JEFF MERRITT, AKA "CANDY SLIM"

overhand_right · Post by **overhand_right** » 15 Apr 2002, 08:01

i hear these days jeff merritt shows up whenever theres a big fight and begs for money.

what do people know about this heavyweight? my understanding is that he was a 6'5'', skinny heavyweight with a crippling punch, back in the late 60s, early 70s. knockedout ernie terrell in one round, and even beat roy tiger williams. he was a top contender but got into drugs and was knocked out in 3 by henry clarke, which ended his career.

some interesting stuff about him in larry holmes book, seems like a crazy man.

is there any video on jeff? i'd love to see him fight but it seems very rare. id love a copy of his fight with terrell or clarke, or anything.

can anyone help? anyone else know anything about candy slim?

phil · Post by **phil** » 15 Apr 2002, 09:22

I could find some features on him.

Nothing on tape though. Interested?

Phil

overhand_right · Post by **overhand_right** » 15 Apr 2002, 09:38

definately... absolutely anything would be of interest my friend!

DAN C. · Post by **DAN C.** » 21 Apr 2002, 18:26

This is what I remember about JEFF "CANDY SLIM" MERRITT. 6'5", 220 pounds. Had a rep as a big puncher. Most of his weight was up top. It was his legs that were skinny, hence the name "CANDY SLIM". All 3 of his defeats were by early knockout. Was reported to have done a stretch in prison. Yes, he did take out ERNIE TERRELL in 1 rd when TERRELL was at a point where he should never have been in the ring with MERRITT much less anybody else of consequence. It was TERRELLS last fight. MERRITT was brought in as a sparring partner by ARCHIE MOORE for ERNIE SHAVERS when SHAVERS was in training for JERRY QUARRY. The fight was originally scheduled for the summer of '73, but MERRITT broke SHAVERS jaw in training and the fight was postponed until December. It was reported that SHAVERS jaw was totally unhinged and his chin was resting on his chest when he went back to his corner. QUARRY was furious. He blamed MOORE for the postponement. He said that, words to the effect "MERRITT isnt somebody you get in the ring to spar with. You dont get in the ring with somebody like MERRITT unless it is for money, real money". QUARRY said that MOORE was incompetent and that he wished MOORE was still a fighter becuase "I would love to knock him out". This caused lasting bad blood between the two of them. It is interesting to note that SHAVERS management fired MOORE becuase of this incident. As you know, QUARRY destroyed SHAVERS in the 1st round that DECEMBER at the Garden. Drug problems continually plagued MERRITT and, after stopping RON STANDER in 3 in his next fight after TERRELL, he was knocked out by the light hitting HENRY CLARK in 1 and, strangely, in 3 by the harder hitting but slower STAN WARD. The statement that he now shows up at big fights begging for money is the first thing new I have heard of him in over 25 years. Dan Coli

scartissue · Post by **scartissue** » 24 Apr 2002, 23:06

Dan, I agree with you on most of your recollection on Merritt except for the part about Terrell not belonging in the ring with him at the time. Actually, Terrell had been on a 7 bout unbeaten streak until running into Chuck Wepner in the fight prior to Merritt. It was a sole judge (the ref) presiding over that fight who gave it to Wepner. Ring magazine called the decison disgraceful, having scored it 9-3 Terrell (incidentally, the same ref, Harold Valan, who was also the sole judge in the Ellis-Patterson fight, also known to be one bad decision). So, it really was a tremendous win for Merritt. Also, Merritt had previously beaten Henry Clark on an 8 round decision and in his bout with Ward (in which he was off about 3 years) he had Ward's eye closed in the first from a steady jab and left hook, but Merritt was weak in the chin which was his undoing. He had one of the best left hooks ever, just not the rest of the tools to go along with it.

overhand_right · Post by **overhand_right** » 25 Apr 2002, 08:40

i think he eroded his chin with serious drug abuse, though, didnt he?

he had already beat clark and even roy tiger williams, so to get kod in 1 by a light puncher like clark surely meant the drug abuse had ruined him?

Adrian Q · Post by **Adrian Q** » 26 Apr 2002, 15:39

Hi there Overhand,

Jeff Merrit holds the distinction of being the first fighter in the stable of one Don King. Mr. King's dasterdly deeds surely did nothing to help Jeff with his drug problem. In fact it was King's "managerial style" that probably started Jeff on his road to ruin. At least Jeff is in some good company (Ali, Holmes, Tyson, Witherspoon, Page, Douglass).

luanam · Post by **luanam** » 27 Apr 2002, 22:48

i am seeking info on any knowledge of his where abouts would appreciate any info all at i can separate wheat from shaft i was there with him most
of the time fir your info he also beat chuck wepner at the nmu in nyc
back in the day everyone forgot about this i am sorry i wasn't stronger
to help him thru all this it was the drugs not the chin that whipped him
also something inside died in cleveland

overhand_right · Post by **overhand_right** » 28 Apr 2002, 07:56

were you really with him luanam? honestly?

if you want to find him maybe he'll be at the hall of fame, rahman-holyfield or lewis-tyson?

these days he attends the big fights and begs for money, and tells anyone who will listen that don king robbed him of everything.

tell us more about jeff merritt, if you TRULY were with him.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » 28 Apr 2002, 19:44

TO SCARTISSUE: Yeah, TERRELL was on a 7 fight winning streak but 7 straight over what? Journeymen like VIC BROWN, BILL DROVER and JOSE LUIS GARCIA who I rememeber from the time. Then he fell victim to the incompetent HAROLD VALEN after handily running rings around CHUCK WEPNER for 12 rds. TERRELL had fought infrequently after losing to ALI in '67. He lost to THAD SPENSER and MANUAL RAMOS after losing to ALI and did not fight at all in '68 or '69. TERRELL was fighting in the 220's by the time he fought MERRITT. At 6'6" his best weight was in the 195 to 205 range at the height of his career. He weighed 199 for ALI. He was thick around the middle when he fought WEPNER. Remember, I said that he didnt belong in the ring with MERRITT or anybody else of any C-O-N-S-E-Q-U-E-N-C-E at the time. MERRITT was miles ahead of any of those 8 other fighters TERRELL faced in his comeback after 1970. What happened with "CANDY SLIM" could well have been the same if he had fought ERNIE SHAVERS, MAC FOSTER, RON LYLE OR JERRY QUARRY at the time. I stand by what I said. Trust me, he was no longer the "REAL" ERNIE TERRELL. Dan Coli

overhand_right · Post by **overhand_right** » 29 Apr 2002, 07:07

yes but either way a 1st round knockout over a former world champion is still significant.

merritt was a crippling puncher so i doubt quarry or some of the others you mentioned would be able to do the same.... maybe.

and jose luis garcia beat ken norton if i remember correctly so thats not a bad win.

whomever · Post by **whomever** » 29 Apr 2002, 22:21

Terrell was actually in the top ten when he was robbed against Wepner, which is how Wepner eventually got his big break against Ali. But Terrell didn't crack those ratings by beating the Vic Browns and the Bill Drovers, it was his win over Garcia that got him back in the ten. Garcia was world rated and unbeaten in his last 13 bouts and was expected to beat Terrell to enhance his chances of a world title shot, but was surprisingly stopped in 6 rounds by the comebacking former champ. Now, Merritt had had only one bout in the previous 28 months, so he came from absolutely nowhere to beat Terrell. In fact, it looked more like just a stepping stone fight for big Ernie than anything else. Too bad he didn't read up on that hook. Also, Merritt's next bout, where he massacred Ron Stander may not look like much, but Stander was known for toughness, and I believe that 3 rounds he did with Merritt was the first time he had ever been down, including his bout with Frazier.

TIP · Post by **TIP** » 29 May 2002, 23:34

I saw Merrit several times live in Miami Beach. He was tall but ackward. Big punch but not a lot of skill, could be outmaneuvered relatively easy also. Merrit's best win was against Ron Stander by Ko. Stander was still tough and formidable at the time. His win over Terrel was when Ernie was well into his 30's and shot. Merrit lacked a solid chin and couldn't deal with good boxers. TIP

overhand_right wrote:i hear these days jeff merritt shows up whenever theres a big fight and begs for money.

what do people know about this heavyweight? my understanding is that he was a 6'5'', skinny heavyweight with a crippling punch, back in the late 60s, early 70s. knockedout ernie terrell in one round, and even beat roy tiger williams. he was a top contender but got into drugs and was knocked out in 3 by henry clarke, which ended his career.

some interesting stuff about him in larry holmes book, seems like a crazy man.

is there any video on jeff? i'd love to see him fight but it seems very rare. id love a copy of his fight with terrell or clarke, or anything.

can anyone help? anyone else know anything about candy slim?

overhand_right · Post by **overhand_right** » 14 Nov 2002, 16:05

RESURRECTING THIS ONE..... ANY NEW INFO?

enrique · Post by **enrique** » 14 Nov 2002, 17:28

Candy Slim is a homeless person in Las Vegas. He has caught on to the fact that he will get better handouts at the fights than hustling on the street so he makes the rounds during the big fights . He still has a drug problem. If you really want to find him I suggest you access public records info on department of corrections for Las Vegas and there might be a contact to find him. Personally I think he's beyond help.

Candy Slim was a solid banger and was very dangerous but he was often in poor condition, lacked stamina and did not have a great chin.

overhand_right · Post by **overhand_right** » 14 Nov 2002, 17:33

im not looking to help this guy at all.

u seem to know a bit bou him enrique- what are your sources? your info seems to be recent. how would you know he still has a drug problem??

im intrigued...

enrique · Post by **enrique** » 14 Nov 2002, 18:00

I'm 53 and I've been around boxing since I was twelve -I am a journalist - four published books- one on boxing cowritten with boxing guru Hank Kaplan. I was also Florida editor for Ring Record Book in the eighties. As a boxer I started out in Chicago under Johnny Coulon, lived and trained fighters in NJ and ended up in Miami where I was part of the Fifth Street Family and managed a number of pros including Robert Daniels, Jesse Williams. Wes Vickers and was matchmaker for Tuto Zabala, Chris Dundee, Julio Martinez and Ramiro Ortiz.

Now, with my writing and journalism I don't have the time to stay as active but I do research and I am finishing a book -in Spanish- on the history of Cuban Boxing. I also write for CBZ and work at box rec on Cuban and Florida fighters.

So, a lot of my friends are boxing people- Frankie Otero, Ferdie Pacheco, etc. and since Merritt used to fight out of Miami, gossip comes back through the grapevine.... another flaky character of the time was Jeff Simms who had great potential but was ....impossible to describe... and welterweight Juan Arroyo is back in the can with assault charges because he needed money to buy crack...

overhand_right · Post by **overhand_right** » 14 Nov 2002, 18:18

oh enrique mate i would truly love to hear your stuff on jeff sims. sims was a banger and i know he's deceased now, i know about the gun wounds but any stuff u would feel like writing would be of great interest to me!! especiallly his general demeanor and character you touched on.

please, share the knowledge!

oh yeh, any other stuff on merritt these days or post career would be of interest.

cheers mate!

Jaclem · Post by **Jaclem** » 14 Nov 2002, 21:09

I was at ringside in cleveland when Merritt kayoed Stander. Gave him a real beating. First time Stander was on floor, and Stander was madder about that then getting thre hell kicked out of him.Ring was wet and it WAS a partial slip. When I talked to Stander some time later he still claimed it wasn't a real knockdown... but it WAS a real beating. Interesting side note. A prelim on that same card had heavyweight who really impressed me. He got off the floor to box beautifully until he was okay, then came on and knocked out his oppenent in the next round or so. I made it a point to follow his career from that time on. The fighter...Larry Holmes, in about his fifth fight, against Keven Isaacs. May have been Don King's first promotion and I think this was the one when Ali and Frazier were there mingling with the audience, and I was surprised at how short Frazier was and how Ali glowed with charisma just by being close to you. and..alas..I haver rambled on, but it was a good card and Merritt looked like a comer.

phil · Post by **phil** » 15 Nov 2002, 05:19

I think you shuld "ramble" on and on!!

I love reading people's memories of events when they "were actually there"! Especially 70s Heavies.

Phil

(Overhand, I still will sort my mags out this week-end hopegfully - don't bank onb it- with a view to finding info about Jumbo Cummings. It will mean I can dig out stuff on Jeff Merritt also...)

Phil

overhand_right · Post by **overhand_right** » 15 Nov 2002, 06:08

HAHA! cheers phil.

yes jaclem and enrique, talk as long as you want, i was enjoying it.

you gota tell me jaclem, i have never seen merritt, is it true he sported one of the legendary "jheri curls", the gelled slick black mans mullet??? associated with the likes of tony tucker and mitch green?

Tomato-Can · Post by **Tomato-Can** » 15 Nov 2002, 07:48

Overhand..I have seen pictures of Merritt and in them he was sporting a typical 70s style "Afro".

overhand_right · Post by **overhand_right** » 15 Nov 2002, 08:25

damn! i'm sure at some point jeff applied the gell, slicked the ole 'fro down..... hmmmmmm, lookin' good!

enrique · Post by **enrique** » 15 Nov 2002, 12:55

I remember him with the afro. Jeff Merritt was a very hard puncher but not much else. His boxing skills were average and so was his chin. I think he's become more of a legend than he deserves. Even in top form I don't think he would have been top five in his division, but he could have spoiled a few guys coming up.

Simms -another head case- was a character that could be jovial one day and surly as Sonny Liston the next day. He spent a long time in the joint, abused drugs and alcohol regularly, was shot several times, had a long criminal record and was sweldom in good shape. He could box fairly well but I think that once he went from prospect to journeyman he became cynical about the fight game and only cared for the payday in the second half of his career.

Jaclem · Post by **Jaclem** » 15 Nov 2002, 14:56

HEY...THANKS!!!! I really appreciate your nice comments about my "rambling." I too like the guys who dig into their memories in sort of a stream of consciousness way. I'm always afraid I'm over doing it.

I don't remember Merritt's hair style. This was during the time of allkionds of hair on all kinds of people so it was hard for any one to stand out.

Again, thanks for taking the time give me such generous encouragement,

JEFF MERRITT, AKA "CANDY SLIM"

Jeff Merrit

jeff merritt

JEFF MERRITT & ERNIE TERRELL

candy slim

Jeff Merrit

from enrique