EMILE GRIFFITH, champion boxer

EMILE GRIFFITH - an Elite world champion

By Brian Zelley

The March 1964 issue of 

Boxing & Wrestling" magazine
was just one of many magazines 
that would have Emile on the
front cover in the Sixties.

There was also a feature article
by John F. X. Condon titled
"A Tiger In The Closet"
which was one of the early
articles that would  look at
the three time welterweight
champion looking at the
middleweights and the
champion DICK TIGER. 

Looking back to those mid
Sixties, Emile was likely
my favorite boxer but 
former champion Floyd Patterson was also on the top of the like list
along with other champions and former champions such as Willie Pastrano,
Eddie Perkins and Eder Jofre.  But, I believed Emile to be the best 
champions.  Years later, another magazine "Boxing Illustrated"
woul pick Emile Griffith as the best of the Sixties, and in the
early Seventies, he was also my choice.

His last Welterweight Title Fight

Emile's last welterweight title fight would be against the slick

boxer from Houston, Texas by the name of Manuel Gonzalez,

Manny had defeated Emile in a non-title fight but in the title

fight. Emile would not be denied.  

                   EMILE GRIFFITH vs MANUEL "Manny" GONZALEZ

                      *the last welterweight title fight for Emile Griffith

Manny Gonzalez:  A slick boxer

It would be a few years

after the Griffith fights

that I would have a 

chance to meet with 

Manny along with

trainer Billy DeFoe.

We would talk about

such boxers as Emile,

Joe Brown, Cleveland

Williams and others.

*At the end of the day

and likely forever 

EMILE GRIFFITH

and GONZALEZ along

with FLOYD PATTERSON

will always be in my top 

ten "like" list of boxers.