Young Griffo
Birth Name: Albert Griffiths
Nationality: Australian
Birthplace: Millers Point, Sydney, NSW
Hometown: Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Born: 1871-01-01
Died: 1927-12-10
Age at Death: 56
Height: 5′ 4″
Reach: 173
Division: Featherweight
Was the first Australian to win a world title (1890)
Albert Griffiths (aka ‘Young Griffo’) was “Not known as much of a puncher, but his skill was uncanny. He had wonderful headwork, almost inpenetrable defense, dazzling feints, and rapid two-handed methods of attack. The cleverest boxers and hardest punchers were made to look ridiculous when exchanging swats with him. He had a dislike of training and was deemed lazy. There were times he got drunk before a match [such as the Ike Weir and Tommy Tracy bouts].” From the March 6, 1916 Tacoma Daily News, written by Tommy Sullivan. In 2003, ‘Young Griffo’ was inducted into the Australian National Boxing Hall of Fame.
The Fort Wayne Weekly Gazette
16 April 1896
McKEEVER WON,
Didn’t Put Young Griffo to Sleep but Scored the Greatest Number of Points
A Fair Sized Crowd Witnessed the Two Bullies Fight Twenty Rounds
Griffo the Heavier., But Both Men Said to Be in Very Good Condition
New York, April 13 —A fair sized crowd gathered at the Empire Athletic club, Maspeth, L. I., to night to witness a twenty-round boxing bout between Young Griffo, of Australia, and Charlie McKeever, of Philadelphia. The curtain raiser was a ten round bout between two colored men, namely, Fred Morris, ‘Muldoon’s Cyclone,” of Newark, and Charley Strong, of Newark.
Strong won. McKeever weighed 139 pounds. Griffo looked to be about four pounds heavier. both men were in good condition.
Round one
McKeever led off with a left on the jaw. Griffo got back with a right and left on the head. Griffo landed a left swing on the neck. Griffo sent a hard right on the body. At the sounding of the gong McKeever got his right on the body.
Round two
Griffo led off with a light right on the ribs and light left on the face. McKeever put in two light rights on the body. Griffo placed a light right on the wind and Charley replied with a left.
Round three
McKeever sent a right lightly on the ribs, and Griffo landed two hot lefts on the neck. Griffo toyed with the Philadelphian, then sent a left on the face. He repeated this blow, and McKeever landed lefts on the ear and body.
The fourth and fifth rounds were McKeever’s by a large majority; the sixth went to Griffo, and in the seventh honors were about even.
The eighth, ninth and tenth rounds showed honors even. In the eleventh round McKeever got in a light left on the head and a good left on the body. He landed right and left on the body and neck without return. Charley put a right hand on the side of Griffo’s head and then fought Griffo to the ropes, landing right and left on the body and neck. This was all McKeever’s round.
In the twelfth McKeever landed a left on the body and again on the face. He then sent a right to the body and face, and Griffo sent a left on the head and staggered McKeever. McKeever came back with right and left swings on the body and then landed four left jabs on the face and a right on the body.
Rounds eighteen and nineteen were slow with the advantage slightly in McKeever’s favor.
In the twentieth and last round, McKeever landed a left on the face. Griffo swung a left on the head and McKeever got in his right on the head. McKeever followed with a left on the head, and a right on the body. McKeever jabbed a left on the body and a right swing on the head. McKeever landed a left on the face a right on the stomach, which made Griffo back away. McKeever had the greatest number of points to his credit when the gong ended the bout.
Amidst a good deal of excitement Referee Hurst decided the Philadelphian man winner.
