GRIFFITH A HIT AT HALL OF FAME.

Byline: ROBERT MORALES BOXING

The International Boxing Hall of Fame this week announced its induction class for 2007.

Among those who will be enshrined next year in Canastota, N.Y., are Roberto Duran, Ricardo Lopez and Pernell Whitaker.

When the four-day long festivities begin June 7, bound to be present is Emile Griffith, who was inducted in 1990 thanks to a stellar career in which he went 85-24-2 with 23 knockouts. He won world championships in the welterweight and middlweight divisions.

Griffith, 68, today suffers from dementia pugilistica, partly because of a lengthy 19-year career, partly because of a near-fatal beating he suffered outside a New York nightclub in 1992.

Memory loss is one of the symptoms of the disease. Unfortunately, Griffith remembers enough of that fateful night nearly 45 years ago when he inflicted a beating on Benny ``Kid'' Paret during their third fight that resulted in Paret's death.

Griffith spoke recently with the Daily News about that March 24, 1962, night at Madison Square Garden. He didn't get into the fight much, but he did discuss the feelings he was left with, feelings he still has today.

``I take no love from that fight, man,'' Griffith said slowly, and somberly, via telephone from his home on Long Island, N.Y.

After Paret died, at age 25, Griffith wanted to retire. But his trainer Gil Clancy and manager Howie Albert compelled Griffith to continue. Griffith was the sole provider for his mother and seven siblings who had joined him in Queens, N.Y., from their native Virgin Islands.

``He wanted to retire,'' said Luis Griffth, Griffith's adopted son with whom he lives. ``But Gil said, `What are you talking about? Don't you know this is the only sport that can provide you with the wealth you need to provide for your family.'''

Luis Griffith works for Dan Klores in New York City. Klores produced the 2005 documentary, ``Ring of Fire: The Emile Griffith Story,'' that depicted, among other things, Griffith's tragic fight with Paret.

Indeed, continuing the fight was most difficult.

``It was a little rough, man,'' Griffith said. ``My trainer and my manager, they talked me into it every time I was getting ready for a big fight and I went ahead and did my best.

``I was afraid to hurt somebody else. To tell you the truth, I didn't want to fight anymore.''

Fight on, Griffith did, for 15 more years, all the way to the International Boxing Hall of Fame. He was 16-8 in world title fights, 13-7 after the death of Paret. Two of those championship fight losses were to Carlos Monzon, two were to Nino Benvenuti and yet another was to Jose Napoles. No shame there.

That said, Clancy said he believes Griffith won his second fight with Monzon in June 1973, but Monzon was given the decision. The late Monzon, one of the all-time greats, knocked out Griffith in the 14th round in their first fight in September of 1971.

Of course, it's no secret that there was bad blood between Griffith and Paret, who had split two previous fights. Griffith knocked out Paret in the 13th round to win the world welterweight title in April of 1961 in Miami Beach. But Paret won a controversial decision over Griffith in the rematch in September of 1961 at Madison Square Garden.

``Emile really won the second fight and they gave it to Paret on a split decison,'' Clancy said. ``If they had raised Emile's hand in the second fight, there never would have a third fight.''

But there was. And since Paret, from Cuba, had already been calling Griffith vulgar names that questioned his sexual preference -- Clancy says Griffith ``is not gay'' -- the table was set for something bad to happen.

According to Clancy, Griffith hit Paret with 17 clean punches in the 12th round of that third fight, a round that ended the world welterweight title bout, and Paret's life 10 days later.

These days, Griffith gets picked up by a couple of friends from time to time, and is taken around to the various gyms in New York City, such as the famous Gleason's Gym in Brooklyn.

Luis Griffith said his father ``is very happy.'' He is likely to be even happier in about six months, when he is surrounded by those who want to shake his hand in Canastota.

``Emile is the most popular guy up there, he really is,'' said Clancy, who said he and Griffith attend the ceremony each year. ``All Emile does is sign autographs.''

For the life of him, Griffith can't understand what all the fuss is about.

``I can't figure that out,'' he said. ``I don't know why I was so popular.''

Being a great fighter helps.

``I understand that, but besides that, why was I so great?'' Griffth said.

Being humble helps, too.

Toney puts lights out on Tae Bo rumor

James ``Lights Out'' Toney wanted to make one thing perfectly clear during a conference call Wednesday: working with TaeBo guru Billy Blanks for his rematch with Samuel Peter does not mean he is doing TaeBo.

Rather, he is using Blanks -- a fitness expert and martial artist -- to get into top physical condition and maximize his ability.

Toney and Peter will fight Jan. 6 at Hard Rock Casino in Hollywood, Fla. At stake is the World Boxing Council No. 1 ranking in the heavyweight division.

They tangled Sept.2 at Staples Center with Peter winning a controversial split decision; consequently, the WBC ordered the rematch.

Showtime will televise.

``Billy is like me, a Virgo,'' said Toney of Los Angeles via Ann Arbor, Mich. ``When we are determined to do something, we are going to get it done. He works hard and I have seen what he has done.

``Everybody says we do Tae Bo. We do not do Tae Bo.''

No, Blanks has Toney doing things that are probably much more taxing than Tae Bo.

``I have him on a diet where he is eating 1,500 calories a day, burning fat to get his body to look the way he wants it to look and perform the way he wants it to perform,'' Blanks said of Toney, who at 5-foot-9 1/2 has come in flabby and weighing more than 230 pounds his past four fights.

``I have somebody cooking for him and he eats five meals a day, drinking a lot of water, which he has never done as much as he is doing now,'' said Blanks. ``He is cleaning his body out.

``James can outbox (most) at the weight he was. But now, he is going to be able to identify boxing with his body and be able to make them all come together and become a total weapon.''

Freddie Roach, Toney's longtime trainer, is still very much in charge of Toney's boxing training. Roach has tried to get Toney (69-5-3, 43 KOs) to train better, to stay away from all the heavy food at some of his favorite spots in the Valley. But it's not easy getting through to Toney.

Apparently, Blanks has made a dent in Toney's stubbornness.

``When I agreed to go with Billy, I told him he has my whole undivided attention, that whatever needed to be done, I would do it,'' said Toney, 38, who has won world titles in three weight classes. ``No questions or arguments about anything.

``I do not see anybody in the world train like Billy Blanks. The man is in great shape. If you look at him now, you would say, `This is the man I want to be.' I want to be the same way.''

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Boxer Emile Griffith, who suffers from dementia pugilistica, says he has ``no love'' from his fight that ended Benny ``Kid'' Paret's life.

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