Emile Alphonse Griffith (February 3, 1938 – July 23, 2013) was a

professional boxer Professional boxing, or prizefighting, is regulated, sanctioned boxing. Professional boxing bouts are fought for a purse that is divided between the boxers as determined by contract. Most professional bouts are supervised by a regulatory autho ...

from the U.S. Virgin Islands who won world titles in three weight divisions. He held the world

light middleweight Light middleweight, also known as junior middleweight or super welterweight,PeBoxRec/ref> is a weight class in combat sports. Boxing The light middleweight division (also known as junior middleweight in the IBF or super welterweight in the WBA an ...

undisputed Undisputed may refer to: Film * ''Undisputed'' (film), a 2002 action-thriller-drama film ** ''Undisputed'' (soundtrack), the soundtrack to the film * Undisputed II: Last Man Standing, a 2006 American martial arts film * Undisputed III: Redempt ...

welterweight Welterweight is a weight class in combat sports. Originally the term "welterweight" was used only in boxing, but other combat sports like Muay Thai, taekwondo, and mixed martial arts also use it for their own weight division system to classify the ...

, and

middleweight Middleweight is a weight class in combat sports. Boxing Professional In professional boxing, the middleweight division is contested above and up to . Early boxing history is less than exact, but the middleweight designation seems to have be ...

titles. His best-known contest was a 1962 title match with

Benny Paret Bernardo Paret (March 14, 1937 – April 3, 1962), known as Benny Paret or Benny "Kid" Paret, was a Cuban welterweight boxer who won the World Welterweight Championship twice in the early 1960s. Paret's death occurred 10 days after injuries ...

. Griffith won the bout by knockout; Paret never recovered consciousness and died in the hospital 10 days later. In 1963 and 1964, Griffith was voted Fighter of the Year by ''The Ring'' magazine and the

Boxing Writers Association of America The Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA) was originally formed in 1926 as the Boxing Writers Association of Greater New York. The association's purpose is to promote better working conditions for boxing writers, as well as hold its writers ...

. In 2002, he was listed #33 on ''Ring'' Magazine's list of 80 greatest fighters of the past 80 years. Griffith currently ranks #127 in

BoxRec BoxRec or boxrec.com is a website dedicated to holding updated records of professional and amateur boxers, both male and female. It also maintains a MediaWiki-based encyclopaedia of boxing. The objective of the site is to document every profess ...

's ranking of the greatest

pound for pound Pound for pound is a ranking used in combat sports, such as boxing, wrestling, or mixed martial arts, of who the better fighters are irrespective of their weight, i.e. adjusted to compensate for weight class. As these fighters do not compete direc ...

boxers of all time. He was inducted into the

International Boxing Hall of Fame The modern International Boxing Hall of Fame (IBHOF), located in Canastota, New York, honors boxers, trainers and other contributors to the sport worldwide. Inductees are selected by members of the Boxing Writers Association of America. The I ...

in the inaugural class of 1990.

Career

Amateur

As a teen he was working at a hat factory on a steamy day when his boss, the factory owner, agreed to Griffith's request to work shirtless. When the owner, a former amateur boxer, noticed his frame, he took Griffith to trainer

Gil Clancy Gilbert Thomas Clancy (May 30, 1922 – March 31, 2011) was a Hall of Fame boxing trainer and one of the most noted boxing commentators of the 1980s and 1990s. He worked with such famous boxers as Muhammad Ali, Jerry Quarry, Joe Frazier, a ...

's gym. Griffith won the 1958

New York Golden Gloves The New York Golden Gloves boxing tournament was considered by many boxing aficionados as one of the most elite Golden Gloves titles, along with the Chicago Golden Gloves. Named for the small golden gloves given out to the winners of each weigh ...

147 lb Open Championship. Griffith defeated Osvaldo Marcano of the Police Athletic Leagues Lynch Center in the finals to win the Championship. In 1957 Griffith advanced to the finals of the 147-lb Sub-Novice division and was defeated by Charles Wormley of the Salem Crescent Athletic Club. Griffith trained at the West 28th Street Parks Department Gym in New York City.

Professional

Griffith turned professional in 1958 and fought frequently in New York City. He captured the

Welterweight Welterweight is a weight class in combat sports. Originally the term "welterweight" was used only in boxing, but other combat sports like Muay Thai, taekwondo, and mixed martial arts also use it for their own weight division system to classify the ...

title from Cuban Benny "The Kid" Paret by knocking him out in the 13th round on April 1, 1961. Six months later, Griffith lost the title to Paret in a narrow split decision. Griffith regained the title from Paret on March 24, 1962, in the controversial bout after which Paret died (see below). Griffith waged a classic four-fight series with Luis Rodríguez, losing their second fight and winning the other three. He defeated middleweight contender Holly Mims but was knocked out in one round by

Rubin "Hurricane" Carter Rubin "Hurricane" Carter (May 6, 1937 – April 20, 2014) was an American-Canadian middleweight boxer, wrongfully convicted and imprisoned for murder, until released following a petition of habeas corpus after almost 20 years in prison. I ...

. Three years later, on April 25, 1966, he faced middleweight champion

Dick Tiger Dick Tiger (born Richard Ihetu; August 14, 1929 – December 14, 1971) was a Nigerian-born professional boxer who held the undisputed middleweight and light-heavyweight championships. Tiger emigrated to Liverpool, England to pursue his b ...

and won a 15-round unanimous decision and the middleweight title. He also lost, regained and then lost the middleweight crown in three classic fights with

Nino Benvenuti Giovanni "Nino" Benvenuti (born 26 April 1938) is an Italian former professional boxer and actor. He held world titles in two weight classes, having held the undisputed super-welterweight championship from June 1965 to June 1966 and the undispute ...

. But many boxing fans believed he was never quite the same fighter after Paret's death. From the Paret bout to his retirement in 1977, Griffith fought 80 bouts but only scored twelve knockouts. He later admitted to being gentler with his opponents and relying on his superior boxing skills because he was terrified of killing someone else in the ring. Many thought that Griffith fought past his prime, only winning nine of his last twenty three fights. Other boxers whom he fought in his career included world champions American

Denny Moyer Denny Moyer (August 8, 1939 – June 30, 2010) was an American boxer who held the world light middleweight title between 1962 and 1963. He finished his career with a 98–38–4 record. Early life Moyer was born in Portland, Oregon, and attende ...

, Cuban Luis Rodríguez, Argentine

Carlos Monzón Carlos Roque Monzón (7 August 1942 – 8 January 1995), nicknamed Escopeta (''Shotgun'' in Spanish), was an Argentine professional boxer who held the undisputed world middleweight championship for 7 years. He successfully defended his title 14 t ...

, Cuban

José Nápoles José Ángel Nápoles, nicknamed ''Mantequilla'' ("Butter", referring to his smooth boxing style), (April 13, 1940 – August 16, 2019) was a Cuban-born Mexican professional boxer and a World Welterweight Champion. He is frequently ranked as one ...

, and in his last title try, German

Eckhard Dagge Eckhard Dagge (February 27, 1948 in Probsteierhagen, Germany – April 4, 2006 in Hamburg), was a professional boxer in the super welterweight (154 lb) division. Eckhard Dagge was Germany's second world champion, after Max Schmeling, holding t ...

. After 18 years as a professional boxer, Griffith retired with a record of 85 wins (25 by

knockout A knockout (abbreviated to KO or K.O.) is a fight-ending, winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, muay thai, mixed martial arts, karate, some forms of taekwondo and other sports involving striking, a ...

), 24 losses and 2 draws.

Benny Paret

Griffith and Paret's third fight, which was nationally televised by

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

, occurred on March 24, 1962, at

Madison Square Garden Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as The Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh and Eighth avenues from 31st to 33rd Street, above Pennsylva ...

. Griffith had been incensed by an

anti-gay The following outline offers an overview and guide to LGBT topics. Sexuality * Human sexuality ** Sexual diversity ** Gendered sexuality *** Human male sexuality *** Human female sexuality *** Transgender sexuality * Sexual attraction ** And ...

slur directed at him by Paret during the weigh-in. Paret touched Griffith's buttocks and whispered into his opponent's ear "''maricón, maricón''", Spanish slang for "

faggot Faggot, faggots, or faggoting may refer to: Arts and crafts * Faggoting (metalworking), forge welding a bundle of bars of iron and steel * Faggoting (knitting), variation of lace knitting in which every stitch is a yarn over or a decrease * F ...

".Smith, Gar
"The Shadow Boxer"
Sports Illustrated, April 18, 2005. Griffith had worked in a women's hat factory and at the time designed hats. Griffith had to be restrained from attacking Paret on the spot. The media at the time either ignored the slur or used

euphemism A euphemism () is an innocuous word or expression used in place of one that is deemed offensive or suggests something unpleasant. Some euphemisms are intended to amuse, while others use bland, inoffensive terms for concepts that the user wishes ...

s such as "anti-man". Griffith's girlfriend asked him about the incident, saying, "I didn't know about you being that way." In the sixth round Paret came close to stopping Griffith with a multi-punch combination, but Griffith was saved by the bell.The Great Rivalries
, CBSSports.com; accessed January 30, 2016. After the sixth round Griffith's trainer,

, later said he told him, "When you go inside I want you to keep punching until Paret holds you or the referee breaks you! But you keep punching until he does that!". In round 12 Griffith trapped Paret in a corner. Stunned after taking hard blows to the head, Paret stopped punching back and slumped to the side against the ropes, although his upper body was through them and partly out of the ring. Griffith held his opponent's shoulder keeping him in position while using his free hand to hit Paret, who was no longer trying to protect himself by head movement or an arm guard. Griffith repeatedly landed right uppercuts on Paret's head. Many watching were shocked, and there were calls from ringside for the referee to halt the bout;

Norman Mailer Nachem Malech Mailer (January 31, 1923 – November 10, 2007), known by his pen name Norman Kingsley Mailer, was an American novelist, journalist, essayist, playwright, activist, filmmaker and actor. In a career spanning over six decades, Mailer ...

said it was the hardest he had ever seen one man hit by another. Paret then lolled back and was hit with a combination. At this point

Ruby Goldstein Reuven "Ruby" Goldstein (October 7, 1907 – April 23, 1984), the "Jewel of the Ghetto", was an American boxer and prize fight referee. He was a serious World Lightweight Championship contender in the 1920s, and became one of U.S. most trusted ...

stepped in, thereby awarding Griffith a win by technical knockout. Immediately after the referee intervened, Paret, who had remained on his feet throughout, slowly slid to the floor. He was carried from the ring on a stretcher and died ten days later in hospital without regaining consciousness. Goldstein had a reputation as a tender-minded referee who stopped bouts at an early stage; admirers said he may have been suffering after-effects from a heart attack. Paret's manager was also criticized for not retiring his boxer with a timely throwing in of the towel during the beating. Griffith - El Gráfico 2711

Griffith told a television interviewer: "I'm very proud to be the welterweight champion again. I hope Paret is feeling very good." When the seriousness of the situation become known, Griffith went to the hospital where Paret was being treated and unsuccessfully attempted for several hours to gain entry to Paret's room. Following that, he ran through the streets while being insulted by passersby. He would later receive hate mail from Paret supporters who were convinced Griffith intentionally killed Paret. New York

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

Nelson Rockefeller Nelson Aldrich Rockefeller (July 8, 1908 – January 26, 1979), sometimes referred to by his nickname Rocky, was an American businessman and politician who served as the 41st vice president of the United States from 1974 to 1977. A member of t ...

created a seven-man commission to investigate the incident and the sport. Griffith reportedly felt guilt over Paret's death and suffered nightmares about Paret for 40 years. The fight, and the widespread publicity and criticism of boxing which accompanied it, became the basis of the 2005 documentary ''Ring of Fire: The Emile Griffith Story''.

Trainer

Griffith trained other boxers, including

Wilfred Benítez Wilfred "Wilfredo" Benítez (born September 12, 1958) is an American-born Puerto Rican former professional boxer and the youngest world champion in the sport's history. Earning his first of three career world titles in separate weight division ...

and Juan Laporte of

Puerto Rico Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and Unincorporated ...

. Both won world championships. Griffith, Monzon, Benvenuti, Rodriguez, Tiger, Nápoles and Benítez are members of the

. In 1979–80, he was in Denmark serving as the coach of the Danish Olympic boxing team.

Personal life

In 1971, two months after they met, Griffith married another Virgin Islander Mercedes "Sadie" Donastorg, who was then a member of the dance troupe "Prince Rupert and the Slave Girls". Griffith adopted Donastorg's daughter, but the marriage only lasted a few months. After retiring from boxing, Griffith worked as a corrections officer at the Secaucus, New Jersey Juvenile Detention Facility. In 1992, Griffith was viciously beaten and almost killed on a New York City street after leaving a gay bar near the Port Authority Bus Terminal. He was in the hospital for four months after the assault. It was not clear if the violence was motivated by

homophobia Homophobia encompasses a range of negative attitude (psychology), attitudes and feelings toward homosexuality or people who are identified or perceived as being lesbian, gay or bisexual. It has been defined as contempt, prejudice, aversion, h ...

. Griffith was

bisexual Bisexuality is a romantic or sexual attraction or behavior toward both males and females, or to more than one gender. It may also be defined to include romantic or sexual attraction to people regardless of their sex or gender identity, whi ...

quoted in ''Sports Illustrated'' as saying "I like men and women both. But I don't like that word: homosexual, gay or faggot. I don't know what I am. I love men and women the same, but if you ask me which is better ... I like women."

Death

A long-time resident of Weehawken, New Jersey, Griffith died July 23, 2013, at a care facility in Hempstead, New York. In his final years, he required full-time care and suffered from

dementia pugilistica Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a neurodegenerative disease linked to repeated trauma to the head. The encephalopathy symptoms can include behavioral problems, mood problems, and problems with thinking. The disease often gets worse o ...

. His adopted son, Luis Rodrigo Griffith, was his primary caregiver. He was buried in St. Michael's Cemetery, Queens, New York City.

Media representations

* In January 2005, filmmakers Dan Klores and Ron Berger premiered their documentary ''Ring of Fire: The Emile Griffith Story'' at the

Sundance Film Festival The Sundance Film Festival (formerly Utah/US Film Festival, then US Film and Video Festival) is an annual film festival organized by the Sundance Institute. It is the largest independent film festival in the United States, with more than 46,66 ...

in Utah. It was broadcast on television on USA Network. * Griffith's December 20, 1963 bout with

Rubin Carter Rubin "Hurricane" Carter (May 6, 1937 – April 20, 2014) was an American-Canadian middleweight boxer, wrongfully convicted and imprisoned for murder, until released following a petition of habeas corpus after almost 20 years in prison. In ...

(which Griffith lost) is depicted in the opening scene of the 1999 motion picture '' The Hurricane''. Griffith is portrayed by former boxer Terry Claybon, while actor

Denzel Washington Denzel Hayes Washington Jr. (born December 28, 1954) is an American actor and filmmaker. He has been described as an actor who reconfigured "the concept of classic movie stardom". Throughout his career spanning over four decades, Washington ha ...

stars as Carter. * In May 2012 it was announced that trumpeter

Terence Blanchard Terence Oliver Blanchard (born March 13, 1962) is an American trumpeter and composer. He started his career in 1982 as a member of the Lionel Hampton Orchestra, then The Jazz Messengers. He has composed more than forty film scores and performed ...

and playwright

Michael Cristofer Michael Cristofer (born January 22, 1945) is an American actor, playwright and filmmaker. He received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the Tony Award for Best Play for ''The Shadow Box'' in 1977. From 2015 to 2019, he played the role of Phillip ...

were working on the opera ''

Champion A champion (from the late Latin ''campio'') is the victor in a challenge, contest or competition. There can be a territorial pyramid of championships, e.g. local, regional / provincial, state, national, continental and world championships, an ...

'', based on Griffith's story. It premiered at

Opera Theatre of St. Louis Opera Theatre of Saint Louis (OTSL) is an American summer opera festival held in St. Louis, Missouri. Typically four operas, all sung in English, are presented each season, which runs from late May to late June. Performances are accompanied by th ...

on June 15, 2013. * Irish director

Lenny Abrahamson Leonard Ian Abrahamson (born 30 November 1966) is an Irish film and television director. He is known for directing such praised independent films as ''Adam & Paul'' (2004), ''Garage'' (2007), ''What Richard Did'' (2012), and ''Frank'' (2014), an ...

is working on a biopic focusing on Griffith's rivalry with Paret to be released in 2019. * A stage play based on Griffith's story, titled ''Brown Girl in the Ring'', premiered on September 26, 2016, in Chicago. It was commissioned and produced by the Court Theatre. * A stage play based on Griffith's story, titled ''Man in the Ring'', premiered on November 16, 2018, at the Huntington Theater in Boston.

Professional boxing record

{, class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" , - ! !Result !Record !Opponent !Type !Round, time !Date !Location !Notes , - , 112 , Loss , 85–24–2 , align=left,

Alan Minter Alan Sydney Minter (17 August 19519 September 2020) was a British professional boxer who competed from 1972 to 1981. He held the undisputed middleweight title in 1980, having previously held the British middleweight title from 1975 to 1976, and ...

, PTS , 10 , Jul 30, 1977 , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , 111 , Loss , 85–23–2 , align=left, Mayfield Pennington , SD , 10 , Jul 16, 1977 , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , 110 , Loss , 85–22–2 , align=left, Joel Bonnetaz , PTS , 10 , Apr 15, 1977 , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , 109 , Win , 85–21–2 , align=left, Christy Elliott , MD , 10 , Feb 2, 1977 , style="text-align:left;", , align=left, , - align=center , 108 , Win , 84–21–2 , align=left, Frank Reiche , TKO , 10 (10) , Dec 4, 1976 , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , 107 , Win , 83–21–2 , align=left, Dino Del Cid , TKO , 4 (10) , Oct 24, 1976 , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , 106 , Loss , 82–21–2 , align=left,

, MD , 15 , Sep 18, 1976 , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , 105 , Draw , 82–20–2 , align=left,

Bennie Briscoe "Bad" Bennie Briscoe (February 8, 1943 – December 28, 2010) was an American professional boxer. A fan favorite for his punching power, he was known as the "quintessential Philadelphia boxer," and one of the greatest fighters of his era who due ...

, PTS , 10 , Jun 26, 1976 , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , 104 , Loss , 82–20–1 , align=left,

Loucif Hamani Loucif Hamani (15 May 1950 – 9 November 2021) was an Algerian boxer who competed at the 1972 Summer Olympic Games in the light-middleweight event where he reached the quarter finals before losing to Alan Minter of Great Britain. Earlier, Hama ...

, UD , 10 , Feb 9, 1976 , style="text-align:left;", , align=left, , - align=center , 103 , Win , 82–19–1 , align=left, Jose Roberto Chirino , UD , 10 , Nov 7, 1975 , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , 102 , Loss , 81–19–1 , align=left, Elijah Makathini , PTS , 10 , Aug 9, 1975 , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , 101 , Win , 81–18–1 , align=left, Leo Saenz , UD , 10 , Jul 23, 1975 , style="text-align:left;", , align=left, , - align=center , 100 , Loss , 80–18–1 , align=left, Jose Luis Duran , UD , 10 , May 31, 1974 , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , 99 , Win , 80–17–1 , align=left, Donato Paduano , UD , 10 , Dec 10, 1974 , style="text-align:left;", , align=left, , - align=center , 98 , Loss , 79–17–1 , align=left,

Vito Antuofermo Vito Antuofermo (; born February 9, 1953) is an Italian American actor and retired professional boxer. He is a former undisputed World Middleweight Champion. Background Antuofermo was born in Italy, in the town of Palo del Colle, about inland ...

, UD , 10 , Nov 22, 1974 , style="text-align:left;", , align=left, , - align=center , 97 , Win , 79–16–1 , align=left,

, MD , 10 , Oct 9, 1974 , style="text-align:left;", , align=left, , - align=center , 96 , Win , 78–16–1 , align=left, Renato Garcia , PTS , 10 , May 25, 1974 , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , 95 , Loss , 77–16–1 , align=left, Tony Licata , UD , 12 , Feb 5, 1974 , style="text-align:left;", , align=left, , - align=center , 94 , Loss , 77–15–1 , align=left, Tony Mundine , UD , 12 , Nov 19, 1973 , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , 93 , Win , 77–14–1 , align=left, Manuel González , MD , 10 , Nov 1, 1973 , style="text-align:left;", , align=left, , - align=center , 92 , Loss , 76–14–1 , align=left,

, UD , 15 , Jun 2, 1973 , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , 91 , Draw , 76–13–1 , align=left, Nessim Max Cohen , PTS , 10 , Mar 12, 1973 , style="text-align:left;", , align=left, , - align=center , 90 , Loss , 76–13 , align=left,

Jean-Claude Bouttier Jean-Claude Bouttier (13 October 1944 – 3 August 2019) was a French actor and professional boxer. During his boxing career, which spanned from 1965 to 1974, he won 64 out of 72 bouts, 43 of them by knockout. In June 1971 he won the European ...

, DQ , 7 (10) , Dec 18, 1972 , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", , - align=center , 89 , Win , 76–12 , align=left, Joe DeNucci , SD , 12 , Oct 11, 1972 , style="text-align:left;", , align=left, , - align=center , 88 , Win , 75–12 , align=left, Joe DeNucci , SD , 10 , Sep 16, 1972 , style="text-align:left;", , align=left, , - align=center , 87 , Win , 74–12 , align=left,

Ernie Lopez Ernie "Indian Red" Lopez (September 24, 1945 – October 3, 2009) was an American professional boxer. He twice fought for the world welterweight boxing title, losing title bouts to José Nápoles in 1970 and 1973. He was a missing person from 199 ...

, UD , 10 , Mar 30, 1972 , style="text-align:left;", , align=left, , - align=center , 86 , Win , 73–12 , align=left, Jacques Kechichian , PTS , 10 , Feb 21, 1972 , style="text-align:left;", , align=left, , - align=center , 85 , Win , 72–12 , align=left,

Armando Muñíz Armando Muñíz (born May 3, 1946) is a Mexican-born American former professional boxer and former NABF welterweight Champion. Muñiz was a member of the 1968 U.S. Olympic boxing team. 1968 Olympic record Below are the results of Armando Muñiz, ...

, UD , 10 , Jan 31, 1972 , style="text-align:left;", , align=left, , - align=center , 84 , Win , 71–12 , align=left, Danny McAloon , UD , 10 , Dec 10, 1971 , style="text-align:left;", , align=left, , - align=center , 83 , Loss , 70–12 , align=left,

, TKO , 14 (15), 2:32 , Sep 25, 1971 , style="text-align:left;", , align=left, , - align=center , 82 , Win , 70–11 , align=left, Nessim Max Cohen , UD , 10 , Jul 26, 1971 , style="text-align:left;", , align=left, , - align=center , 81 , Win , 69–11 , align=left,

, MD , 10 , May 3, 1971 , style="text-align:left;", , align=left, , - align=center , 80 , Win , 68–11 , align=left, Rafael Gutierrez , UD , 10 , Mar 23, 1971 , style="text-align:left;", , align=left, , - align=center , 79 , Win , 67–11 , align=left, Juan Ramos , TKO , 7 (10) , Mar 5, 1971 , style="text-align:left;", , align=left, , - align=center , 78 , Win , 66–11 , align=left, Nate Collins , UD , 10 , Nov 10, 1970 , style="text-align:left;", , align=left, , - align=center , 77 , Win , 65–11 , align=left, Danny Perez , UD , 12 , Oct 17, 1970 , style="text-align:left;", , align=left, , - align=center , 76 , Win , 64–11 , align=left,

, UD , 10 , Jul 15, 1970 , style="text-align:left;", , align=left, , - align=center , 75 , Win , 63–11 , align=left,

Tom Bogs Tom Bogs (born 21 November 1944) is a retired Denmark, Danish middleweight Boxing, boxer. Bogs was born to :da:Poul Bogs Larsen, Poul Bogs, the 1947-1950 Danish champion in shot put. His younger sister :da:Maibritt Bogs, Maibritt held the nationa ...

, PTS , 10 , Jun 4, 1970 , style="text-align:left;", , align=left, , - align=center , 74 , Win , 62–11 , align=left, Carlos Marks , UD , 12 , Mar 11, 1970 , style="text-align:left;", , align=left, , - align=center , 73 , Win , 61–11 , align=left, Doyle Baird , UD , 10 , Jan 28, 1970 , style="text-align:left;", , align=left, , - align=center , 72 , Loss , 60–11 , align=left,

, UD , 15 , Oct 17, 1969 , style="text-align:left;", , align=left, , - align=center , 71 , Win , 60–10 , align=left, Art Hernandez , SD , 10 , Aug 15, 1969 , style="text-align:left;", , align=left, , - align=center , 70 , Win , 59–10 , align=left, Dick DiVeronica , TKO , 7 (10), 1:28 , Jul 11, 1969 , style="text-align:left;", , align=left, , - align=center , 69 , Win , 58–10 , align=left, Stanley Hayward , UD , 12 , May 12, 1969 , style="text-align:left;", , align=left, , - align=center , 68 , Win , 57–10 , align=left, Andy Heilman , UD , 10 , Feb 3, 1969 , style="text-align:left;", , align=left, , - align=center , 67 , Loss , 56–10 , align=left, Stanley Hayward , SD , 10 , Oct 29, 1968 , style="text-align:left;", , align=left, , - align=center , 66 , Win , 56–9 , align=left, Gypsy Joe Harris , UD , 12 , Aug 6, 1968 , style="text-align:left;", , align=left, , - align=center , 65 , Win , 55–9 , align=left, Andy Heilman , MD , 12 , Jun 11, 1968 , style="text-align:left;", , align=left, , - align=center , 64 , Loss , 54–9 , align=left,

, UD , 15 , Mar 4, 1968 , style="text-align:left;", , align=left, , - align=center , 63 , Win , 54–8 , align=left, Remo Golfarini , TKO , 6 (10) , Dec 15, 1967 , style="text-align:left;", , , - align=center , 62 , Win , 53–8 , align=left,

, MD , 15 , Sep 29, 1967 , style="text-align:left;", , align=left, , - align=center , 61 , Loss , 52–8 , align=left,

, UD , 15 , Apr 17, 1967 , style="text-align:left;", , align=left, , - align=center , 60 , Win , 52–7 , align=left,

Joey Archer Joey Archer (born February 11, 1938 in New York City, New York) is an American retired boxer. He defeated Sugar Ray Robinson in Robinson's final fight in 1965 (by unanimous decision) and fought Hall of Fame boxers such as Emile Griffith and Dick ...

, UD , 15 , Jan 23, 1967 , style="text-align:left;", , align=left, , - align=center , 59 , Win , 51–7 , align=left,

, MD , 15 , Jul 13, 1966 , style="text-align:left;", , align=left, , - align=center , 58 , Win , 50–7 , align=left,

, UD , 15 , Apr 25, 1966 , style="text-align:left;", , align=left, , - align=center , 57 , Win , 49–7 , align=left, Johnny Brooks , UD , 10 , Feb 3, 1966 , style="text-align:left;", , align=left, , - align=center , 56 , Win , 48–7 , align=left, Manuel González , UD , 15 , Dec 10, 1965 , style="text-align:left;", , align=left, , - align=center , 55 , Win , 47–7 , align=left, Harry Scott , RTD , 7 (10) , Oct 4, 1965 , style="text-align:left;", , align=left, , - align=center , 54 , Win , 46–7 , align=left, Gabe Terronez , TKO , 4 (10), 2:45 , Sep 14, 1965 , style="text-align:left;", , align=left, , - align=center , 53 , Loss , 45–7 , align=left,

Don Fullmer Don Fullmer (February 21, 1939 – January 28, 2012) was an American professional boxer and a brother of the former world middleweight champion Gene Fullmer. Eight years younger than his more famous brother, Don followed Gene into the gym in Wes ...

, UD , 12 , Aug 19, 1965 , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", , - align=center , 52 , Win , 45–6 , align=left, Eddie Pace , UD , 10 , Jun 14, 1965 , style="text-align:left;", , align=left, , - align=center , 51 , Win , 44–6 , align=left, Jose Stable , UD , 15 , Mar 30, 1965 , style="text-align:left;", , align=left, , - align=center , 50 , Loss , 43–6 , align=left, Manuel González , SD , 10 , Jan 26, 1965 , style="text-align:left;", , align=left, , - align=center , 49 , Win , 43–5 , align=left,

Dave Charnley David Fraser Charnley (10 October 1935 – 3 March 2012) was an English lightweight boxer considered to be one of the greatest British fighters in his weight class. Known as "The Dartford Destroyer", the left-handed Charnley had a 10-year caree ...

, TKO , 9 (10), 1:56 , Dec 1, 1965 , style="text-align:left;", , align=left, , - align=center , 48 , Win , 42–5 , align=left,

Brian Curvis Brian Nancurvis (14 August 1937 – 9 January 2012), who fought under the name Brian Curvis as a professional, was a boxer from Swansea, Wales who was active from 1959 to 1966. He fought as a Welterweight, becoming British welterweight cha ...

, UD , 15 , Sep 22, 1964 , style="text-align:left;", , align=left, , - align=center , 47 , Win , 41–5 , align=left,

Luis Manuel Rodríguez Luis Manuel Rodríguez (17 June 1937 – 8 July 1996) was a Cuban professional boxer. Known as "El Feo", he began his career in pre-Castro Havana. In Cuba, he twice defeated the ill-fated future welterweight champion Benny Paret. He held the WB ...

, SD , 15 , Jun 12, 1964 , style="text-align:left;", , align=left, , - align=center , 46 , Win , 40–5 , align=left, Stan Harrington , KO , 4 (10), 1:40 , Apr 14, 1964 , style="text-align:left;", , , - align=center , 45 , style="background: #DDD", NC , 39–5 , align=left, Juan Carlo Duran , NC , 7 (10) , Mar 11, 1964 , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", , - align=center , 44 , Win , 39–5 , align=left,

Ralph Dupas Ralph Dupas (October 14, 1935 – January 25, 2008) was an American boxer from New Orleans who won the world light middleweight championship. Early boxing career Dupas was the second of eleven children of a New Orleans fisherman, Peter Dupas. H ...

, KO , 3 (12) , Feb 10, 1964 , style="text-align:left;", , align=left, , - align=center , 43 , Loss , 38–5 , align=left,

, TKO , 1 (10), 2:13 , Dec 20, 1963 , style="text-align:left;", , align=left, , - align=center , 42 , Win , 38–4 , align=left, Jose Monon Gonzalez , MD , 10 , Oct 5, 1963 , style="text-align:left;", , align=left, , - align=center , 41 , Win , 37–4 , align=left, Holly Mims , UD , 10 , Aug 10, 1963 , style="text-align:left;", , align=left, , - align=center , 40 , Win , 36–4 , align=left,

, SD , 15 , Jun 8, 1963 , style="text-align:left;", , align=left, , - align=center , 39 , Loss , 35–4 , align=left,

, UD , 15 , Mar 21, 1963 , style="text-align:left;", , align=left, , - align=center , 38 , Win , 35–3 , align=left, Christian Christensen , TKO , 9 (15) , Feb 3, 1963 , style="text-align:left;", , align=left, , - align=center , 37 , Win , 34–3 , align=left, Jorge Fernandez , TKO , 9 (15) , Dec 8, 1962 , style="text-align:left;", , align=left, , - align=center , 36 , Win , 33–3 , align=left, Ted Wright , PTS , 15 , Oct 17, 1962 , style="text-align:left;", , align=left, , - align=center , 35 , Win , 32–3 , align=left,

, UD , 10 , Oct 6, 1962 , style="text-align:left;", , align=left, , - align=center , 34 , Win , 31–3 , align=left,

, SD , 10 , Aug 18, 1962 , style="text-align:left;", , align=left, , - align=center , 33 , Win , 30–3 , align=left,

, UD , 15 , Jul 13, 1962 , style="text-align:left;", , align=left, , - align=center , 32 , Win , 29–3 , align=left,

, TKO , 12 (15), 2:09 , Mar 24, 1962 , style="text-align:left;", , align=left, , - align=center , 31 , Win , 28–3 , align=left, Johnny Torres , UD , 10 , Feb 3, 1962 , style="text-align:left;", , align=left, , - align=center , 30 , Win , 27–3 , align=left, Isaac Logart , MD , 10 , Dec 23, 1961 , style="text-align:left;", , align=left, , - align=center , 29 , Win , 26–3 , align=left, Stanford Bulla , KO , 4 (10), 2:35 , Nov 4, 1961 , style="text-align:left;", , align=left, , - align=center , 28 , Loss , 25–3 , align=left,

, SD , 15 , Sep 30, 1961 , style="text-align:left;", , align=left, , - align=center , 27 , Win , 25–2 , align=left, Yama Bahama , UD , 10 , Jul 29, 1961 , style="text-align:left;", , align=left, , - align=center , 26 , Win , 24–2 , align=left,

Gaspar Ortega Gaspar "Indio" Ortega (born October 31, 1935) was a Mexican professional boxer and is considered one of the best Welterweight boxers from Mexico. Pro career In January 1953, Ortega was only seventeen years old when he won his pro debut against M ...

, TKO , 12 (15), 0:48 , Jun 3, 1961 , style="text-align:left;", , align=left, , - align=center , 25 , Win , 23–2 , align=left,

, KO , 13 (15), 1:11 , Apr 1, 1961 , style="text-align:left;", , align=left, , - align=center , 24 , Win , 22–2 , align=left,

, SD , 10 , Dec 17, 1960 , style="text-align:left;", , align=left, , - align=center , 23 , Win , 21–2 , align=left,

Willie Toweel Willie Michael Toweel (6 April 1934 – 25 December 2017) was a Boxing, boxer from South Africa, who won the bronze medal in the flyweight division (– 51 kg) at the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, FInland. Personal life Willi ...

, TKO , 8 (10), 3:00 , Oct 22, 1960 , style="text-align:left;", , align=left, , - align=center , 22 , Win , 20–2 , align=left, Florentino Fernández , UD , 10 , Aug 25, 1960 , style="text-align:left;", , align=left, , - align=center , 21 , Win , 19–2 , align=left, Jorge Fernandez , UD , 10 , Jul 25, 1960 , style="text-align:left;", , align=left, , - align=center , 20 , Win , 18–2 , align=left, Jorge Fernandez , SD , 10 , Jun 3, 1960 , style="text-align:left;", , align=left, , - align=center , 19 , Loss , 17–2 , align=left,

, SD , 10 , Apr 26, 1960 , style="text-align:left;", , align=left, , - align=center , 18 , Win , 17–1 , align=left,

, SD , 10 , Mar 11, 1960 , style="text-align:left;", , align=left, , - align=center , 17 , Win , 16–1 , align=left,

, SD , 10 , Feb 12, 1960 , style="text-align:left;", , align=left, , - align=center , 16 , Win , 15–1 , align=left, Roberto Peña , UD , 10 , Jan 8, 1960 , style="text-align:left;", , align=left, , - align=center , 15 , Win , 14–1 , align=left, Ray Lancaster , TKO , 7 (10), 1:44 , Nov 23, 1959 , style="text-align:left;", , align=left, , - , 14 , Loss , 13–1 , align=left, Randy Sandy , SD , 10 , Oct 26, 1959 , style="text-align:left;", , align=left, , - align=center , 13 , Win , 13–0 , align=left, Kid Fichique , UD , 10 , Aug 7, 1959 , style="text-align:left;", , align=left, , - align=center , 12 , Win , 12–0 , align=left, Willie Stevenson , UD , 10 , May 25, 1959 , style="text-align:left;", , align=left, , - align=center , 11 , Win , 11–0 , align=left, Mel Barker , UD , 10 , Apr 27, 1959 , style="text-align:left;", , align=left, , - align=center , 10 , Win , 10–0 , align=left, Bobby Shell , UD , 10 , Mar 23, 1959 , style="text-align:left;", , align=left, , - align=center , 9 , Win , 9–0 , align=left, Barry Allison , TKO , 5 (10), 2:44 , Feb 23, 1959 , style="text-align:left;", , align=left, , - align=center , 8 , Win , 8–0 , align=left, Willie Joe Johnson , TKO , 5 (6), 1:52 , Feb 9, 1959 , style="text-align:left;", , align=left, , - align=center , 7 , Win , 7–0 , align=left, Gaylord Barnes , TKO , 5 (6), 1:46 , Jan 26, 1959 , style="text-align:left;", , align=left, , - align=center , 6 , Win , 6–0 , align=left, Larry Jones , KO , 5 (6), 2:17 , Dec 15, 1958 , style="text-align:left;", , align=left, , - align=center , 5 , Win , 5–0 , align=left, Sergio Rios , KO , 3 (6), 1:01 , Nov 17, 1958 , style="text-align:left;", , align=left, , - align=center , 4 , Win , 4–0 , align=left, Artie Cunningham , PTS , 6 , Oct 6, 1958 , style="text-align:left;", , align=left, , - align=center , 3 , Win , 3–0 , align=left, Tommy Leaks , PTS , 4 , Jul 21, 1958 , style="text-align:left;", , align=left, , - align=center , 2 , Win , 2–0 , align=left, Bruce Gibson , PTS , 4 , Jun 23, 1958 , style="text-align:left;", , align=left, , - align=center , 1 , Win , 1–0 , align=left, Joe Parham , PTS , 4 , Jun 2, 1958 , style="text-align:left;", , align=left,

Honors

* Named '' The Ring''

Fighter of the Year '' The Ring'' magazine was established in 1922 and has named a Fighter of the Year since 1928, which this list covers. The award, selected by the magazine editors, is based on a boxer's performance in the ring.US Virgin Islands The United States Virgin Islands,. Also called the ''American Virgin Islands'' and the ''U.S. Virgin Islands''. officially the Virgin Islands of the United States, are a group of Caribbean islands and an unincorporated and organized territory ...

References

External links

* * * , - , - , - , - , - , - , - , - , - , - , - , - , - , - , - , - , - , - , - , - , - , - , -

Washington Post article April 20, 2005

World Boxing Association History

National Boxing Association's Quarterly Ratings: 1961 - BoxRec

National Boxing Association's Quarterly Ratings: 1962 - BoxRec

{{DEFAULTSORT:Griffith, Emile 1938 births 2013 deaths Deaths from dementia in New York (state) International Boxing Hall of Fame inductees Middleweight boxers People from Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands People from Weehawken, New Jersey United States Virgin Islands male boxers Welterweight boxers World boxing champions African-American boxers American male boxers Sportspeople with chronic traumatic encephalopathy LGBT African Americans American LGBT sportspeople Bisexual men Bisexual sportspeople LGBT boxers 20th-century African-American sportspeople 21st-century African-American people