Fall River legend Libby Medeiros has died; here is what some of his fighters had to say on his passing

A Fall River legend has died.

According to those who knew him, Liberal “Libby” Medeiros has passed away.

Libby dedicated over five decades to coaching boxing, many of those at the Fall River Police Athletic League, training numerous young fighters, some of which became household names.

He trained “Sucra” Ray Oliveira (career record 47-11-2, 22 KOs), who fought for three world titles in the 90s; Scott Pemberton (29-5-1, 24 KOs), who challenged for the IBF super middleweight title in 2005; and Jason Pires (23-4-1, 9 KOs), a 1996 Olympic alternate and roommate of Floyd Mayweather Jr.

In the amateur ranks, Medeiros has been deeply involved in events such as the Southern New England Golden Gloves.

More recently, he guided Fall River pro boxer Kyle Cusick.

Despite limited mobility in recent years, he still found a way to pass on his knowledge of the sweet science by using technology.

“Sucra” Ray Oliveira took to social media after hearing of Libby’s passing.

“I will miss you, Libby Medeiros. You were a vital part of my life and career, and your influence will be deeply missed. We experienced a range of emotions throughout our journey together, from highs to lows. Since you have known me since I was 11 years old, our bond extended far beyond a typical coach-athlete relationship; you were also a beloved uncle. I will continue to honor your memory by sharing stories of our adventures in and out of the ring. You were my trainer, friend, uncle, and everything.”

Fall River Reporter asked Kyle Cusick about his mentor.

“Libby’s name is woven into the fabric of Fall River’s boxing history. By simply being who he was, day in and day out, and showing up for the people he committed to, he made it impossible to tell our city’s boxing story without including a sizable chapter on Libby Medeiros and 𝘩𝘪𝘴 Fall River PAL Boxing Gym.

In my eyes, though, what drove Libby most was the success of the people he cared about outside the ring. For every lesson Lib taught me about footwork or combinations, he taught me three more about life. And he did so by example.

I believe I’ll never come across a more fiercely loyal, deeply driven, doggedly stubborn, and genuinely caring mentor for as long as I live.

Libby made a lasting impact on anyone lucky enough to find their way into the PAL gym, and I wholeheartedly believe Fall River is a much better place because of the 60 years Lib dedicated to our youth and our sport.

Lib knew exactly how to build guys up and when to pull them back. There was never any doubt that he had his fighters’ best interests at heart. In a sport so permeated by ego, his confidence in himself allowed him to always put his guys first.

I’ll miss him deeply and forever cherish the road trips, wisecracks, game plans, and smacks upside the head with the mitts when that hand didn’t get back into defensive position quickly enough.

He was a great man, and I believe 𝘩𝘪𝘴 legacy will live on.”

Services for Medeiros have not yet been announced.