COULDHAVEBEEN
07-29-2008, 08:56 PM
Found by accident last night a brilliant documentary on SBS on the life of Emile Griffiths. It was called Ring of Fire – The Emile Griffith Story, and ran for about an hour and a half. Its major focus was the sad death of Benny Kid Paret in the 3rd and deciding welterweight contest between the pair in 1962.
Prior to the match Paret had goaded Griffiths about his being gay, and the KO affected by Griffiths, seemed a brutally efficient payback at the time. Paret was cornered during the 12th round and an early blow, amongst a barrage of combinations, very obviously had him out on his feet. Unfortunately the referee didn’t stop things quickly enough and Griffith hammered him with perhaps 20 more big, well aimed headshots. Tragically Paret passed away about 10 days after the bout.
A likely factor in Paret’s death was his immediately previous bout at middleweight against Gene Fullmer. Fullmer had a very respectable record though it didn’t include too many KOs. But from the fight footage shown he could hit like a truck, and he pounded Paret into submission.
A couple of interesting sidelights were that Griffiths did at one stage marry (Joe Frazier was his best man), and later in his life he legally adopted a younger guy. Years after Paret’s death Griffith caught up with Paret’s son in a very emotional meeting.
Griffith’s overall record read 85(23) wins 24(2) losses & 2 draws. He fought from 1958 to 1977, finishing at about age 39.
Prior to the match Paret had goaded Griffiths about his being gay, and the KO affected by Griffiths, seemed a brutally efficient payback at the time. Paret was cornered during the 12th round and an early blow, amongst a barrage of combinations, very obviously had him out on his feet. Unfortunately the referee didn’t stop things quickly enough and Griffith hammered him with perhaps 20 more big, well aimed headshots. Tragically Paret passed away about 10 days after the bout.
A likely factor in Paret’s death was his immediately previous bout at middleweight against Gene Fullmer. Fullmer had a very respectable record though it didn’t include too many KOs. But from the fight footage shown he could hit like a truck, and he pounded Paret into submission.
A couple of interesting sidelights were that Griffiths did at one stage marry (Joe Frazier was his best man), and later in his life he legally adopted a younger guy. Years after Paret’s death Griffith caught up with Paret’s son in a very emotional meeting.
Griffith’s overall record read 85(23) wins 24(2) losses & 2 draws. He fought from 1958 to 1977, finishing at about age 39.