Albert Griffiths (1 January 1871 – 10 December 1927), better known as Young Griffo, was a World Featherweight boxing champion from 1890 to 1892, and according to many sources, one of the first boxing world champions in any class. Ring magazine founder Nat Fleischer rated Griffo as the eighth greatest featherweight of all time.^[1] He was inducted into the Ring Magazine Hall of Fame in 1954, the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1991, and the Australian National Boxing Hall of Fame in 2003.^[1]

During his career he defeated Abe Willis, champion Ike Weir, Horace Leeds, and Joe Harmon. He won bouts against champion Torpedo Billy Murphy a total of three times, twice in World Featherweight title matches.^[2] A prolific boxer of great opponents, after coming to America, he fought champions Solly Smith, "Kid" Lavigne, Joe Gans, Tommy Ryan, George Dixon, Frank Erne, and featherweight contender Joe Bernstein. He was recorded as fighting over two hundred professional fights in his career.

Griffo also put together the most consecutive bouts without defeat in recorded boxing history. As of May 2021, with the addition of Newspaper decisions, boxrec.com lists his record as initially starting off at 7–0–3 (2) before he lost his first fight. After losing, he went on a four-year unbeaten streak, accumulating a record of 79–1–38 (20) before being defeated again 125 fights after his first loss.^[2] While newspaper decisions are not officially counted, he still went undefeated over this stretch when sportswriters determined the outcome.

Albert Griffiths was born at Millers Point, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia on 1 January 1871. He took his ringname "Young Griffo" early in his career. Griffo turned pro in 1886, and until the age of 22, fought in his home land of Australia.

For four of his most successful years as a boxer, Harry Tuthill was his athletic trainer and Hugh Behan and Sam Tuckhorn were managers, but by his mid career Griffo went through a host of trainers and managers who tired of his drinking habits and unwillingness to train.^[3][4][5] He said in a 1902 interview with The Cincinnati Enquirer that Larry Foley of Sydney had acted as an important early boxing mentor, and indeed Griffo had trained at Foley's boxing school at Sydney's White Horse Hotel where several of the greatest champions had spent time, including triple weight class champion Bob Fitzsimmons.^[6]

In 1893, at the age of 22, he went to America. He boxed in the United States between November 1893 until his retirement from boxing in 1904 and remained there until his death in 1927.^[2] He arrived first in San Francisco and may have boxed a few bouts on the West Coast upon his arrival, but accounts differ.^[9] One of his first bouts in America was against "Young Scotty" in Chicago on 13 November 1893, where he was reputed to have challenged his opponent to hit him for several minutes while he bobbed his head and managed to avoid nearly every blow. At least one newspaper reported after his death that even in this early stage of his career, he had been pulled from a bar room before the fight with the skilled Black boxer, but his defensive skills in the bout were considered to have been extraordinary with Scotty unable to land a blow.^[10]

On 19 December 1901, he was advised to retire from boxing due to a "valvular affection of the heart that may bring death to him in the ring at any time." The diagnosis was made by a Dr. McGregor of the Olympic Athletic Club, and if accurate should have ended his boxing career.^[45]

On 22 August 1902, he lost to three-time World Featherweight Title contender Joe Bernstein in Baltimore, Maryland in a 20-round points decision.^[2]

He lost to lightweight boxer Joe Tipman in a fifth-round knockout on 29 September 1902 in Baltimore.^[2]

In December 1902, after defeating Jack Bain in a ninth-round knockout in Baltimore, he took off at least a year from boxing before his fight with George Memsic around December 1903, also in Baltimore. In this stage of his career he was managed by Sam Tuckhorn, who was hoping to revive his career and convince the public of his fighting skills, but Griffo was nearing the end of his career.^[46]

On 7 December 1903 in Peoria, Illinois, he defeated Jim Kenney in a four-round decision. Griffo showed great speed and cleverness according to the referee, Tom Dunn.^[47]

One of his last well publicized bouts was a loss by first-round knockout against Tommy White on 10 February 1904 in Chicago, Illinois.^[2] He was already thirty-three at the time, and his age, drinking, and enormous number of previous fights had begun to tell on his speed and endurance in the ring. He was arrested in September 1909 in Chicago, as relatives from Australia had requested his arrest so as to help him obtain treatment for his drinking.^[48] Cyber Boxing Zone has him fighting two six-round, no-decision fights as late as 1911 with Welterweight champion William "Honey" Melody in September and Mike Leonard in May in New York, but these bouts were not confirmed by BoxRec and other boxers used the name Young Griffo.^[1] He served time at the Bridewell in Chicago, but was released around 28 November 1910, and returned to New York. He had plans to go on the vaudeville circuit with Charles Griffin, another boxer.^[49]

In a tribute to Griffo, boxer Tommy Sullivan wrote in the 6 March 1916 Tacoma Daily News:

Not known as much of a puncher, but his skill was uncanny. He had wonderful head work, almost impenetrable defense, dazzling feints, and rapid two-handed methods of attack. The cleverest boxers and hardest punchers were made to look ridiculous when exchanging swats with him. He had a dislike of training and was deemed lazy. There were times he got drunk before a match [such as the Ike Weir and Tommy Tracy bouts].^[1]

He appeared as himself in the 1895 lost short Young Griffo vs. Battling Charles Barnett, which at least one source claims is the first film shown for profit.^[50] He appeared in at least two other films.

Apparently, two of his film roles were released near or after his death. Released in 1927, he had a minor role in Frank Capra's comedy Long Pants, and the following year in Harry Edwards' 1928 comedy The Best Man.^[51]

In March 1912, Griffo requested to be sent to the New York workhouse, partly a victim of alcoholism, which had affected him intermittently throughout his career.^[52] On 11 July 1912, he briefly was jailed for "almstaking" or begging. He had been arrested previously for begging.^[53]

For the last 15 years of his life, he took donations and met friends at the entrance to New York's Rialto Theatre on Broadway and 42nd Street, becoming increasingly destitute by 1925. He spent some of his later years in asylums, and received a portion of his income from benefits staged by his friends.^[54] He had gained over 50 lbs. by the time of his death. He died in New York of heart disease, initially diagnosed as indigestion, on 7 December 1927 at age 56. He received medical aid too late after dragging himself into a hall from his small, rent-free room in a West side New York boarding house paid for by Jane F. Fish, an author of children's books.^[55] Many American newspapers ran stories on his life as a tragic tale of the effects of alcohol. He left no children nor were there any heirs that laid claim to his estate.^[56]

Friends of his from the boxing and theatrical community provided for a burial.^[57][58] Several newspaper accounts after his death attributed his financial plight in part to his illiteracy as well as a poor understanding of numbers and currency, which made him an easy victim of unscrupulous handlers.^[59]

He was laid to rest at Woodlawn Cemetery after a service at the Madison Avenue Baptist Church. Ring notables in attendance included Jack McAuliffe, Kid McPartland, Tommy Burns, James J. Corbett, and wealthy boxing promoter Tex Rickard, who provided funding for the burial plot and casket.^[60] Jane F. Fish also contributed to his funeral. Rickard was later repaid $500 of the $885 of funeral expenses he had donated out of a $3800 estate found to be attributed to Griffo after the funeral.^[61]

All information in this section is derived from BoxRec,^[62] unless otherwise stated.