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kenyan_cheena · 04-26-2012, 08:57 AM

The New York Age

SUNDAY, 27 JANUARY, 2008

GRIFFITH PRODUCES
MASTERCLASS IN MEXICO CITY

Story by James Reynolds

The uncertainty over who is really the best welterweight boxer in the world was emphatically settled last night in Mexico City, with New York-based Virgin Islands native Emile Griffith scoring a dominant unanimous decision win over Enrique Diaz to regain the IBL and world championship. It was the pair's third meeting during the last fourteen months, although the previous two had both ended in disqualifications with one win a piece. The first clash came in the December '06 final of the league's world championship tournament, a showdown that had been a long time coming. Diaz appeared to be on the way to an upset victory before his third rabbit punching offense led to him being DQd midway through the 10th round.

After defending the title against Japan's Shoji Ohashi, Griffith squared off with Diaz for a second time last August and on this occasion he was the one with victory in sight when he was sensationally disqualified a minute into the 15th and final round for holding and hitting, his seventh individual foul of a dirty fight. An immediate rematch was quickly agreed upon to truly settle the issue, and Griffith proved that he is the best in the most comprehensive way possible. No, this wasn't a quick, decisive finish. There were no knockdowns, either. It was something far more impressive than that: An hour of almost complete mastery of an opponent, in front of that opponent's adoring home fans. From the opening bell, Emile Griffith was on a mission to reclaim his crown and he never allowed Diaz to even sniff victory.

Incredibly, all three judges awarded Griffith the first eight rounds of the fight. He was landing his punches with superb accuracy and avoiding Diaz's desperate salvos just as effectively. Heading into the 9th, Diaz's right eye was a swollen mess. About the only positive was that he had not sustained a cut. The crowd, so boisterous and confident in the minutes before the opening bell, had been pounded into a shocked, submissive silence by Griffith's brilliance. There were rumours that Diaz had pushed himself too hard in training, but that was not a valid excuse to account for the schooling he received. To make it even more awe-inspiring, Griffith delivered the beatdown with a steely, cold, unwavering resolve, his demeanour in stark contrast to the distraught, outspoken individual calling for a rematch at the end of their last stoush.

Diaz finally made an impression in rounds nine and ten, but his efforts were a mere speed bump on Griffith's path to redemption. The Caribbean slugger swept the next four frames, with Diaz admittedly giving as good as he received in an action-packed 11th. Griffith cruised through the final stanza, much to the audience's displeasure, and when the verdict came it was as one-sided as expected. All three scorecards showed identical verdicts of 147-138, favouring Griffith with twelve rounds and Diaz just three. A glance at the vanquished champion's swollen, puffy face was enough to believe the fight really should have been stopped earlier, but referee Dick Flaherty is known for his leniency in such matters. That aside, if he had stopped it the crowd may have torn the stadium down.

Griffith landed a remarkable 522 of 891 punches (58.6%), Diaz just 213 of 1,300 (16.4%). Perhaps unsurprisingly, those totals bore a similarity to the ones in their September showdown, even though the scorecards had been much closer in that fight. Much of the damage Griffith inflicted came from his lightning-fast combinations, which left Diaz as helpless as a baby. While praising Diaz for his courage, Griffith (33-2-1(23)) did not pull any punches when he said his win was "damn dominant" and that the Mexican will now have to get back in line and earn another shot at the title just like everyone else. Next for Griffith is the young Florida Alliance member James Ray, who earned his challenge with a victory over the Nigerian Ademola Udeze three weeks ago. If the new champion produces the same standard in June as he did last night, Ray will have a huge problem dethroning him.

As for Diaz (now 33-3(24)), one can only wonder how he'll bounce back from this loss. He has shown himself to be a resilient, optimistic individual in the past but it must be said that this was the type of defeat that has ended careers. It's fortunate for him that he won't be required to compete during the first series of WCC bouts because he'll definitely need some time away to recover, both physically and mentally. It has been a bad January for Mexico when it comes to IBL title fights. On the 5th, Gilberto Vasquez was unable to regain the featherweight belt from the Dominican Miguel Bautista when their fight ended as a draw. One week later Rafael Limon was dethroned as lightweight champion by Ben Villaflor of the Philippines. Now Diaz has lost the welterweight belt.

04-26-2012, 08:57 AM	#1516
kenyan_cheena Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Sydney, NSW, Australia Posts: 9,037	*The New York Age* SUNDAY, 27 JANUARY, 2008 GRIFFITH PRODUCES MASTERCLASS IN MEXICO CITY Story by James Reynolds The uncertainty over who is really the best welterweight boxer in the world was emphatically settled last night in Mexico City, with New York-based Virgin Islands native Emile Griffith scoring a dominant unanimous decision win over Enrique Diaz to regain the IBL and world championship. It was the pair's third meeting during the last fourteen months, although the previous two had both ended in disqualifications with one win a piece. The first clash came in the December '06 final of the league's world championship tournament, a showdown that had been a long time coming. Diaz appeared to be on the way to an upset victory before his third rabbit punching offense led to him being DQd midway through the 10th round. After defending the title against Japan's Shoji Ohashi, Griffith squared off with Diaz for a second time last August and on this occasion he was the one with victory in sight when he was sensationally disqualified a minute into the 15th and final round for holding and hitting, his seventh individual foul of a dirty fight. An immediate rematch was quickly agreed upon to truly settle the issue, and Griffith proved that he is the best in the most comprehensive way possible. No, this wasn't a quick, decisive finish. There were no knockdowns, either. It was something far more impressive than that: An hour of almost complete mastery of an opponent, in front of that opponent's adoring home fans. From the opening bell, Emile Griffith was on a mission to reclaim his crown and he never allowed Diaz to even sniff victory. Incredibly, all three judges awarded Griffith the first eight rounds of the fight. He was landing his punches with superb accuracy and avoiding Diaz's desperate salvos just as effectively. Heading into the 9th, Diaz's right eye was a swollen mess. About the only positive was that he had not sustained a cut. The crowd, so boisterous and confident in the minutes before the opening bell, had been pounded into a shocked, submissive silence by Griffith's brilliance. There were rumours that Diaz had pushed himself too hard in training, but that was not a valid excuse to account for the schooling he received. To make it even more awe-inspiring, Griffith delivered the beatdown with a steely, cold, unwavering resolve, his demeanour in stark contrast to the distraught, outspoken individual calling for a rematch at the end of their last stoush. Diaz finally made an impression in rounds nine and ten, but his efforts were a mere speed bump on Griffith's path to redemption. The Caribbean slugger swept the next four frames, with Diaz admittedly giving as good as he received in an action-packed 11th. Griffith cruised through the final stanza, much to the audience's displeasure, and when the verdict came it was as one-sided as expected. All three scorecards showed identical verdicts of 147-138, favouring Griffith with twelve rounds and Diaz just three. A glance at the vanquished champion's swollen, puffy face was enough to believe the fight really should have been stopped earlier, but referee Dick Flaherty is known for his leniency in such matters. That aside, if he had stopped it the crowd may have torn the stadium down. Griffith landed a remarkable 522 of 891 punches (58.6%), Diaz just 213 of 1,300 (16.4%). Perhaps unsurprisingly, those totals bore a similarity to the ones in their September showdown, even though the scorecards had been much closer in that fight. Much of the damage Griffith inflicted came from his lightning-fast combinations, which left Diaz as helpless as a baby. While praising Diaz for his courage, Griffith (33-2-1(23)) did not pull any punches when he said his win was "damn dominant" and that the Mexican will now have to get back in line and earn another shot at the title just like everyone else. Next for Griffith is the young Florida Alliance member James Ray, who earned his challenge with a victory over the Nigerian Ademola Udeze three weeks ago. If the new champion produces the same standard in June as he did last night, Ray will have a huge problem dethroning him. As for Diaz (now 33-3(24)), one can only wonder how he'll bounce back from this loss. He has shown himself to be a resilient, optimistic individual in the past but it must be said that this was the type of defeat that has ended careers. It's fortunate for him that he won't be required to compete during the first series of WCC bouts because he'll definitely need some time away to recover, both physically and mentally. It has been a bad January for Mexico when it comes to IBL title fights. On the 5th, Gilberto Vasquez was unable to regain the featherweight belt from the Dominican Miguel Bautista when their fight ended as a draw. One week later Rafael Limon was dethroned as lightweight champion by Ben Villaflor of the Philippines. Now Diaz has lost the welterweight belt.