Montell Griffin facts for kids

Montell Julian Griffin (born June 6, 1970) is an American former professional boxer. He was known by his nickname, "Ice." Montell competed in boxing from 1993 to 2011. He even held a major boxing title, the World Boxing Council (WBC) light heavyweight championship, in 1997. He also won other important regional titles, like the NABF title twice and the USBA title.

Early life

Montell Griffin was born in Chicago on June 6, 1970. When he was 22, he lived in Midway City, California. In 1992, he won the U.S. Amateur Boxing Championships. He also beat Jeremy Williams to join the 1992 Olympic team.

Amateur career

Montell had a great amateur boxing record, winning 36 fights and losing only 5. He became the 1992 United States Amateur Light Heavyweight champion.

At the 1992 Olympic Trials, Montell lost to Jeremy Williams in the final. However, he got another chance at the Olympic Box-offs. There, he beat Williams twice to earn his spot on the Olympic team. His results at the Olympics were:

• He won against France Mabiletsa from Botswana.
• He won against Yo-Da Ko from South Korea.
• He lost to Torsten May from Germany. Some people thought the scoring in this fight was unfair.

Professional career

Montell "Ice" Griffin started his professional boxing career in 1993. He became well-known after he fought James Toney twice. Montell won both fights in 1995 and 1996, though the decisions were debated by some. His second win against Toney led to a big fight against the WBC champion, Roy Jones Jr..

Griffin vs. Jones Jr.

After beating James Toney in 1996, Montell got a chance to fight Roy Jones Jr. for the WBC light heavyweight title. Montell gave Jones his first-ever loss as a professional boxer! In the ninth round, Jones hit Montell after Montell had already taken a knee. This meant Jones was disqualified, and Montell won the title.

They had a rematch very soon after, on August 7, 1997. In this fight, Jones won back his WBC title by knocking out Montell in the first round.

Rebuilding his career

Even after losing to Jones, Montell stayed a top light heavyweight boxer for six more years. He won 11 of his next 12 fights. His only loss during this time was a close decision to Eric Harding. Many people thought Montell should have won that fight.

Griffin vs. Michalczewski

After winning four fights in a row by knockout, Montell (with a record of 38 wins and 2 losses) fought Dariusz Michalczewski in Germany. Michalczewski had never lost a fight, with 40 wins. Montell started strong, winning the first three rounds. But in the fourth round, Michalczewski hit Montell many times, and the referee stopped the fight.

Griffin vs. Tarver

After winning two more fights, Montell got another chance to fight for a major title. In 2003, he fought Antonio Tarver for the vacant WBC and IBF titles. Montell lost this fight by a clear decision.

Later career

As Montell got older, he continued to fight tough opponents. He had some close losses to boxers like Rico Hoye and Julio César González. He also lost to Glen Johnson and Beibut Shumenov.

Montell had a very impressive career. He beat James Toney twice and even won against Roy Jones Jr. by disqualification. He also had wins over other strong boxers like Ka-Dy King, Ray Lathon, and Derrick Harmon.

Professional boxing record

Hall of Fame

Montell "Ice" Griffin had a fantastic boxing career with 50 wins and 8 losses. Because of his achievements, he was inducted into the Rochester Boxing Hall of Fame in October 2022. This is a special honor that recognizes his great contributions to boxing.