Emile Griffith vs Gaspar Ortega 2

The first defence of Emile Griffith's welterweight title on June 3, 1961, at Los Angeles' Olympic Auditorium, resulted in a historic stoppage of the notably durable Gaspar Ortega. Griffith weighed in at precisely 145½ pounds, and Ortega ½ lb heavier at 146 pounds.

Griffith and Ortega had met 16 months earlier at Madison Square Garden, when Griffith got the nod in a split decision that received boos from the New York crowd.

Griffith's dominant performance was reflected in the scoring—judges George Latka and Lee Grossman scored 16-1 and 13-1, respectively, through eleven rounds, while referee Tommy Hart scored 12-2. The Associated Press card showed similar dominance, 15-1 for Griffith.

The champion's control escalated in round seven when he scored two knockdowns; each time, Ortega took an eight count. Despite this punishment, Ortega mounted a brief resurgence in the eleventh round, appearing to edge the action until Griffith's left hand sent him reeling into the ropes at the bell.

By the twelfth round, Ortega was bleeding from cuts above both eyes and his nose. Referee Hart halted the contest at 0:48, marking the first time in Ortega's 83-fight career that he had been stopped. The bout drew over 7,000 spectators to the Olympic Auditorium.

Official scorecards through 11 rounds were Hart 12-2, Latka 11-2, and Grossman 13-2, all for the champion.