Ring of Fire: The Emile Griffith Story

[TazFTW]

That other thread reminded me of that this is airing on USA, Wednesday without commercial interuption. Anyone else going to watch? It has been pretty well received.

[Suicane75]

That other thread reminded me of that this is airing on USA, Wednesday without commercial interuption. Anyone else going to watch? It has been pretty well received.
I've been stoked to see this, sounds like it's a real good movie/documentary.

[JeeberD]

Read about it in SI. Really looking forward to seeing it...

[TazFTW]

"I knew maricon meant faggot and I was nobody's faggot."

I had heard about the Paret/Griffith fight but never seen it in action. That was just brutal, I can't believe the ref didn't stop that earlier.

The Fullmer/Paret clip they showed was also brutal, you could really hear Fullmer's punches landing clean.

It was a pretty good documentary. Felt sad for all parties.

[NoMyths]

"I knew maricon meant faggot and I was nobody's faggot."And yet if only he knew it was just a word that meant wimpy. No additional context that might be harmful. Right?

Looks like it was sure as hell harmful to Peret.

[JeeberD]

Dammit, wound up having to work and missed it. Does anyone know when it will be re-broadcast?

[TazFTW]

Dammit, wound up having to work and missed it. Does anyone know when it will be re-broadcast?It's on USA, so it is going to be rebroadcasted a few times. Looking at TVGuide.com, it says it has additonal airings on 4/24 4AM, 4/27 8AM, 4/30 2AM, 5/1 10AM.


And yet if only he knew it was just a word that meant wimpy. No additional context that might be harmful. Right?

Looks like it was sure as hell harmful to Peret.maricón means more than just wimpy, in the machismo latin culture, being called a maricón is probably the most derogatory thing a person can say. It was tough enough being black in the early 60s, being black and homosexual? I can't imagine.

Some of the boxers knew Emile Griffith was gay (including Peret) but it just wasn't something that should be publicized. This is the same era where Liberace wasn't gay. Politicians did what they could to keep their sexual orientation quiet. To the best of my knowledge, even to this day Emile Griffith does not mention he is bisexual.

[edit]As for the fight, I think the "he killed him because he called him gay" thing is a little over done. Peret should not have been in that ring, he was washed up. He took a hell of a beating in his last fight against Fullmer. His manager was at fault. It doesn't look so good for the manager when after Peret loses this fight, he is quoted as saying something like, "looks like I'll need to find someone new". The ref is also at fault, Rudy Goldstein, a man who was known for stopping fights early and yet let that beating go on? Unimaginable.

[JeeberD]

To the best of my knowledge, even to this day Emile Griffith does not mention he is bisexual.


Today is Thursday. Emile says, "I'm not gay! It's craziness. I go to gay bars to see my friends. What's the difference? I have my drink and talk to people, same as any bar. Then I finish and go outside. I don't do anything wrong."

Today is Friday. Emile says, "I will dance with anybody. I've chased men and women. I like men and women both. But I don like that word: homosexual, gay, or faggot. I don't know what I am. I love men and women the same, but if you ask me which is better...I like women."

FWIW

And thanks for the replay info, Taz. :)