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| Synopsis: "Ring Of Fire: The
Emile Griffith Story," set in the milieu of media centric NYC in
the early 1960s, is the story of Griffith, 23, a carefree, impoverished
immigrant from the Carribean who became a six-time world boxing champion.
Griffith, who had a profound love for his mother and managers, Gil Clancy and Howard Albert, fought a "rubber match" against the then champ, Benny "The Kid" Paret in front of a national television audience at Madison Square Garden one fateful night in March, 1962. Paret, 24, a newlywed and father of a two year old, was an illiterate exile from Cuba. Both young men had seemingly reached the American dream. At the afternoon weigh-in of their rubber match, Paret stood beside his challenger, whispered in Griffith's ear "maricón," the Spanish word for "faggot." Griffith lunged at the Cuban champion in front of shocked onlookers, setting the stage for a brutal bout and a lifetime of haunting memories. Later that night, an enraged and humiliated Griffith pounded him so badly that he slipped into a coma and died ten days later. That match sparked outrage and calls for boxing reform. The sport was pulled from television for the next 10 years. Griffith, who currently lives with his longtime roommate and "adopted son," Luis Rodrigo, is haunted by Paret's death to this day. The film tells the story of these two men, the loves of their lives and the political and media repercussions of this tragic night. The film includes interviews with Paret's wife and son as well as some noted journalists and boxers of the day including Jimmy Breslin, Pete Hamill, Neal Gabler, the late Jack Newfield, Charles Kaiser, Carmen Basilio, Jose Torres, Gene Fullmer and Juan LaPorte. Skillfully blending current interviews with rare black-and-white fight footage, "Ring of Fire" skewers the hypocrisy of political outrage, exposes the underside of social and cultural mores, thoughtfully provides a framework for forgiveness, and bravely poses the question: "Who or what is really to blame for Paret's death?" "Ring Of Fire: The Emile Griffith Story" makes its exclusive television debut on the USA Network April 20th, 9:00 PM ET/PT. |
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