Denkin Claims He Was Threatened : Boxing: In final day of hearing, he says matchmaker was linked to hostile witnesses.

In the final session of his four-day appeal hearing, former state boxing official Marty Denkin said Friday that his life had been threatened by a matchmaker linked with witnesses who testified against Denkin.

Denkin was fired as the commission’s assistant executive officer in June of 1989. In the hearing, Denkin was defending himself against specific charges--accepting $2,000 and $300 cash and a $1,300 gold necklace as “gratuities” in exchange for boxing favors for promoters and managers, and for conducting a rigged weigh-in in 1988.

Testimony was completed and final arguments were heard Friday before administrative law judge Byron Berry at the State Office Building in Los Angeles. Whether Denkin will be reinstated won’t be known for months, Berry said.

Denkin identified Obdulio Munoz, a matchmaker for Azteca Promotions in Los Angeles, as a man who threatened his life.

“He hated me,” Denkin said. “He called me a bigot who discriminated against Mexicans and he threatened my life a couple of times.”

Denkin said he makes a bigger salary as the boxing director for the Dame Boxing Club than he did in his state job, for which he was paid $40,000 a year, but added that he wants reinstatement.

“Yes, I want my job back,” he said. “This is my life we’re talking about. Overnight, a newspaper (the San Jose Mercury-News) article appears with unfounded charges and my reputation is destroyed. I did not do these things.”

Commission staff member Carlos Lopez had testified Tuesday that under Denkin’s orders, he falsified the official weight of a fighter in the commission’s Los Angeles office. Denkin, Lopez said, was at the Forum at the time.

Denkin testified he was not only present at the office weigh-in, but conducted it himself.

“Only one person in this world says Marty Denkin (rigged) that weigh-in and that is Carlos Lopez,” Mandel said. “Carlos Lopez is a bad guy, he wants Marty Denkin’s job and everyone knows it.”

Subpoenaed Los Angeles boxing manager Alberto Carranza, said to be too ill to testify early in the week, appeared at Friday’s afternoon session. He testified he gave a $1,300 gold necklace as a “gift” to Denkin and that Denkin thanked him for it.

He indicated that he had hoped the gift might result in approval by Denkin of 10-round fights for his boxer, Hugo Anguiano.

Through a translator, Carranza added: “I believe if you give someone a gift, people will treat you better. I believed (Denkin) opened doors for my fighters. I don’t believe I did anything wrong.”

Denkin has denied that charge, as well as all others.

Carranza also testified that he gave “gifts” to Lopez (two sweaters) and Forum matchmaker Tony Curtis (cologne).

Mandel has implied all week that Denkin is a victim of a conspiracy. But in his closing argument Friday, state attorney Christopher Foley attacked that idea.

“None of these witnesses wanted to be here,” he said. “During the investigative part of this case, they all had to be subpoenaed.”