Book on Jeff 'Candy Slim' Merrritt

[Bill Paxtom]

1974

The Lost Year For Jeff 'Candy Slim' Merrit

In early August, the intensity at the Deer Lake Training Camp heated up. Muhammad Ali was improving each day, as his
sparring sessions were better and better.

Both Roy 'Tiger' Williams and Jeff were the main fighters to imitate George Foreman's big swings, and both were instrumental
in helping Muhammad get ready for 'Big George'.

On Saturday, August 3rd, Don King called his fighter {Jeff Merritt} with an offer for a bout in Nassau, Bahamas. The bout was
set for Friday Night, August 16th.

It was a nice $3000 fight purse {plus expenses} to take on the Jamaican Heavyweight Champion - Oliver Wright.

Don King told Jeff that it was a 'nice' comeback bout, and for easy money and against a relatively 'safe opponent'. Jeff said 'yes',
but wanted half of the fight purse {$1500} money up front.

But Don King was reluctant to give Jeff that much money {$1500 cash} up front, as Jeff had a 'problem' {Heroin}, and was notorious
for disappearing.

Don said 'No', and told Jeff that he would give him only $300 {up front}, and with the rest of the money, after the Friday Night bout,
when he got back home from the Bahamas.

But Jeff said no, and demanded the up front money.

[Bill Paxtom]

1974

The Lost Year For Jeff 'Candy Slim' Merritt

Monday, August 5th

Jeff Merritt continued to have 'words' with Don King over the money issue on the ''possible' August 16th bout in The Bahamas.
But Don King stuck to his 'guns', and said no to the $1500 up front demand.

An upset and pissed-off Jeff finally told Don, 'to stick it'.

That was pretty much the end of the Don King/Jeff Merritt {Manager/Fighter Partnership}.

Jeff went back to his sparring-partner job with Muhammad Ali for next {3} Weeks.

Jeff was expecting to go along with the 'Muhammad Ali Entourage' to Zaire in early-September, and with hopes of getting a bout
on the Fight Card.

But, Jeff was 'shocked' when he was told that he wasn't part of the 'Ali Team' and was not invited to go to Zaire with Roy 'Tiger' Williams
and Larry Holmes.

On Saturday, August 24th - Jeff received his 'final' weekly paycheck {$300} from the Ali Camp, and left to go back home to Cleveland.

Now with No Work, No Manager and No Fights lined up, Jeff was back to his 'bad ways'.

And the word on the street to other Fight Promoters, was to stay away from Jeff Merritt, as he was 'bad news', a drug addict and nothing but trouble,.

[Bill Paxtom]

Camp[I]1974[/I

The Lost Year For Jeff 'Candy Slim' Merritt

Once Jeff was released form the Muhammad Ali Camp {Deer Lake Training Camp} on August 24th, he was pretty much on his own.

Don King was too busy with putting together 'The Rumble in the Jungle', and could care less about 'small potatoes'.
Don put it bluntly to Jeff > "I have bigger fish to fry."

By September 1st, Jeff was trying to offer his services to get on several East Coast Fight Cards. There was a September 10th
Fight Card at The Spectrum in Philadelphia, but there was no 'real money' in the bout, as Jeff was only offered $700 to fight
Joe 'Top Cat' Gholston.

Jeff got in touch of Teddy Brenner of Madison Square Garden, and Jeff 'begged' onto a September 9th Fight Card at The Garden.
But Jeff was too late, as the card was already filled.

Jeff asked about future bouts, but Teddy only replied > "We'll see what we can do for you Jeff, but I can't promise you anything."

There was a possibility of a Fight Card in Orlando, Florida for late-September, with Jeff facing Leon 'The Shadow' Shaw. But 'No Luck'
as that Fight Card was cancelled and pushed back to November 9th.

By the end of September 1974, Jeff was 'running on fumes', and decided to leave Cleveland and drive back home to
Kansas City, Missouri to see his family {Mother} and friends.

'Trouble Will Be Coming Back To Kansas City'

[Bill Paxtom]

1974

The Lost Year For Jeff 'Candy Slim' Merritt

October 2, 1974

Jeff drove from Cleveland, Ohio to Kansas City Missouri. Jeff was now without a Manager, and with no Promoter willing to take a chance on him.

It had been 7-Months {since March 4th} when Jeff last fought {KO'd in 1 by Henry Clark}. His only work was as a $300/Week Sparring-Partner
for Muhammad Ali from early June thru August 24th.

Jeff was hoping to hook up with a Springfield, Missouri 'fight promoter', in hopes of getting a few 'easy' Mid-West bouts, to make some money
and get back into a regular boxing regiment.

Jeff arrived in Kansas City on the 3rd and visited his family and friends. Jeff stayed there until the 9th.

Thursday, October 10th >

Jeff hooks up with friend {M.T. Simpson} and another friend {un-named}. M.T. Simpson agrees to drive Jeff, Jeff's sister, another girl and the other
gentleman to the Boxing Card in Springfield. Late Thursday afternoon, they all meet up as M.T. drives {3 Hours} South to the Shrine Mosque in Springfield, Missouri.

Jeff is supposed to talk to the Fight Promoter about some future bouts in Springfield.

The Fight Card features local veteran and journeyman Lightweight 'Irish' Johnny Copeland, and popular John 'Penny' Pinney an undefeated Middleweight
with a record of 25-0-2 {14 KO's}. Both fighters are Springfield, Missouri natives.

A large local crowd of 3500+ is expected, and Jeff 'Candy Slim' Merritt is to be introduced to the Springfield fans, as a fighter that wants to come back home to fight.

[Bill Paxtom]

Thursday ~ October 10, 1974

Jeff Merritt and friends did attend the Boxing Card at the Shrine Mosque in Springfield, Missouri.

Later that night ~ Jeff, his sister and 3 friends did return back to Kansas City, getting back home well after Midnight,
somewhere around 1:00 AM {Friday, October 11th}.

But instead of going home {to his Mother's house}, Jeff hooked up with '2' old friends from the neighborhood, sometime
around 2:00 AM.

Looking for Trouble,

Sometime in the early AM hours of Friday, Jeff and his '2' friends decide to go cruise thru some sections of several
Kansas City neighborhoods, looking for 'action'. They hopped in one of the guys cars {1971 Ford Torino} and went cruising.

Somebody in the group had a 'bright idea' and said > "Hey, let's rob a house".

Well they did,

They broke into a house {while the members in the home were sleeping}. The '3' burglars woke up the couple who were
sleeping in their home, and 'robbed' them of a;
* Television
* Watch
* Radio
* .32 caliber Beretta Pistol
* $13.00.

Soon after the '3' men left, the 'robbed family' reported the burglary. The local Kansas City Police investigated, and got
identification of the '3' men and a {1971 Ford Torino} that was cruising thru the same neighborhood around 4:00 AM.

Good Police work lead to several arrests, and Jeff Merritt was mentioned as one of the burglars.

He was identified as 'one' of the burglars by the couple who were robbed.

[Bill Paxtom]

March 6, 1975

Newspaper Headlines

'BOXING CAREER BEGAN IN PRISON...... AND IT MAY END THERE'

'BOXING CAREER ENDS AT MISSORI STATE PRISON'

'PRISON SENTENCE RETIRES HOPE FOR BOXING CAREER'

Heavyweight Boxer ~ Jeff 'Candy Slim' Merritt sits in a Jackson County Jail in Kansas City, Missouri
and may end back up in the Missouri State Prison in Jefferson City where it all began.

Just 1-year ago, Jeff was ranked as the #5 WBA and #6 Ring Magazine Heavyweight, and was
mentioned as a future Heavyweight Champion for 1974 or 1975.

Jeff rose from despair in December 1967 {Paroled from the Missouri State Prison}, to become one of the most
talked about 'future stars' for the Heavyweight Division.

As early as August 1969, Jeff was riding high, following an impressive 8-Round Decision over Top 20 Heavyweight
Henry Clark at Madison Square Garden. Jeff's management had big plans, with bouts lined up against
former 2-Time Heavyweight Champion - Floyd Patterson {for October 1969}, and then Canadian Champion -
George Chuvalo for {January 1970}, and then to go after WBA Champion Jimmy Ellis.

But a string of bad-luck followed;
* Broken bone in his right-hand
* Back injuries
* Change in management
* Cancelled bots
* Continued run-ins with the law

As of right now, the 28 year-old Heavyweight {who is originally from Kansas City, Missouri} has a boxing record of 23-2-0 {18 KO's},
and is still rated in the Top 20 by Ring Magazine {#19} in the Heavyweight Division. But Jeff has not been in the 'Ring' in 1-Year,
{sine March 4, 1974}, and the future does not look promising. Jeff still has the talent to make it to the top, but a return to Prison will
undoubtedly end his hopes and dreams.

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j...4EXWJPJ-t5yt5g

[Bill Paxtom]

March 1975

Jeff 'Candy Slim' Merritt

Interview

'Boxing is all I know. If I wasn't fighting in the Ring, I was doing some terrible things on the street. I was a bad dude.
I thought that I could get away with anything, as I have gotten away with a lot of things that I should have went back
to jail for.'

'Women and Drugs have ruined me. Heroin is in my veins, and I can't stop. Oh, I've gone 3-Months without it, but then
I return. It's the Devil man, the Devil.'

'I've been stabbed, shot and needled up. I must have 3-Pounds of metal in me. I can't even go through an airport metal
detector without having the alarm go off every time I walk through the gate. It's F***ing embarrassing.'

'I don't know howl long I'll be in jail {Missouri State Prison}. I still want to fight, so I'll have to see if they have some kind
of 'athletic program' where I may be able to get some bouts in Prison or outside with a 'special release program'. I'm only
{Age; 28}, when I should be in my best years of Boxing. Yet here I am in Missouri and written off as a 'failure' and a bust.
I'm nothing but a drug addict boxer who no one wants to deal with anymore.'

'I've called my last manager {Don King}, and he told me that I wasted my talent. He's 100% right. He really doesn't want to
deal with me anymore, and he said I was more trouble than I was worth. He said I cost him $15,000 in 1-year {1974}, not
including another $5000 in Legal Bills.'

'The only thing I have left, is a few dollars {$830} in the Bank, a couple pieces of Gold jewelry, a watch and some clothes.
I had to sell my car {1972 Buick Riviera} to pay for my Lawyer.'