
Youngsville Native and Former Professional Boxer Kenny Vice Dead at Age 64
YOUNGSVILLE, La. (KPEL-FM) - Kenneth "Kenny" Vice, one of the best professional boxers to come out of the Acadiana area, has died. He was 64 years old.
Remembering Kenny Vice
The Youngsville native was well-known for his thundering blows in the ring and his soft heart outside of it.
Kenny was my third cousin. Our grandfathers were siblings, and he was very much a source of pride for everyone in our family.
Whenever Kenny fought on television, it was a chance for groups of us to get together and cheer him on from afar.
A Boxing Career That Made Acadiana Proud
And he had a whale of a career. After a successful amateur career in the Golden Gloves ranks, Kenny turned pro in 1983 and actively fought until 1995.
His career record was 32-9-0 with 26 knockouts.
Facing Legends in the Ring
One of those 41 career fights aired on ABC's "Wide World of Sports" as he faced one of the all-time greatest fighters, Julio Cesar Chavez. Kenny was game, but the fight got stopped in the third round.
The Tragic Fight That Changed Everything
A life-changing fight occurred the year before for Vice.
In June of 1988, he fought Brian Baronet, a top-ranked opponent in South Africa. It was the 10th and final round when Vice hit Baronet with a right hand that dropped him to his knees. The fight ended there after Baronet could not get back up to his feet.
A doctor was called to the ring, but he couldn't stop Baronet from falling into a coma. Three days later, he died in a local hospital after life-support machines were turned off.
While this is the sad and possible reality of such a brutal sport, my cousin took this really hard.
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Claiming a World Title in 1995
But he would continue his career and had some memorable wins and losses the rest of the way. One of those highlights came late in his career when he defeated Alvin Patten in Bristol, Connecticut, in early 1995 to claim the WBF World Super Lightweight Title.
It would be the only significant belt Vice would hold in his career. (He lost in three previous title fights.) After one successful title defense, he would lose in May of 1995, in what turned out to be his final professional fight.
Tributes and Memories Pour In
There have already been several tributes to Kenny on social media, and no doubt more great memories of a good guy are coming in.

A Loving Husband, Father, and Grandfather
Kenny is survived by his wife, Donna, with whom he was high school sweethearts. He also leaves behind several kids and grandchildren.
Rest in peace, cousin. And thanks for making your family so proud of you.
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Gallery Credit: Jude Walker
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