Last and def. not least I met one of my all time fav. fighters.
Someone who honestly I never thought I'd meet since I knew he's based in NY and now with his age the traveling becomes harder and harder to do. But my god what a moment this was for me...
My heart stopped beating and I put my bag down on the floor and just stared in amasement. I just could not believe my eyes that he was there...
A fighter whom epitimizes the word boxer in every sense of the word. Someone who saw it all and someone who fought the best and premier fighters of his era and as we discussed has one of the best resumes all time in boxing.
When his family 1st migrated from the Virgin Islands he was forced to get a job from a very young age. He started working at a hat factory and there one day it was hot and he asked his supervisor if he could take off his shirt cause he was hot. His supervisor said go ahead, he takes off his shirt and he sees this kid who's fucken built like truck. Thick neck, broad shoulders, wide chest... Just built, well his supervisor just happened to be friends with Gil Clancy, Gil began training the kid and Gil over the years did not enter any of his amateurs into tournaments on the 1st year of training but he saw this kid was something special so in 1957 he entered the kid into the NY Golden GLoves and the kid lost in the finals.
The next year he entered the kid again int he NY Golden Gloves and this time he took it all he won the tournament...
That very same year he turned pro and with just 24 fights and a record of 22-2 he fought for the World Welterweight title and won via TKO in the 13th round and would begin one of the best/most tragic trilogy ever.
Seeing him was just something very special to me and getting to talk to him and meet him was mind blwoing...
THE LEGEND that is Emile Griffith...
It was hard to understand him but I got most of it as I tied words with one another... It was great to see him it really was.
Now here's where I served as a translater for Alberto Reyes as he talked with Emile. Alberto just wanted to meet him and exchange some words him so I served as a translater for Alberto as his English is not good.
![]()
Bookmarks