Mama's Boy
I told you that when I asked Emile Griffith at the World Boxing Hall of Fame Banquet in Inglewood,California who was his toughest opponent. His response was "Jose Napoles." But "Jose Napoles" came after he answered my first query with a knee jerk reply. Before I could finish getting the words out of my mouth.
"My mother."
He didn't have to think about it. He gave no explanation There was no tongue in cheek. He was as sure of the veracity of his statement like he had one hand on the bible.
My wife and I had checked into the Marriott the day before the induction ceremony. Our room was on the bottom floor,the same floor where Griffith and his caretaker and biographer Don Ross were staying. The morning of the induction ceremony my wife and I bumped into Griffith and his friend standing in front of the elevator waiting to go up to the dining room for breakfast..We stood behind them.Griffith was standing a few feet in front of his friend,his nose pressed against the door of the elevator.
"I'm scared,"muttered Griffith trembling."Where are we going?"
"Everything is all right,"said his friend calmly."We are going to eat breakfast."
The friend put his hand on Griffith's shoulder He was a big friendly looking guy.He never took his eyes off Griffith.
"Don't worry,"said the friend."The elevator is on its way."
The friend's words relaxed Griffith's shoulders.He stepped back a little from the door.
"That's good,"said Griffith."I'm hungry."
When the elevator came down and opened its doors,Griffith's friend, with his hand,guided Emile to the back of the elevator.The friend stood in front of Griffith..My wife and I and Griffith and his friend were the only ones inside the elevator. After the elevator came up to the floor were the dining room was,Griffith's friend put his hand on Griffith's shoulder and they walked together to the dining room.Before my wife and I went to eat,we saw Gaspar Ortega and his wife sitting in the lobby.We went over to converse a little before going to eat breakfast.
Griffith had been inducted , I think, the first year the first year the World Boxing Hall of Fame opened its doors. Ortega was already in. I remembered when the two fought in New York at the Garden.Griffith was not the champion yet.It was a close fight with Griffith getting a split decision win. It was tough to beat Griffith in New York,just ask Luis Rodriguez. But after Griffith beat Benny Paret to wear the welterweight crown,he put his title on the line against Ortega at The Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles.I was rooting for Gaspar. I thought Luis Rodriguez got jobbed in New York against Emile. It wasn't out in public yet that Emile was gay,but the way he talked was a giveaway..That got on my nerves. I couldn't believe someone who was gay could be a figher,let alone a very good fighter and a champion.In my mind it didn't add up But Emile gave Ortega a boxing lesson in LA. He was in his stride then.Griffith had too much of everything that night. His hand speed and footwork were phenomenal. Emile,the gay fighter,gave Ortega a beat down.
Emile Griffith fought everyone and fought often. He seemed to see everything in front of him,and with his skills and reflexes dominated.When Ruben Carter, with all his muscles, clocked Emile in Pittsburg just before Christmas,I sent Santa a "thank you letter." The only other times in the 60's Griffith didn't get his hand raised was in Los Angeles against Rodriguez,a loss to Manny Gonzalez in Texas,and Don Fullmer in Salt Lake City Now Emile got a taste of the being on the wrong end of the hometown decision.Griffith had the skills to beat Dick Tiger to move up a weight class and win the middleweight crown.(the two Griffith /Tiger fights had to be two of the most boring encounters in the books. Two great fighters who had styles that resulted in hum drum fights).Then came the Benvenuti trilogy. Nino winning two of the three was like adding white clam sauce to my spaghetti.At the decade's end,Emile dropped weight again and went after Jose Napoles's 145 title. A lot of people thought Griffith had "drained" himself for that fight,that he was past his prime. Griffith was a "blown up" middleweight. He'd weigh in the low and mid 150's when he fought at middleweight. When he fought Napoles in LA he was a tick under Jose weighing in at 144 and a quarter pounds. Reading about the fight in his bio and then Griffith telling me that Napoles was the "best" fighter he ever faced ,without qualifying his remarks with any sour grapes,validated what I saw in that fight. Jose was the better man that night.
Before the induction ceremony Griffith was seated at a table next to his friend and biographer,Don Ross, in the lobby. There was a stack of Griffith's bio,"Nine Ten And Out", on the table. The two seemed alone,everyone walking by them like they weren't there. I went up to where they were sitting and said that I wanted to buy a book.
"Thanks,"said Ross with a smile."You're the first one."
Emile just sat there with a warm smile on his face.
"It's 20 bucks and Emile will autograph it for you. Did you want me to sign it too?"
"Of course",I answred.reaching for my wallet.
Ross opened the front cover and signed his name with a sharpie. He then handed the pen to Griffith and he signed his name.
"Have a seat,"said Ross."Make yourself at home."
I sat next to Griffith. He turned his head to me slowly and smiled.
"Thank you,."he said meekly.
He looked fragile. His hand shook a little. He sat slouched in his chair. Then i asked him who was his toughest opponent.That's when he said his "mother." After reaskng the question wanting a name of a fighter,I began to take Griffith in sitting there,everyone passing him by like he was a lamp post.I remembered all the fights I'd seen on TV.I remembered Paret. Just then some guy walked up to the table holding a picture. It was the image of Benny Paret sagging against the ring ropes dying.
"Hey Emile,"he shouted."Will you sign my picture?"
I was taken aback.
"Yes,"said Emile softly.
Griffith's friend sat motionless Emile looked at the picture and slowly signed his name.
"Would you like to buy a book?"asked Griffith to the autograph hound.
"How much?"
"20dollars,"answered Griffith's friend.
"No thanks."
"Emile will sign his name to it."
"No.I got to be going,"said the guy staring at the picture.
I sat there with them for a few more minutes. I went back to my room to get ready for the induction ceremony.As I was getting dressed I thought about how I used to feel about Emile Griffith. Somewhere in the past 45 years I had realized that those perceptions had vanished.It wasn't a concerted effort. Somehow the transcendence was like a forgotten dream.I didn't want to remember how I felt about him before.I was some stranger back then I wanted to bury.
When I got home I read the book. Emile Griffith was a man that took on a lot in life.Providing for his family was foremost. They put demands on him. He responded the best he could. Now he was sitting at a table with his caretaker with a stack of books about his life in front of him. And everyone was just walking by
Me, flanked by two old adversaries,Emile Griffith and Gaspar Ortega
Emile Griffith in later life
I think they go 1-1-1 and have a winner takes all fight and I can't call that one.
