Full name
Emile Alphonse Griffith

Date of birth
February 3, 1938

Date of death
July 23, 2013

Debut
On June 2, 1958, in New York, he defeated Joe Parham by decision in four rounds.

Won The World Title
On September 30, 1961, in New York, he won a 15-round unanimous decision over Benny Paret and became world welterweight champion (before the existence of the WBA and WBC). On December 8, 1962, in Las Vegas, he defeated Jorge Fernández by knockout in three turns and obtained the welterweight titles endorsed by the WBC and WBA. He recovered his titles on June 8, 1963, in New York, by beating Luis Manuel Rodríguez on points. On April 25, 1966, in New York, he defeated Richard Dick Tiger Ihetu by unanimous decision and stripped him of the middleweight titles endorsed by the WBC and WBA. On September 29, 1967, in New York, he regained his WBC/WBA middleweight crowns, in a rematch against Nino Benvenuti, whom he beat on points.s.

Lost His Title
In his first defense, on March 21, 1963 in Los Angeles, Luis Manuel Rodríguez defeated him by unanimous decision. In his second spell as champion, he resigned to go in search of the welterweight title. He lost the WBC/WBA middleweight title in his third defense, on April 17, 1967, in New York, Nino Benvenuti defeated him by unanimous decision, a battle that was considered the fight of the year by Ring Magazine. In his third fight with Nino Benvenuti, on March 4, 1968 in New York, he lost the WBC/WBA middleweight titles by losing a unanimous decision.e.

Withdrawal
On July 30, 1977, in Monte Carlo, Alan Minter beat him on points in ten laps.

The Data
On March 24, 1962, at Madison Square Garden in New York, in the rematch with Benny Kid Peret, Griffith beat up his rival and stopped the fight in the 12th round, of the 15 that had been agreed upon. . Benny left the ring on a stretcher, already in a coma, and was transferred to Roosevelt Hospital, but never regained consciousness and died on April 3, 1962.2.