
41:51their legs go,
41:52and I didn't see
41:52Bramble's legs go, really.
41:54But it was a tremendous right hand
41:55that put him down.
41:56Here's the total punches
41:57in the fight.
41:57It really tells you
41:58everything you need
41:59to know about this fight.
42:00Rosario threw
42:01virtually twice as many punches
42:02and scored
42:03with virtually twice
42:04as many punches.
42:0552% efficiency.
42:07He threw the bigger punches,
42:08and he threw more of them.
42:09And I guess
42:09when that's going to happen,
42:10you're going to win the fight,
42:11and that's what happened tonight.
42:12And especially
42:12when you're accurate,
42:14Rosario threw
42:14a great deal of punches
42:15and landed quite a few.
42:17At least half.
42:18126 punches thrown
42:19by Edwin Rosario.
42:20And just to go back
42:22on the subject,
42:23he was going to make sure
42:24that that wasn't the case
42:25this time
42:25if he got him hurt.
42:26Still to come,
42:27of course,
42:27the WBC Lightweight Championship.
42:29That between
42:29Hector Macho Camacho,
42:31who I'm sure
42:32was an interested observer,
42:33and Cornelius Boza Edwards.
42:35Now, that one will be
42:36a 12-round fight,
42:37and I have to think
42:38Camacho's going to go
42:39after his man
42:40just the same way
42:40as Rosario did his.
42:41I don't think he wants
42:42to hang around here
42:43for 12 rounds.
42:44I think that fight tonight
42:45with Rosario
42:46was inspirational
42:47for Camacho.
42:48We should see
42:49a very aggressive,
42:51Hector Camacho tonight.
42:52I really wonder
42:53what Camacho's feelings are
42:54as regards
42:55fighting Rosario,
42:56and I think he really
42:57wanted to fight Bramble
42:58because I think he really felt,
42:59well, I can beat this.