R.I.P. Emile Griffith. One of my favorite fighters (a GREAT boxer from the '60s), I saw him fight at the Garden a few times and he was always a pleasure to watch. I remember watching (on television) his last bout against Benny Paret (in which Paret later died after being knocked out). Griffith was never the same after that.
He died here on Long Island earlier today. He was 75.
They did an ESPN documentary on Griffith about 7 or 8 years ago called "Ring of Fire." It's fantastic. Towards the end Emile visits Paret's grave at Saint Raymonds. I was there filing paperwork in the office when they filmed that sequence.
A great welterweight. I saw the first of the three Griffith-Paret fights. Griffith won that one and did a complete flip in the ring. I think there was some issue in the final fight where Paret was making disparaging comments to Griffith who was gay (no exactly acceptable in those days) and Griffith literally killed him in that fight. As I recall the problem was with the ref who should have called the fight when Paret was literally out on his feet and being pummelled. Griffith was never the same fighter after that bout.
"Io sono stanco, sono imbigliato, and I wan't everyone here to know, there ain't gonna be no trouble from me..Don Corleone..Cicc' a port!"
