| Benny Paret | |
|---|---|
| Statistics | |
| Real name | Bernardo Paret |
| Nickname(s) | the Kid |
| Rated at | Welterweight |
| Nationality | Cuban |
| Born | March 14, 1937 Santa Clara, Cuba |
| Died | April 3, 1962 (aged 25) New York City, New York |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Boxing record | |
| Total fights | 50 |
| Wins | 35 |
| Wins by KO | 11 |
| Losses | 12 |
| Draws | 3 |
Benny "the Kid" Paret, born Bernardo Paret (March 14, 1937 - April 3, 1962), born in Santa Clara, Cuba, was a Cuban welterweight boxer. Paret won the world welterweight title twice in the early 1960s and died in 1962 following an unsuccessful attempt to defend the crown in what is considered to be the first ring death witnessed by a national television audience.[1] Paret had a lifetime record of 35 wins (11 knockouts), 12 losses and 3 draws.[2]
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Paret won the welterweight title for the first time in 1960, but lost it seven months later when Emile Griffith knocked him out.[3] Paret recaptured the crown a half year later in a split-decision over Griffith.[4] In his third match with Griffith, Paret was knocked out in the 12th round, sustaining what is regarded as one of the more brutal beatings in boxing history. Four months before his final match, Paret fought for the middleweight title against Gene Fullmer, but was stopped in the 10th round.[3]
His third fight against Emile Griffith occurred on March 24, 1962 at Madison Square Garden 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, the TV announcer said, "This has been a slow round," just before Griffith hit Paret twenty-nine times in a row, and eighteen times in six seconds, when Paret was lying against the ropes[6] before referee Ruby Goldstein stopped the fight.[7] Paret went into a coma after the fight, and died ten days later.[5] Benny "Kid" Paret was buried at Saint Raymond's Cemetery in Bronx, NY.
The last fight 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. New York State boxing authorities were criticized for giving Paret clearance to fight just several months after he was knocked out by Gene Fullmer in his second to last bout. 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").[6] Griffith wanted to fight Paret on the spot but was restrained. Allegations of homosexuality in 1962 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][7] Another theory is that Goldstein was afraid that Paret’s supporters would riot.[7] 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.[8] Goldstein would never be the referee for a fight again as a result of the controversy from this fight.
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 has harbored guilt over the incident over the years is introduced to Paret's son. The son embraced Griffith and told him he was forgiven.[8]
Paret's death was chronicled in a 1962 protest song by folksinger 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.[9][10]
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.
Paret is also one of many boxers named in the lyrics of Sun Kil Moon's album Ghosts Of The Great Highway. The album builds several songs around the stories of boxers who died young deaths.[11]
| Sporting positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Don Jordan |
World Welterweight Champion 27 May 1960– 1 Apr 1961 |
Succeeded by Emile Griffith |
| Preceded by Emile Griffith |
World Welterweight Champion 30 Sep 1961– 24 Mar 1962 |
Succeeded by Emile Griffith |