PARET, BENNY "KID" SIGNED PHOTO (RARE_JSA AUTHENTICATION)

Benny "the Kid" Paret (March 14, 1937 – April 3, 1962), was born as Bernardo Paret in Santa Clara, Cuba. He was a Cuban welterweight boxer who won the world welterweight title twice in the early 1960s. Paret died in 1962 following an unsuccessful attempt to defend the crown in what is considered to be the first ring death witnessed by a national television audience. He had a lifetime record of 35 wins (10 knockouts), 12 losses and 3 draw. Paret won the welterweight title for the first time in 1960 by defeating Luis Federico Thompson. In his first defense of the title, Emile Griffith knocked him out in the thirteenth round on April 1, 1961. Paret recaptured the crown on September 30, 1961 in a split-decision over Griffith. Barely two months later, Paret took on middleweight champion Gene Fullmer and was knocked out in the tenth round being behind on all three judges' scorecards. Although Paret had been battered in the two fights with Griffith and the fight with Fullmer, he decided that he would defend his title against Griffith three months after the Fullmer fight. Paret-Griffith III was booked for Madison Square Garden on March 24, 1962, and was televised live by ABC. In round six Paret nearly knocked out Griffith with a multi punch combination but Griffith was saved by the bell. In the twelfth round of the fight Don Dunphy, who was calling the bout for ABC, remarked, "This will probably be the tamest round of the entire fight." Within several seconds Griffith unleashed a barrage of punches that would end the fight. Griffith backed Paret into a corner and let loose a flurry of twenty-nine consecutive punches, including eighteen thrown in the span of six seconds. Paret slumped into the corner and then through the ring ropes while Griffith continued his onslaught, which came to an end when referee Ruby Goldstein finally stopped the fight as Paret was out on his feet. Paret collapsed in the corner from the barrage of punches (initially thought to be from exhaustion), fell into a coma, and died ten days later at Roosevelt Hospital in Manhattan from a massive brain hemorrhaging. Benny "Kid" Paret was buried at Saint Raymond's Cemetery in the borough of the Bronx in New York City. Offered here is an extremely rare signed photograph of Benny "Kid" Paret.
This is a black & white promotional photo of Paret in fight pose. Signed in upper right sid ein blue ink, "Bernardo Paret." Bold, clear image. Clean. Edge and corner wear. Minor tape remnants on back. Minor edge and corner wear. Surface wear at upper right away from signature. Not creased, but does have some mild compressions from handling. 8" x 10." JSA authenticated with their full letter (X99238)Extraordinarily rare, the only signed photo we have handled.