Jose Napoles 145 lbs beat Emile Griffith 144 lbs by UD in round 15 of 15
Date: 1969-10-17
Location: Forum, Inglewood, California, USA
Referee: Dick Young 11-4
Judge: John Thomas 11-3
Judge: Rudy Jordan 9-4
Napoles knocked Griffith down in the 3rd round for a five-count.
Attendance - 15,461; gate - $194,315.
Napoles's purse: $80,000; Griffith's purse: $40,000.
Unofficial AP scorecard - 10-5 Napoles; unofficial UPI scorecard - 11-2 Napoles.
"Welterweight champion Jose 'Mantequilla' Napoles of Mexico City, flooring his opponent with a bolo-like right in the 3rd round, went on to win a unanimous decision in 15 rounds over the 5-time former titleholder, Emile Griffith of New York, at the Forum last night. The ex-champ, who vacated the 147 pound division title when he won the middleweight title in '66, fought with a badly bruised and swollen right cheekbone from the 6th round on. But aside from a slight trickle of blood from the nose of Napoles early in the final round neither fighter was seriously damaged. Napoles had the quicker hands and the harder, jolting punches. But Griffith, trailing from the outset, put up a gallant rally in the final rounds but still couldn't cope with the faster Napoles." - Associated Press.
"I figured it would be a tough fight. I never thought of going for a knockout. My object was to outbox, outclass and outpunch him. Griffith is probably the strongest fighter I have ever met." - Jose Napoles.
"I was in the best shape of my career but I just couldn't get up in the fight. But I must say Napoles is a very good champion." - Emile Griffith.
