“The Champ”

Back story…

A mutual friend introduced Brandon and me eight years ago. Back in 2015. Just so happened when we met, you were restarting your boxing career. I was just getting into photography. I remember thinking the first time I shook your hand, “how is somebody this big who looks this intimidating so jolly?” Lol. That was the first thing that came to my mind. A guy big in stature but your energy was contagiously delightful. We hit it off instantly. It was hard not to. Plus the fact that you volunteered to be my first non family member model/Guinea pig made me like you even more.

We met up at the Augusta Boxing Club everyday for two weeks after that. I snapped pictures. You trained like a madman. Truth be told I ain’t know what the hell I was doing. Lol. But you were so locked in once you stepped in that gym, everything else was background noise anyway so it worked out perfect.

When I brought you the first batch of pictures, I thought you were gonna fire me from the free job you hired me for. I had no idea about flash, lighting, focus, nothing. I was really just doing some shit. Lol. But when you saw the pictures, your expression was one for the books. You said “bruh, these some of the best pictures I ever seen in my life I swear to God bruh!” In that famous Barton Village twang. You had me feeling like Gordon Parks. I didn’t know if you were gassing me or not but it worked. Lol. From that day forward you couldn’t tell me I wasn’t him for real.

Long story short, even though life caused us to lose touch with each other, you went on to win two heavyweight championships and I went on a journey to increase my knowledge in the creative world. So imagine the shock of me just learning of your passing in September of 2021. I didn’t know how to take that. Still don’t. You were the first celebrity to stand in front of my lens. A lot of times I wanted to celebrate you through art but I didn’t think any of the shots I took back then justified the spirit you embodied on this Earth. Then something hit me.

I went back through all those old images again. Sometimes we get so caught up in life we can’t see the forest for the trees. The image I ended up deciding on, I never even showed you. It was blurry, somewhat out of focus, and it wasn’t captured with the sharpest lens. But when I look at it now, it represents everything you were. Are. Your heart was too big for your chest. For this world even. God called you home because he had more important work for you to do. You were kind. You were pure love in human form. You were a family man. You were God fearing. You were admired. Out of the hundreds of photos I have, the way lil man is studying you in awe is the way we all looked at you. It was appropriate. I just wished you would’ve gotten a chance to see the idea I came up with while you were alive. I took something old and made something new. You would’ve been proud.

We lost a real stand up soldier. But heaven gained an angel. Still, you’ll never be forgotten “Champ”. I’m a little late, but I figured out a way to forever immortalize you in the hearts and minds of anyone’s path you’ve ever crossed. Long Live Brandon “Big Bear” Spencer. Godspeed King. 🏁