Book on Jeff 'Candy Slim' Merrritt

[Bill Paxtom]

Jeff 'Candy Slim' Merritt

By April 1972

Jeff was 'broke' and living in poverty in a South Beach Hotel in Miami Beach, with his Wife and 6 year-old child.

Jeff {Age; 25 years, 3 months} had a record of 19-1-0 {14 KO's}, and was supposed to be promoted by Chris Dundee,
but no fights cam Jeff's way.

Jeff's last bout was way back on July 26, 1971 {9-Months} earlier, on the undercard of the Muhammad Ali vs. Jimmy Ellis
bout in Houston at the Astrodome.

In that bout, Jeff received $1000 to put away one Al Banks in a preliminary bout.

For Jeff, the problem was, he was too good. At 6' 4" and 215 lbs., he carried power in both fists and was too dangerous in the
early going of a fight, as evident by his '7' 1st-Round Knockouts, and '5' 2nd-Round Knockouts.

No ranked fighter wanted to take the 'risk' of fighting Jeff for little money.

Angelo Dundee, "Jeff's problem, is that he's good, unranked and dangerous. In boxing, that's a bad mix in
trying to get anybody with a name to fight you."

To survive, Jeff lived off 'hand-outs' of {$5.00 per Day} at the Fifth Street Gym from other fighters, managers and trainers.

Only minor jobs of Dishwashing, working at a Car Wash, and House Painting let Jeff provide some meager offerings for his family.