It was not Ray Mancini’s best night. (photo by Chris Farina)

The WBA lightweight champion had been bloodied and beaten across most of 14 rounds by Livingstone Bramble, and sat woozily on his stool amid the tumult at Buffalo’s Memorial Auditorium.

Across the ring, the Caribbean-born winner celebrated with his team as the shock descended on a crowd of nearly 15,000 fans heading toward the exits and into the late-spring Western New York darkness.

But Marvin Hagler had a job to do.

At ringside that night to support his belt-toting friend, the middleweight king sprang into action to make sure Mancini’s shell-shocked parents, Lenny and Ellen, could cut through the chaos to see their boy.

Sometimes a champion. Sometimes a security guard.

Always a friend.

“Marvin personally cleared the way and brought my parents up to see me and make sure that I was OK,” Mancini told Boxing Scene. “That's the man he was. Enough said.”

Hagler, who died Saturday at age 66, was atop the 160-pound mountain while Mancini made his title claim 25 pounds below – and the men shared status among the sport’s biggest draws in the early 1980s.

They became close during that time and maintained their connection, albeit mainly through mutual friends, after Hagler retired and moved to Italy following the loss of his crown to Ray Leonard in 1987.

Now, as fans mourn Hagler’s sudden passing and replay his fights, Mancini recalls an aura.

“Best of my generation. Top five all-time for me,” he said.

“Not only a great champion but a true stand-up guy.”

The Newark native and Brockton staple successfully defended his title 12 times, winning 11 times by knockout, including two stoppages in the “championship rounds” – an old-school gauntlet that’s been bastardized from five rounds (11-15) to just two (11-12) since distance fights were shortened in 1987.

In fact, had Hagler’s fight with Leonard been scheduled for 15, it may have had a different outcome.

As it was, he stopped both Mustafa Hamsho and John Mugabi in 11 rounds and went 15 with Roberto Duran before winning a unanimous decision. Only one other fighter, then-champ Vito Antuofermo, went the 15-round distance with Hagler, getting a disputed draw in Hagler’s initial championship fight.

Hagler also KO’d Mike Colbert in Round 12 of a scheduled 15 for the Massachusetts state title in 1977.

Overall, his record in scheduled 15-rounders was 14-0-1 with 13 KOs.

“If you didn't respect the sport or your opponent, those last three rounds would challenge your manhood. Or you’d have your ass handed to you,” Mancini said. “Any 10-round fighter can go 12, you can gut out the last two rounds if need be. But very few can go 15. Those last three rounds were known as the ‘dog rounds’ because they would bring out the dog in either you or your opponent.

“And dog in this case is not meant to be a flattering term.”

Among those who didn’t last 15 was Thomas Hearns, who was beaten in a three-round classic in 1985.

Still, the “Hitman” held Hagler in such high regard, he initially refused to discuss an injury that might have taken some of the shine off the champion’s career-defining win on fight night.

“An inside story from Emanuel (Steward),” said Jim Lampley, who worked with Hearns’ trainer on HBO’s boxing team until Steward’s death in 2012. “On his first landed right hand vs. Marvin, Tommy broke the middle two fingers of his hand and was outgunned going forward.

“Tommy liked and admired Hagler too much to detract from his victory. On the way to talking to the media, he said ‘We aren't going to talk about my hand. That is our secret.’

“Other fighters loved Hagler because he was the ultimate.”

Five years past his official exit in June 1988, Hagler was part of the fourth class of inductees at the International Boxing Hall of Fame – joining Flash Elorde, Joey Giardello, Harold Johnson and Fritzie Zivic.

He enjoyed returning to Canastota to welcome subsequent classes, too, said Top Rank publicist Lee Samuels, who worked Hagler’s fights for many years and was enshrined himself in 2019.

“Marvin went each and every year,” Samuels said. “He was a big part in the celebration of others.”

* * * * * * * * * *

This week’s title-fight schedule:

SATURDAY

IBF/WBC light heavyweight titles – Moscow, Russia

Artur Beterbiev (IBF, WBC champ/No. 1 Ring) vs. Adam Deines (No. 5 IBF/Unranked Ring)

Beterbiev (15-0, 15 KO): Fourth IBF title defense; First fight outside North America

Deines (19-1-1, 10 KO): First title fight; Third fight scheduled for 12 rounds (1-1, 0 KO)

Fitzbitz says: Deines is a worthwhile fighter with a worthwhile record and he has some worthwhile accomplishments. Beterbiev, though, is far beyond that level and wins big. Beterbiev in 9 (95/5)

Vacant WBO junior heavyweight title – London, United Kingdom

Krzysztof Glowacki (No. 1 WBO/No. 4 Ring) vs. Lawrence Okolie (No. 2 WBO/No. 7 Ring)

Glowacki (31-2, 19 KO): Fifth title fight (2-2); Held WBO title at 200 pounds (2015-16, one defense)

Okolie (15-0, 12 KO): First title fight; Five straight wins by KO/TKO (23 rounds, Average: 4.6 rounds)

Fitzbitz says: Glowacki is the veteran with the resume and the status as a former champion. But he’s also coming of a stoppage loss and is against a big puncher here who’s on the way up. Okolie in 7 (55/45)

Last week's picks: 2-0 (WON: Estrada, Kyoguchi)

2021 picks record: 6-2 (75.0 percent)

Overall picks record: 1,162-377 (75.5 percent)

NOTE: Fights previewed are only those involving a sanctioning body's full-fledged title-holder – no interim, diamond, silver, etc. Fights for WBA "world championships" are only included if no "super champion" exists in the weight class.

Lyle Fitzsimmons has covered professional boxing since 1995 and written a weekly column for Boxing Scene since 2008. He is a full voting member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. Reach him at fitzbitz@msn.com or follow him on Twitter – @fitzbitz.