Benny Paret
Benny Paret was a boxer born in Santa Clara, Cuba on March 14, 1937. Known in boxing as Benny the "Kid" Paret, he died in New York City on April 3, 1962 as a result of injuries sustained in a fight with Emile Griffith. Prior to the weigh-in for their third fight (Griffith won the first bout; Paret won the second), Paret taunted Griffith and questioned his manhood. The fight was a seesaw battle, and Paret actually knocked down Griffith in the sixth round. Griffith struggled to get to feet, but eventually regained his composure. In the twelfth round, Griffith unleashed a barrage of 18 unanswered punches that left Paret defenseless against the ropes. Paret fell into a coma and died ten days later. Referee Ruby Goldstein was blamed by many for not stopping the fight soon enough, while Griffith re-gained the Welterweight title he had lost to Paret in their second fight. As a result of the tragic outcome, boxing would not be seen on live television for the ensuing ten years.
Paret had a lifetime record of 35-12-3 (10 KO).