Merlin Petit, Controversial Boxing Matchmaker, Is Found Dead at Home
Merlin Petit, longtime Southland boxing matchmaker, trainer and manager, was found dead in his Los Angeles home last Friday.
The Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office listed the cause of death as a self-inflicted gunshot to the head.
Petit, 70, was the focal point of a Times article last November in which 10 Southland boxers, managers and trainers accused him of taking cash kickbacks from boxers who appeared on Forum boxing shows.
Petit was a Forum assistant matchmaker at the time and was suspended by Forum boxing officials after publication of the article.
The California Athletic Commission then asked the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office to investigate Forum boxing financial practices. The investigation continues.
Petit also ran a notary and paralegal business.
Shortly after World War II, Petit was a professional bantamweight boxer in San Francisco and Los Angeles.
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