With a record of 50-8 during his historic boxing career, former WBC Light Heavyweight boxing champion Montell “Ice” Griffin was inducted into the Rochester Boxing Hall of Fame Class of ‘22 on Saturday, October 22, in Rochester, New York.
This was Griffin’s fifth induction into the Boxing Hall of Fame. Other inductions include California, Illinois, Indiana, and the National Boxing Hall of Fame.
During the ceremony, Griffin joined Tony Tucker, Lamon Brewster, Ernie Brown, and Carmen Basilio (posthumously) in this year’s class of inductees.
Griffin’s fifth hall of fame induction follows previous recognition by the Indiana Boxing Hall of Fame (2021), National Boxing Hall of Fame (2019), Illinois Boxing Hall of Fame (2015) and California State Boxing Hall of Fame (2014).
Griffin, trained by legendary coaches Eddie Futch and Clarence Griffin, started boxing at an early age. Clarence Griffin, his father, used to train boxing legend Muhammad Ali at his gym Windy City Boxing Club, when Ali visited the Chicago area. Griffin’s father passed away when Griffin was 12 years old; he did not box again until he was in his twenties.
Upon his return to boxing Griffin made the USA Olympic team in 1992 in Barcelona, Spain. Though he did not secure a medal, being a member of the team was one of the highlights of his career.
Griffin’s boxing achievements include beating the highly rated James Toney (Atlanta/Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame) twice, winning the vacant IBF Inter-Continental Light Heavyweight Belt in their first fight.
Griffin won the WBC Light Heavyweight title by way of the disqualification of Roy Jones, Jr.; after leading the fight, he was hit by Jones inadvertently while having a knee on the canvas. Griffin’s first professional loss came after the controversial rematch with Jones.
Griffin was also the 1992 Canadian Amateur Boxing Champion, 1993 United States Amateur Boxing Champion, 1994 North American Boxing Federation, 1996 WBU Light Heavyweight Champion, 1997 WBC Light Heavyweight Champion, and holder of the 2006 United States Boxing Association Light Heavyweight title.
Joseph Phillips is the Sports Editor for the Chicago Crusader Newspaper. He is a Chicago native, who has been a sports writer for over 17 years. He also hosts the SC Media News and Sports Network Q&A radio show on WHPK 88.5 FM Chicago.
