THIS WEEK IN HISTORY

5 RUBIN CARTER w rsf 1 EMILE GRIFFITH

Dec 20, 1963; Civic Arena, Pittsburgh, PA

“NO welterweight belongs in the ring with me,” Rubin “Hurricane” Carter sneered before 147lbs world champion Emile Griffith stepped up to face him in a non-title middleweight bout. Despite Carter’s obvious contempt for his opponent, Griffith, also the light-middleweight world champion, was the betting favourite going in. Those odds looked ludicrous as Carter ripped through Griffith in the opening round. He was wrong about one thing, though: “Griffith won’t get up when I knock him down,”