Boxing is a sport certainly not for the faint of heart and requires grit and determination. However, it even makes the bravest of people crumble in despair sometimes due to its inherently violent nature. This was exactly what happened with boxers Emile Griffith and Benny Paret where one was left dead while the other suffered from guilt his entire life. There have been many great trilogies in boxing but none come close to the iconic, yet tragic story of Paret and Griffith. Both fighters were considered to be fierce rivals, first meeting in 1961.

Paret would lose his welterweight title to Griffith who knocked him out on the 13th. However, this loss was avenged by Paret setting the stage for their trilogy. Despite this, the last fight would be known for all the wrong reasons as Paret would slander Emile Griffith who opened up as bi-sexual which was not accepted socially at the time. Paret would then verbally batter and insult Griffith who KO’d Paret in the 12th round after landing 29 consecutive shots before the referee stopped the fight. However, it was too late for Paret who died 10 days later. Despite this, Griffith had a chance to make amends after he met Paret’s son in a heartwarming video.

Emile Griffith meets the son of Paret years after his tragic death

In the video, Griffith goes to Paret’s son and asks him if he was indeed his child. Paret’s son would tell Griffith that there were no hard feelings from him towards Griffith who went on to share a hug with him. “There’s is no hard feelings. My mom its hard for her. All I can say is there is no hard feelings,” said Paret’s son.

The tragic death of his father might have traumatized Parent’s son but he still forgave Grtfifith despite this and even embraced him. Moreover, the fans were also left heartbroken after witnessing his emotional exchange and made their feelings known by reacting to the video

Fans were left heartbroken after Paret’s son met Griffith

One fan shared his condolences for Paret’s family and wished them good luck. “Rest in peace to the boxer who died my condolences to the family and I wish them the best of luck.” he wrote.

Read More: Boxing World Requests Idris Elba to Play the Role of Boxing Legend in Biopic

Another fan called it a terrible tragedy and praised the two men for their way of dealing with it. “A terrible tragedy for everyone involved that in this short video. The two men dealt with in a classy and admirable way. My heart goes out to all involved,” he wrote.

A fan claimed that Griffith needed to be forgiven by Paret’s son to find closure in life. “He needed to hear that. He needed that closure. That forgiveness,” he wrote.

Moreover, one fan praised the son for his forgiving nature”Look what a good son he had. Blessed with forgiveness,” he wrote.

Lastly, a fan stated that Paret’s son was making him proud. “Great work, that man is walking tall making his father proud.” he wrote.

This incident was a tragic one and will always remain a black mark in the sport. Griffith would also die in 2013 at the age of 75 but might have done so in peace finally getting closure from the son of the man he killed. Similarly, UFC commentator Joe Rogan detailed another similar fight that eventually brought many new rule changes in boxing.

What did you think about this emotional moment between Paret’s son and Griffith? Let us know in the comments.

WATCH THIS STORY: Five Most Bizarre Rituals in Boxing