Benny Paret

Last updated • 5 min readFrom Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia

Benny "Kid" Paret
Benny "the kid" Paret in fighting pose before his death.jpeg
Born
Bernardo Paret

(1937-03-14)March 14, 1937
DiedApril 3, 1962(1962-04-03) (aged 25)
Other namesKid
Statistics
Weight(s) Welterweight
Stance Orthodox
Boxing record
Total fights50
Wins35
Wins by KO10
Losses12
Draws3
Cause of deathBrain hemorrhaging from punches to his head in his match on March 24, 1962

BernardoParet (March 14, 1937 April 3, 1962), known as Benny Paret or Benny "Kid" Paret, was a Cuban welterweight boxer who won the World Welterweight Championship twice in the early 1960s. [1]

Contents

Paret's death occurred 10 days after injuries sustained in a March 24, 1962, title defense against Emile Griffith, televised live and seen by millions on ABC's Fight of the Week . Paret had a lifetime record of 35 wins (10 knockouts), 12 losses and 3 draws. [2]

Boxing career

Paret won the welterweight title for the first time on May 27, 1960, by defeating Don Jordan. In his first defense of the title, Emile Griffith knocked him out in the thirteenth round on April 1, 1961. [3] Paret recaptured the crown on September 30, 1961, in a split-decision over Griffith. [4] Barely two months later, Paret took on middleweight champion Gene Fullmer and was knocked out in the tenth round, being behind on all three judges' scorecards. [3]

Last fight and death

Although Paret had been battered in the two fights with Griffith and the fight with Fullmer, he decided that he would defend his title against Griffith three months after the Fullmer fight. Paret–Griffith III was booked for Madison Square Garden on Saturday, March 24, 1962, and was televised live by ABC. In round six, Paret nearly knocked out Griffith with a multi-punch combination, but Griffith was saved by the bell. [5]

In the twelfth round of the fight, Don Dunphy, who was calling the bout for ABC, remarked, "This is probably the tamest round of the entire fight." [6] Seconds later, Griffith backed Paret into the corner before he unleashed a massive flurry of punches to the champion's head. [7]

It quickly became apparent that Paret was dazed by the initial shots and could not defend himself, but referee Ruby Goldstein allowed Griffith to continue his assault. Finally, after 29 consecutive punches, which knocked Paret through the ropes at one point, Goldstein stepped in and called a halt to the bout. [8]

Paret collapsed in the corner from the barrage of punches (initially thought to be from exhaustion), fell into a coma, and died ten days later at Roosevelt Hospital in Manhattan from massive brain hemorrhaging. [5] [9] [10] Paret was buried at Miami’s Our Lady of Mercy Cemetery on April 7, 1962.

The last fight between Paret and Griffith was the subject of many controversies. It is theorized that one of the reasons Paret died was that he was vulnerable due to the beatings he took in his previous three fights, all of which happened within twelve months of each other. New York State boxing authorities were criticized for giving Paret clearance to fight just several months after the Fullmer fight. The actions of Paret at the weigh-in before his final fight have come under scrutiny. It is alleged that Paret taunted Griffith by calling him maricón (Spanish slang for "faggot"). [7]

Griffith wanted to fight Paret on the spot but was restrained. Griffith would come out as bisexual in his later years, but in 1962 allegations of homosexuality were considered fatal to an athlete's career and a particularly grievous insult in the culture both fighters came from. The referee Ruby Goldstein, a respected veteran, came under criticism for not stopping the fight sooner. It has been argued that Goldstein hesitated because of Paret's reputation of feigning injury and Griffith's reputation as a poor finisher. [5] [8]

Another theory is that Goldstein was afraid that Paret's supporters would riot. [8] The incident, combined with the death of Davey Moore a year later for a different injury in the ring, would cause debate as to whether boxing should be considered a sport. Boxing would not be televised on a regular basis again until the 1970s. [11]

The fight also marked the end of Goldstein's long and respected career as a referee, as he was unable to find work after that.[ citation needed ] The fight was the centerpiece of a 2005 documentary entitled Ring of Fire: The Emile Griffith Story. At the end of the documentary, Griffith, who had harbored guilt over the incident over the years, is introduced to Paret's son. The son embraced Griffith and told him he was forgiven. [11]

Paret's death was chronicled in a 1962 protest song by folk singer Gil Turner. The song, "Benny 'Kid' Paret", was published in Broadside magazine that same month and was recorded later in the year by Turner's group, The New World Singers, for the 1963 Folkways album Broadside Ballads, Vol. 1. [12] [13]

A 1962 poem by Australian ex-boxer Merv Lilley urged us to remember Benny Paret "when they're lacing leather on." [14]

The emotive poem "Muerte en el Ring" ("Death in the Ring") by Afro-Peruvian poet Nicomedes Santa Cruz recounts Paret's life to the moment of his last breath. [15]

A semifictionalized story of the fight was told live by radio dramatist Joe Frank in the 1978 program "80 Yard Run" on WBAI in New York and replayed several times subsequently on NPR. In it, Frank cast Griffith rather than Paret as the defending champion and makes no mention of Paret's recent fights or his prior history with Griffith. In the dramatized version, Griffith dominates the fight from the beginning, with the fight ending in the middle rounds and Paret dying later that night.

Paret is also one of many boxers named in the lyrics of Sun Kil Moon's 2003 album Ghosts of the Great Highway . The album builds several songs around the stories of boxers who died early deaths. [16]

The story of Emile Griffith and Paret's death has been turned into an Opera in Jazz, Champion . It premiered on the campus of Webster University in Webster Groves, Missouri, on June 15, 2013. The opera was written by composer Terence Blanchard, with a libretto by playwright Michael Cristofer, who went on to develop the stage play "Man in the Ring" on the same subject. The play premiered at the Court Theatre in Chicago in 2016.

Professional boxing record

50 fights35 wins12 losses
By knockout104
By decision258
Draws3
No.ResultRecordOpponentTypeRoundDateLocationNotes
50Loss35–12–3 Emile Griffith TKO12 (15) Mar 24, 1962 Madison Square Garden, New York City, U.S.Lost NYSAC, NBA, The Ring welterweight titles;
Paret died from injuries sustained in the fight [17]
49Loss35–11–3 Gene Fullmer KO10 (15)Dec 9, 1961Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.For NBA middleweight title
48Win35–10–3 Emile Griffith SD15Sep 30, 1961Madison Square Garden, New York City, U.S.Won NYSAC, NBA, and The Ring welterweight titles
47Loss34–10–3 Emile Griffith KO13 (15)Apr 1, 1961Convention Center, Miami Beach, Miami, Florida, U.S.Lost NYSAC, NBA, and The Ring welterweight titles
46Loss34–9–3 Gaspar Ortega UD10Feb 25, 1961Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
45Win34–8–3 Luis Federico Thompson UD15Dec 10, 1960Madison Square Garden, New York City, U.S.Retained NYSAC, NBA, and The Ring welterweight titles
44Loss33–8–3 Denny Moyer SD10Aug 16, 1960Madison Square Garden, New York City, U.S.
43Win33–7–3Garnet HartKO6 (10)Jul 12, 1960Madison Square Garden, New York City, U.S.
42Win32–7–3 Don Jordan UD15May 27, 1960Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.Won NYSAC, NBA, and The Ring welterweight titles
41Draw31–7–3 Luis Federico Thompson PTS12Mar 25, 1960Madison Square Garden, New York City, U.S.
40Win31–7–2Charley ScottSD10Jan 29, 1960Madison Square Garden, New York City, U.S.
39Win30–7–2Charley ScottUD10Dec 18, 1959Madison Square Garden, New York City, U.S.
38Win29–7–2Bob ProvizziUD10Nov 16, 1959Academy of Music, New York City, U.S.
37Draw28–7–2 José Torres PTS10Sep 26, 1959Sixto Escobar Stadium, San Juan, Puerto Rico
36Loss28–7–1 Gaspar Ortega SD10Aug 7, 1959Madison Square Garden, New York City, U.S.
35Win28–6–1Rudy SawyerUD10Jun 1, 1959St. Nicholas Arena, New York City, U.S.
34Loss27–6–1Eddie ThompsonSD10Apr 20, 1959St. Nicholas Arena, New York City, U.S.
33Loss27–5–1 Cecil Shorts MD10Mar 2, 1959St. Nicholas Arena, New York City, U.S.
32Win27–4–1 Victor Zalazar UD10Jan 19, 1959St. Nicholas Arena, New York City, U.S.
31Win26–4–1 Victor Zalazar SD10Dec 15, 1958St. Nicholas Arena, New York City, U.S.
30Win25–4–1Barry AllisonUD10Nov 24, 1958St. Nicholas Arena, New York City, U.S.
29Win24–4–1Andy FigaroKO1 (10)Nov 10, 1958St. Nicholas Arena, New York City, U.S.
28Loss23–4–1 Luis Manuel Rodríguez SD10Aug 9, 1958Coliseo de la Ciudad, Havana, Cuba
27Win23–3–1Augustin RosalesTKO8 (10)Jun 21, 1958Coliseo de la Ciudad, Havana, Cuba
26Win22–3–1Eddie ArmstrongUD10Jun 9, 1958St. Nicholas Arena, New York City, U.S.
25Draw21–3–1Bobby ShellPTS6May 19, 1958St. Nicholas Arena, New York City, U.S.
24Win21–3Tony ArmenterosPTS10Mar 8, 1958Palacio de Deportes, Havana, Cuba
23Loss20–3 Luis Manuel Rodríguez UD10Feb 8, 1958Palacio de Deportes, Havana, Cuba
22Win20–2Rolando RodriguezPTS8Jan 25, 1958Palacio de Deportes, Havana, Cuba
21Win19–2Regino BravoKO3 (8)Jan 4, 1958Arena Trejo, Havana, Cuba
20Win18–2Rolando RodriguezKO5 (8)May 25, 1957Palacio de Deportes, Havana, Cuba
19Win17–2Carlos ChibasPTS8May 4, 1957Palacio de Deportes, Havana, Cuba
18Loss16–2Guillermo DiazPTS8Apr 6, 1957Palacio de Deportes, Havana, Cuba
17Win16–1Rolando RodriguezPTS8Mar 23, 1957Palacio de Deportes, Havana, Cuba
16Win15–1Oscar CamposUD8Mar 9, 1957Palacio de Deportes, Havana, Cuba
15Win14–1Oscar CamposPTS10Feb 1, 1957Santa Clara, Cuba
14Loss13–1Rolando RodriguezKO2 (8)Oct 22, 1956Santa Clara, Cuba
13Win13–0Carlos ChibasKO2 (8)Oct 13, 1956Santa Clara, Cuba
12Win12–0Leocadio VillafanasKO3 (8)Aug 9, 1956Santa Clara, Cuba
11Win11–0Carlos ChibasPTS8Jul 21, 1956Palacio de Deportes, Havana, Cuba
10Win10–0Tony CaspitaPTS8Jun 6, 1956Santa Clara, Cuba
9Win9–0Reinaldo CabelleroKO3 (6)Mar 16, 1956Santa Clara, Cuba
8Win8–0Jose DelgadoKO4 (6)Jan 27, 1956Santa Clara, Cuba
7Win7–0Joaquin CastilloPTS6Dec 23, 1955Santa Clara, Cuba
6Win6–0Jose DelgadoPTS6Dec 2, 1955Santa Clara, Cuba
5Win5–0Sandalio SantanaPTS6Oct 26, 1955Santa Clara, Cuba
4Win4–0Miguel CutinoTKO4Oct 22, 1955Palacio de Deportes, Havana, Cuba
3Win3–0Joel MoralesPTS4Sep 8, 1955Santa Clara, Cuba
2Win2–0Esmerido MoyaKO1 (4)Aug 11, 1955Santa Clara, Cuba
1Win1–0Oscar CamposPTS6Apr 16, 1954Santa Clara, Cuba

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carlos Ortiz (boxer)</span> Puerto Rican boxer (1936–2022)

Carlos Ortiz was a Puerto Rican professional boxer. He held world titles in lightweight and light welterweight weight divisions. Along with Félix Trinidad, Miguel Cotto, Wilfredo Gómez, Héctor Camacho, José Torres, Edwin Rosario and Wilfred Benítez, Ortiz is considered among the best Puerto Rican boxers of all time by sports journalists and analysts. As of January 2018, Ortiz holds the record for the most wins in unified lightweight title bouts in boxing history at 10.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sugar Ray Robinson</span> American boxer (1921–1989)

Walker Smith Jr., better known as Sugar Ray Robinson, was an American professional boxer who competed from 1940 to 1965. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990. He is often regarded as the greatest boxer of all time, pound-for-pound.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emile Griffith</span> American boxer (1938–2013)

Emile Alphonse Griffith was an American professional boxer who won world titles in three weight divisions. He held the world light middleweight, undisputed welterweight, and middleweight titles. His best-known contest was a 1962 title match with Benny Paret. Griffith won the bout by knockout; Paret never recovered consciousness and died in the hospital 10 days later.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carmen Basilio</span> American boxer

Carmen Basilio was an American professional boxer who was the world champion in both the welterweight and middleweight divisions, beating Sugar Ray Robinson for the latter title. An iron-chinned pressure fighter, Basilio was a combination puncher who had great stamina and eventually wore many of his opponents down with vicious attacks to the head and body.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tony Canzoneri</span> American boxer

Tony Canzoneri was an American professional boxer. A three-division world champion, he held a total of five world titles. Canzoneri is a member of the exclusive group of boxing world champions who have won titles in three or more divisions. Canzoneri fought for championships between bantamweight and light welterweight. Historian Bert Sugar ranked Canzoneri as the twelfth-greatest fighter of all time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kid Gavilán</span> Cuban boxer

Gerardo González, better known in the boxing world as Kid Gavilan, was a Cuban boxer. Gavilán was the former undisputed world welterweight champion from 1951 to 1954 having simultaneously held the NYSAC, WBA, and The Ring welterweight titles. The Boxing Writers Association of America named him Fighter of the Year in 1953. Gavilán was voted by The Ring magazine as the 26th greatest fighter of the last 80 years. Gavilán was a 1966 inductee to The Ring magazine's Boxing Hall of Fame, and was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in the inaugural class of 1990.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mickey Walker (boxer)</span> American boxer

Edward Patrick "Mickey" Walker was an American professional boxer who held both the world welterweight and world middleweight championships at different points in his career. Born in Elizabeth, New Jersey, he was also an avid golfer and would later be recognized as a renowned artist. Walker is widely considered one of the greatest fighters ever, with ESPN ranking him 17th on their list of the 50 Greatest Boxers of All-Time and boxing historian Bert Sugar placing him 11th in his Top 100 Fighters catalogue. Statistical website BoxRec rates Walker as the 6th best boxer to have ended his career at middleweight, while The Ring Magazine founder Nat Fleischer placed him at No. 4 among greatest middleweights of all time. The International Boxing Research Organization ranked Walker as the No. 4 middleweight and the No. 16 pound-for-pound fighter of all-time. Walker was inducted into the Ring magazine Hall of Fame in 1957 and the International Boxing Hall of Fame as a first-class member in 1990.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nino Benvenuti</span> Italian boxer and actor

Giovanni "Nino" Benvenuti is an Italian former professional boxer and actor. He held world titles in two weight classes, having held the undisputed super-welterweight championship from June 1965 to June 1966 and the undisputed middleweight championship twice, from April to September 1967, and from March 1968 to November 1970. As an amateur welterweight boxer he won the Italian title in 1956–60, the European title in 1957 and 1959, and an Olympic gold medal in 1960, receiving the Val Barker trophy for boxing style. In 1961, having an amateur record of 120-0, he turned professional and won world titles in the light-middleweight division and twice in the middleweight division. Near the end of his boxing career he appeared in two Italian films, Sundance and the Kid (1969) and then in Mark Shoots First (1975).

During the 1960s, boxing, like mostly everything else around the world, went through changing times. Notable was the emergence of a young boxer named Cassius Clay, who would, in his own words shock the world, declare himself against war, and change his name to Muhammad Ali.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gene Fullmer</span> American boxer (1931–2015)

Lawrence Gene Fullmer was an American professional boxer and World Middleweight champion. He was known as TheUtah Cyclone, The Mormon Mauler, and as "Cyclone" Gene Fullmer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ruby Goldstein</span> American boxer (1907–1984)

Reuven "Ruby" Goldstein, the "Jewel of the Ghetto", was an American boxer and prize fight referee. He was a serious World Lightweight Championship contender in the 1920s, and became one of U.S. most trusted and respected boxing referees in the 1950s. During his boxing career, he was trained and managed by Hymie Cantor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Duilio Loi</span> Italian boxer

Duilio Loi was an Italian boxer who held the Italian and European lightweight and welterweight titles, as well as the World Junior Welterweight Championship. Loi fought from 1948 to 1962, and retired with a record of 115 wins, 3 losses and 8 draws.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Luis Manuel Rodríguez</span> Cuban boxer

Luis Manuel Rodríguez was a Cuban professional boxer. Known as "El Feo", he began his career in pre-Castro Havana. In Cuba, he twice defeated the ill-fated future welterweight champion Benny Paret. He held the WBA, WBC, and lineal welterweight titles in 1963, and challenged once for the WBA, and WBC middleweight titles in 1969.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don Jordan</span> American boxer

Don Jordan was an American boxer born in Los Angeles, California and was the Welterweight Champion of the World from 1958 to 1960. His nickname was ‘Geronimo’. He was of Mexican and African American descent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joe Brown (boxer)</span> American boxer

Joe Brown was an American professional boxer who won the world lightweight title in 1956, making 11 successful defenses against 10 contenders before losing his crown to Carlos Ortiz in 1962. Brown was a classic boxer and a knockout puncher. Known as "The Creole Clouter" and "Old Bones", he was managed by Lou Viscusi and named The Ring's 'Fighter of the Year' for 1961. Brown was inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame in 1978, the World Boxing Hall of Fame in 1987 and the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1996.

Fight of the Week is a live American professional boxing series that aired on ABC-TV from 1960 to 1964.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Johnny Saxton</span> American boxer

Johnny Saxton was an American professional boxer in the welterweight (147lb) division. He was born in Newark, New Jersey, learned to box in a Brooklyn orphanage and had an amateur career winning 31 of 33 fights, twice becoming World Welterweight Champion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harry Lewis (boxer)</span> American boxer

Harry Lewis, was an American boxer, generally credited with holding the Welterweight Championship of the World from April 1908 to March 1911. He defeated "Young Joseph", the reigning Welterweight Champion of England in London on June 27, 1910, but was not credited with the British Welterweight championship as the fight was sanctioned as a World, and not English title. Boxing writer Nat Fleischer rated Lewis the sixth-greatest welterweight of all time. He was inducted into the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 2002, and into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2008.

Benny Paret vs. Emile Griffith III was the third meeting between Benny "Kid" Paret and Emile Griffith, for the welterweight boxing championship, held at Madison Square Garden in New York City on Saturday, March 24, 1962. Paret came into the match as the reigning welterweight champion; this would be the deciding rubber match.

Leonard Morrow was an American professional boxer in the light heavyweight and heavyweight divisions, who was active from 1946 to 1954. He was ranked as a top contender in the light heavyweight division from 1948 to 1950. In 1948, he was the number two rated contender by The Ring (magazine) for Freddie Mills' light heavyweight world title. During his career, he defeated hall of fame fighters, champions, and top contenders such as Archie Moore, Jimmy Bivins, Bert Lytell, and Arturo Godoy. In 1989, Archie went on record saying that Morrow was one of only three men that ever really hit him alongside Rocky Marciano and Yvon Durelle.

References

  1. "The Lineal Welterweight Champs". Cyber Boxing Zone. Archived from the original on June 14, 2009. Retrieved October 27, 2016.
  2. "Benny "Kid" Paret: Lest We Forget". Archived from the original on February 28, 2007. Retrieved May 21, 2007.
  3. 1 2 Segundo, Al. "A Sour Memory of the 'Sweet Science'". Archived from the original on August 14, 2006. Retrieved May 21, 2007.
  4. "The Great Rivalries". Archived from the original on June 28, 2006. Retrieved May 21, 2007.
  5. 1 2 3 The Great Rivalries CBS Sports
  6. "Emile Griffith Benny Paret KO Dies". YouTube. Archived from the original on April 26, 2012. Retrieved April 21, 2017.
  7. 1 2 Smith, Gary (April 18, 2005). "The Shadow Boxer". CNN. Archived from the original on March 26, 2014. Retrieved May 21, 2007.
  8. 1 2 3 Mulvaney, Kieran (May 4, 2006). "Don't believe the hype? How 'bout the slights?" . Retrieved May 21, 2007.
  9. Shapiro, Michael (March 23, 1983). "PARET TRAGEDY: A SHARED BURDEN". The New York Times . Retrieved January 10, 2014.
  10. Goldstein, Richard (July 23, 2013). "Emile Griffith, Boxer Who Unleashed a Fatal Barrage, Dies at 75". The New York Times . Retrieved January 9, 2014.
  11. 1 2 "Ring of Fire: The Emile Griffith Story". IMDb . Retrieved May 22, 2007.
  12. Gil, Turner (April 1962). "Benny "Kid" Paret" (PDF). Broadside . p. 5. Retrieved February 5, 2011.
  13. "Broadside Ballads, Vol. 1". AllMusic . Retrieved February 5, 2011.
  14. Lilley, Merv (1962). "Benny Paret". What about the People?. National Council of the Realist Writer Groups.
  15. ""Muerte en el Ring"" . Retrieved March 4, 2018.
  16. "Mark Kozelek". The A.V. Club . Archived from the original on July 2, 2007. Retrieved May 22, 2007.
  17. "Benny (Kid) Paret - BoxRec".
Sporting positions
World boxing titles
Preceded by NYSAC welterweight champion
May 27, 1960 – April 1, 1961
Succeeded by
NBA welterweight champion
May 27, 1960 – April 1, 1961
The Ring welterweight champion
May 27, 1960 – April 1, 1961
Undisputed welterweight champion
May 27, 1960 – April 1, 1961
Preceded by
Emile Griffith
NYSAC welterweight champion
September 30, 1961 – March 24, 1962
NBA welterweight champion
September 30, 1961 – March 24, 1962
The Ring welterweight champion
September 30, 1961 – March 24, 1962
Undisputed welterweight champion
September 30, 1961 – March 24, 1962
Records
Preceded by Latest born world champion to die
April 3, 1962 February 15, 1970
Succeeded by