Posted May 30th 2008 8:00AM by Quibian Salazar-Moreno
Filed under: Casually Obsessed

Emile Griffith is one of greatest boxers in history but what he's known for more than anything is killing a man in the boxing ring. In the book "Nine ... Ten ... And Out! The Two Worlds of Emile Griffith", however, author Ron Ross focuses on the life of Griffith living as a pro boxer with six world championships and a homosexual. The book does go in-depth on the fight that killed Benny "Kid" Paret in 1963, however. But the prime of Griffith's career was in the 1960's where it's safe to say that a gay athlete wouldn't be openly accepted which was hard for the boxer to grasp.

"I keep thinking how strange it is ... I kill a man and most people understand and forgive me," Griffith says in the book. "However, I love a man, and to so many people this is an unforgivable sin; this makes me an evil person. So, even though I never went to jail, I have been in prison almost all my life." Griffith is now 70 years old and this is the first time he has talked openly about his sexuality. Rumors have circulated throughout the boxing world for years, but Griffith never spoke on them.

The book is now available and you can read the first review from Robert Cassidy at Newsday.com.