Commission Official Is Put on Leave After Accusations

Marty Denkin, the California Athletic Commission official who is under investigation by the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office, was put on administrative leave Thursday.

Denkin, 54, the commission’s executive officer, has run the Los Angeles office since 1986 and has authority over all pro boxing shows in California.

Three unnamed boxing managers, cited in a San Jose Mercury News article last Friday, have accused Denkin of accepting cash and jewelry as inducements for his approval of their boxers’ bouts.

Denkin has denied all the charges.

“I’ve never taken a gift, cash or jewelry, from anyone in boxing,” Denkin said.

Denkin was put on administrative leave, with salary, by the Department of Consumer Affairs, the state agency that oversees the commission staff, pending the outcome of the district attorney’s investigation.

The Department of Consumer Affairs also is investigating extortion charges against Denkin.

Denkin blames his predicament on complaints by boxing managers “with axes to grind.”

It was learned that one of the managers is Ricardo Maldonado of Los Angeles, who was fined $1,000 by Denkin for a physical altercation he had with Denkin at a Sports Arena boxing show last fall. Maldonado did not return calls.