Baltimore welterweight Ed Griffin (10-0) kept his unbeaten streak intact at Martin's West last night, but this one was strictly gift-wrapped.
Robert West, a clever boxer-puncher from Youngstown, Ohio, took Griffin to school in the early rounds and withstood a late rally to deserve an eight-round verdict. Instead, he stood in disbelief as the ring announcer informed him he had lost by a split decision.
The crowd of 1,800 howled in disapproval as judges Ray Klingmeyer and Sylvester Cash both favored the hometown fighter, 77-75. The third judge, Jody Wingfield, ruled for West, 79-73.
"I'd only be fooling myself if I said I won it," said Griffin. "He was real strong, beat me to the punch and I didn't make him pay when he missed."
Said West (6-4-2), who won 75 of 81 amateur bouts before turning pro: "I tired a bit in the sixth round, and he caught me with some hard hooks. But I know I did enough to win before that. I'll fight him again anywhere but here."
Griffin's veteran manager-trainer, Mack Lewis, admitted that his fighter enjoyed a break.
"I was telling Grif that he was losing all along," he said. "The way he can fight, this guy West had to have a lot more than 11 pro bouts."
After the lively fight, Griffin appeared to be the worst for wear, sporting a large mouse under his left eye.
"He was slick, real slick," said the fortunate winner. "It was a real good lesson."
In the companion eight-rounder, Rockville middleweight Les Johnson (21-3) needed only two minutes and 38 seconds to dispose of subsitute Tony McCrimmion (11-6), of Laurinburg, Pa. Johnson used three brutal body shots to drop McCrimmion, invoking the three-knockdown rule. It was the 14th knockout for the hard-punching Marylander, who has battled back from several injuries this year.
In another bout, Altoona, Pa., middleweight Brian Hallinan stopped Horace Watterson (6-14) of Rockville.