Controls on Boxing Commission Proposed

In the wake of extortion charges leveled against Marty Denkin, staff member of the California Athletic Commission, legislation is being proposed in Sacramento that would remove much of the power presently wielded by commission staff members.

Denkin, the commission’s assistant executive officer, is under suspension pending the outcome of separate investigations by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office and the California Department of Consumer Affairs.

It was learned Wednesday that another charge was leveled against Denkin last summer, an accusation that he conducted an irregular weigh-in at the Forum last August.

On Jan. 27, Denkin was charged by three unnamed boxing managers, in a San Jose Mercury News article, with demanding extortion payments for the sanctioning of boxers for main events.

Denkin, second in command on the commission staff behind executive officer Ken Gray, had authority over all proposed main events in California.

But a bill proposed by State Sen. Joseph Montoya (D-Whittier) would greatly reduce such authority.

“We’re proposing legislation that would tighten up and standardize boxing gym operations all over the state,” said Steve English, senior consultant to the State Senate’s Business and Professions Committee, chaired by Montoya.

English was assistant executive officer of the Athletic Commission from 1980 to 1983. Montoya’s committee oversees the Athletic Commission.

English said that the proposed legislation would require operators of boxing gyms to log pro boxers’ sparring sessions, record gym knockouts and other injuries, and maintain a record of boxers’ training.

In addition, commission staff members would, under the proposed legislation, be working with a standardized form that would summarize a boxer’s preparedness to box in a main event.

“What’s needed is a data base on who is and who isn’t suitable as a main-event boxer,” English said. “Part of Marty’s problem is that he was allowed a great deal of authority as to who is and who isn’t going to box.

“With standardization . . . (such as) a boxer registry, we’d have decisions based more on data, not just someone’s authority.”

In the San Jose Mercury News article, Denkin was accused of accepting cash and jewelry from managers.

The charge last summer was leveled against Denkin by a New York manager, John C. Grinage, according to New York State Athletic Commission chairman Randy Gordon.

Gordon said that Grinage reported last August that Denkin had conducted an irregular weigh-in on Aug. 15, the day Grinage’s boxer, light-welterweight Tim Burgess, boxed John Montes in a tournament bout in the Forum.

“John called and told me that when he brought Burgess to the weigh-in, Denkin was there but that Montes wasn’t,” Gordon said.

“He said to me at the time, ‘Randy, something’s not right out there (California),’ that he felt his fighter had been ripped off.

“He told me Burgess made weight, then (Grinage) asked Denkin where Montes was. He said Denkin told him Montes ‘came in early,’ made weight and left.”

In boxing, it’s unusual for a weigh-in to occur without both boxers and their managers present.

On Wednesday, Denkin vehemently denied Grinage’s charge, saying: “It’s a lie, and that’s all I’m going to say about it. Talk to my attorney.”

Forum matchmaker Tony Curtis said Wednesday that Montes had made weight, in front of witnesses, and that Grinage and Burgess were late for the weigh-in. One member of Montes’ management team, Michael Rupprecht, said that Grinage and Burgess had been 20 minutes late.

Another who was present, corner man Chuck Bodak, said he could recall Montes making weight.

Grinage denied being late.

“We were not late,” he said Wednesday.

“When we walked into the building, we saw Montes at the ring, being photographed. I’d heard he’d had trouble making 140, and there was some question in my mind whether he could make weight.

“I told Denkin several times I wanted to see Montes on the scales, and he kept saying to me: ‘Look, I’m with the commission and I’m telling you he was 140 on the nose, and I’m not lying to you.’ ”

“When the fight started that night, Montes looked like he weighed about 144 to me.

“It really bothered me that Montes was close by and Denkin would not put him on the scales for us.”

Later that night, Montes won a 10-round decision over Burgess.

In recent days, many boxing people have said that they have long been troubled by Denkin’s close association with the World Boxing Council. Denkin, for years, has refereed WBC championship fights while serving as a commission member.

“Sen. Montoya demanded Denkin be removed as a member of the commission in 1983, after he was appointed by Willie Brown,” English said.

“He was worried about Marty’s possible conflict of interest in refereeing all those WBC fights. All of us were.”

“Denkin at first agreed to stop refereeing in California, then made a push later on to referee in California. He eventually resigned from the commission, and was eventually made assistant executive officer.”

Said Montoya: “In effect, Marty had himself in a position where he could assign himself to work, and that wasn’t right.”

Bob Fellmeth, chairman of the commission from 1978 to 1981, agreed that many in boxing worried about Denkin’s refereeing.

“I was uncomfortable with Marty’s affiliation with the WBC,” Fellmeth said. “To me, it was a very questionable relationship.

“Organizations like the WBC are private, non-governmental organizations and many of us resented it when the WBC would come into California and make demands, like changing a 15-round fight to 12 rounds, or objecting to our selection of a referee.

“In California we are the regulators, not them.”