Emile Griffith tell me about him......

I know Emile very well, as I sit next to him at the Ring #8 meetings in New York and I have introduced him 100's of times. I was also a very good friend of his manger, Howie Albert, who passed away this past January and I gave the Eulogy as Emile and Gil Clancy looked on along with a lot of other boxing Greats.

Emile was an excellent boxer who fought everyone. He fought more Championship rounds then any other boxer in history and he fought more main events at Madison Square Garden then any boxer in history.

Several years ago he was hit with a baseball bat by some gang members and has never been the same.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2005/magazine/04/12/griffith0418/

I remember when we were sitting across from Ortega and Emile didn't know who he was. He kept asking me, who was that guy.

 

Thanks for that account HHASCUP.

The documentary 'Ring of Fire' showed the compasionate side of Emile Griffith. There was a world title at stake when he fought Benny Paret, and Paret taunted him prior to their bout, but Emile was obviously absolutely heartbroken with the outcome.

Emile visited us in Australia, I think last year, for our own Boxing Hall of Fame awards. Emile of course is a member of the International Boxing Hall of Fame.

(Emile also fought one of our local legends Tony Mundine in France in 1973)

 

I've never been the biggest fan of Griffith or Rodriguez, though both were certainly great fighters for me.Rodriguez style is a bit too herky jerky for my taste.

 

Monzon had just recently been shot twice in the arm & shoulder by his tormented wife (poor woman was probably defending herself) and was not anywhere operating at peak efficiency.

 

Griffith, when he beat Dick Tiger in 1966, was as much a reason for me being a boxing fan as anything.

 

yeh maybe that explains it but it was a close fight and thats still an achievement a lethargic Monzon is still in the top 5% of MWs

 

I may have been a tad too harsh on Emile last night, I still think he was just a very good fighter and not great at any one thing, but his resume and list of accomplishments do make him an all-timer for sure so I have to give the man his due.

Its just frustrating to me to see him get all the accolades he has over the years while his superior imo Luis Rodriguez gets ignored and is all but forgotten today, which is a damn shame as the man is easily a top 30 all-time fighter, at least in my opinion.

 

Just curious Mante, but how much footage how have you seen of Luis?

 

ok cheers

 

Interesting. I found him awkward at first, but the more I watch of him the more impressed I get. Brilliant fighter IMO, and I've grown to love watching him.