Editing Emile Griffith (section)

==Career==
===Amateur===
Griffith was born on February 3, 1938.<ref>{{cite web |title=Photos of Emile Griffith |url=https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/114269611/emile-griffith/photo#view-photo=129098274 |website=Find a Grave |access-date=4 January 2024}}</ref> 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]]'s gym.<ref name=ShadowBoxer/>

Griffith won the 1958 [[New York Golden Gloves]] 147&nbsp;lb Open Championship, defeating Osvaldo Marcano of the Police Athletic Leagues Lynch Center in the final. 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.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=2004-10-13 |title=A champion's champion Secaucus resident part of boxing legendary partnership; inducted into NJ Boxing Hall of Fame - Hudson Reporter Archive |url=https://archive.hudsonreporter.com/2004/10/13/a-champions-champion-secaucus-resident-part-of-boxing-legendary-partnership-inducted-into-nj-boxing-hall-of-fame/ |access-date=2023-05-16 |website=hudsonreporter.com |language=en-US}}</ref>

===Professional===
Griffith turned professional in 1958 and fought frequently in New York City. He captured the [[Welterweight]] title from Cuban [[Benny Paret|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 Manuel Rodríguez|Luis Rodríguez]], losing their second fight and winning the other three. He defeated middleweight contender [[Holley Mims]] but was knocked out in one round by [[Rubin Carter|Rubin "Hurricane" Carter]]. Three years later, on April 25, 1966, he faced middleweight champion [[Dick Tiger]] 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]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Morilla |first=Diego |date=2023-04-18 |title=On this day: Nino Benvenuti defeats Emile Griffith in first chapter of a legendary trilogy |url=https://www.ringtv.com/652106-on-this-day-nino-benvenuti-defeats-emile-griffith-in-first-chapter-of-a-legendary-trilogy/ |access-date=2023-05-16 |website=The Ring}}</ref>

But many boxing fans<ref name="NYT_Klores" /> 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,<ref name="NYT_Klores" /> only winning nine of his last twenty three fights. Other boxers whom he fought in his career included world champions American [[Denny Moyer]], Cuban [[Luis Manuel Rodríguez|Luis Rodríguez]], Argentine [[Carlos Monzón]], Cuban [[José Nápoles]], and in his last title try, German [[Eckhard Dagge]]. After 18 years as a professional boxer, Griffith retired with a record of 85 wins (25 by [[knockout]]), 24 losses and 2 draws.

====Benny Paret====
{{Main|Benny Paret vs. Emile Griffith III}}
Griffith and Paret's third fight, which was nationally televised by [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]], occurred on March 24, 1962, at [[Madison Square Garden]]. Griffith had been incensed by an [[homophobia|anti-gay]] 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 (slang)|faggot]]".<ref name=ShadowBoxer>Smith, Gary [https://www.si.com/vault/2005/04/18/8257823/the-shadow-boxer "The Shadow Boxer"], Sports Illustrated, April 18, 2005.</ref><ref name="NYT_Klores" /> Griffith had to be restrained from attacking Paret on the spot. The media at the time either ignored the slur or used [[euphemism]]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.<ref name=Rivilries>[http://www.cbssports.com/boxing/story/5981685 The Great Rivalries] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120826002343/http://www.cbssports.com/boxing/story/5981685 |date=August 26, 2012 }}, CBSSports.com; accessed January 30, 2016.</ref> After the sixth round Griffith's trainer, [[Gil Clancy]], 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!".<ref name=ShadowBoxer/>

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.<ref name=ShadowBoxer/>

New York [[Governor (United States)|Governor]] [[Nelson Rockefeller]] created a seven-man commission to investigate the incident and the sport.<ref name=ShadowBoxer/> Griffith reportedly felt guilt over Paret's death and suffered nightmares about Paret for 40 years.<ref name=ShadowBoxer/>

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''.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ring of Fire: The Emile Griffith Story - Rotten Tomatoes |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/ring_of_fire_the_emile_griffith_story |access-date=2023-05-24 |website=www.rottentomatoes.com |language=en}}</ref>

===Trainer===
Griffith trained other boxers, including [[Wilfred Benítez]] and [[Juan Laporte]] of [[Puerto Rico]]. Both won world championships. Griffith is a member of the [[International Boxing Hall of Fame]]. In 1979–80, he was in Denmark serving as the coach of the Danish Olympic boxing team.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Emile Griffith dies at 75; champion boxer struggled with his sexuality|url=https://www.latimes.com/local/obituaries/la-me-emile-griffith-20130724-story.html|date=July 24, 2013|website=Los Angeles Times|language=en-US|access-date=May 21, 2020}}</ref>