There was a brilliant documentary on SBS in the past week 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. The docos 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) even though it was widely accepted that he was gay, and that in later years he legally adopted a younger guy. Years after Paret’s death Griffith actually caught up with Paret’s son in a very emotional meeting. I'd have to say Griffith came across in the documentary as a trifle simple (he was also getting on in age). But he seemed to be a likeable, old guy. His overall record 1958 to 1977 read 85(23) wins 24(2) losses & 2 draws. He finally retired at about age 39.
that's just scratching the surface really. gerald was alleged to have told benn and his team that he was going to make orphans of benn's kids and that his family should go order nigel's coffin in advance.
Here is another article on McClennan he really was a bit weird. http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/news/story?id=2904695
Of course..he was disturbed n needed a lot of help,but to say he deserves the suffering he's going through is a little extreme
i tend to agree but on the other hand i don't agree with people who tell me to show some sympathy towards him. there are good people out there who suffered similar tragic accidents who are far more deserving of our sympathy than the likes of mcclennan.
Topping one of my favorite threads on the board. What's the fight that purposely broke another fighters arm in the ring? I think the fighter having one of his arms broken was one of the Ruelas brothers?
How, on a thread that this is written, can so many people chastise a man for being involved in dogfighting!!?? If McClellan deserved what he got for dogfighting, what does this piece of **** deserve?. Or the murderers,bank robbers,drug dealers and rapists that i guarentee get far more respect than Gerald. What McClellan did was appalling, and as a dog owner i find deplorable, but in the grand scheme of things and in the shadow of other boxers actions who we all admire it pales in comparisson. And if we are all god's creatures and our lifes are equal and if i take another of god's creatures life I should expect the same sort of thing Gerald got then god help me coz there was a spider in my bath this morning and i squashed the **** out of it, and it wasnt the first spider ive sent to his maker and it wont be the last.
This was Gabe Ruelas against Jeff Franklin. Got this on video somewhere but haven't seen it for years. I can't remember if he did it on purpose but he did have a pop at Ruelas' arm after it was injured. I think he pulled the same sort of move Tyson pulled on Botha. His arm looked like it was bent backward at the elbow.
Post some Monzon stories guys. It's alway fascinating to read about the failings of the great and the good....
I believe most fighters have a little darkness in them. I mean, more than a little. It's there, lurking someplace. Some control it, some don't.