Emile Griffith's Big 5: The Epic Rematch with Benvenuti

Emile Griffith's Big 5: The Epic Rematch with Benvenuti

The rematch against one of the best in the division – Nino Benvenuti

Emily Griffith's illustrious professional boxing career includes some memorable bouts. He's one of those competitors who doesn't have that many losses, yet after every defeat against a clearly superior athlete, Griffith is ready to go out and try to get revenge. Unrelenting spirit, powerful punches and victories in three different divisions made the US Virgin Islands-born athlete one of the best of the 1960s and 1970s. That's why we decided in a series of 5 materials to remind you of his best five matches. We have already shared about the best of them, the victory over Benny Parrett in March 1962, which ended in tragedy for the Kidd.

The second fight sends us forward more than five years to when he faces Nino Benvenuti for the second time. The Italian boxer, who also started an acting career later, was one of the best in the middleweight division at the time. Having won the title against Dick Tiger quickly after moving from welterweight to middleweight, however, Griffith has already shown that he is not afraid of anyone, although even in the former division he rarely reaches the minimum weight required.

However, Nino Benvenuti is the great hope that Italy will have another world champion in 1967 after Sandro Lopopolo managed to win the super lightweight title. And in April at Madison Square Garden, Benvenuti managed to do it, defeating Emile. There was no rematch clause in the preliminary agreement for the match, but the two boxers decided to shake hands and arrange a second match in which Griffith would have a chance to regain his crown. The match was supposed to take place back in July, but due to problems from the first meeting, which required an operation for Benvenuti, the match was rescheduled for September.

After the first meeting, the media strongly defended the boxer who lost his world title, saying that he was not well prepared because he did not train well enough. Ten days before the rematch, Griffith says that this time will be much better. And this is extremely close to the truth.

Although the fight is again in New York, Benvenuti seems to be well supported, because already on his arrival in the USA he is greeted by a huge crowd of Italian emigrants, and especially for the fight 5 thousand people travel from Rome and Bologna to watch it. This leads to a slight worry in Emil's HQ, but what matters is what is shown in the ring. Preliminary expectations are that the Italian boxer will retain his distinction, albeit with difficulty. Griffith's trainer, Jill Clancy, told the media that if the US Virgin Islands competitor did not do what was required of him this time, he would slap him.

Everyone is of the opinion that it is absurd to talk about a victory for either of them by knockout, but already in the first round it looked as if Griffith was looking for it. He never finds it, but his aggressive approach spells serious trouble for the world champion, who has a bloody nose soon after the start. In the second part, the dominance of the American continued with ease, and although Nino managed to raise his head for a few rounds, it was clear from afar that this was not his match.

In the fourth quarter, they both go a little dirtier, landing a few fouls on each other. In the middle of the match, good combinations of straights and hooks from Benvenuti keep the shorter Emil at bay, but even from distance, the American's hits are not few in number and much stronger. In the eighth part, Benvenuti is even shaken, and this is the last action that does not give him the opportunity to win the match. In the 13th and last round, the Italian gave the beginnings of a more serious resistance, which still made the referee Wilsh indicate a draw between the two, but in the cards of the other two judges, Emil Griffith was the winner.

With this success, the New York-based boxer became only the third in history to regain the middleweight title. According to some experts, after the fight with Benvenuti, which brought him the crown in this division for the second time, Griffith's career can now be compared to that of Sugar Ray Robinson.