BOXING : Denkin Case Shows Depth of Neglect Here

This seems an appropriate time to say it, after the weeklong Marty Denkin appeals hearing:

Professional boxing in California is a mess. California’s administration of the sport is a near laughingstock in other major boxing states. The eight-member State Athletic Commission needs to begin hands-on administration of its staff instead of going through the motions at its monthly meetings.

It isn’t the fault of any particular individual, although specific cases of sloppy administrative work can be seen in any close look at Ken Gray, the chief executive officer, and Denkin, Gray’s assistant until he was fired in June, 1989.

The commission’s staff is right when it says it is short of money, but it is also short of vigorous leadership and direction. Important problems in the sport are not being addressed. In California, boxing is adrift.

Consider:

--Neurological exams.

The state continues its highly unpopular, controversial neurological testing, required yearly of all boxers who compete in California. The exams have been called worthless by neurologists who once gave them (and who were then fired for criticizing them) as well as by other state athletic commissions.

The primary knock against the exams is that they are culturally biased against Latinos and poorly educated athletes. State commissioner Raoul Silva points out that the education level of some boxers from Latin America when they arrive here is such that “they don’t even know how to hold a pencil--how can they pass any test?”

The tests have been knocked by many neurologists as being of little or no value at detecting neurological injury in boxers. Worse, any value the exams might have had has been compromised. For more than a year, the examinations themselves have been in the hands of boxing promoters, who use them to coach the boxers before they take the tests.

--Drug testing.

California, which has more boxing shows than any other state, has possibly the weakest testing program for illegal drugs. Here, boxers are tested only after world championship and state title fights. A few months back, a nationally prominent boxer with a widely known cocaine problem boxed at the Forum but wasn’t tested, solely because his wasn’t a title fight. The other major boxing states--Nevada, New York and New Jersey--all have tougher testing programs, ranging from random tests of undercard fighters to every main-event boxer. Asked about the state’s drug-testing policy not long ago, one member of the commission had no idea what it was.

Until recently, the word was out to boxers with drug problems: Go to California.

Only now has the athletic commission asked the legislature for the authority to conduct random drug testing of boxers, something that should have occurred a decade ago.

--Office facilities.

The working conditions in the crowded Los Angeles office of the State Athletic Commission were described recently as “pathetic” by Silva. The office’s computer system hasn’t worked for three years.

Don Muse, former assistant executive officer, said recently: “Because the computer system was down all the time, I was in that office sometimes as late as 1 a.m., logging in records by hand. It’s a disgrace.”

--Leadership.

Gray’s work as chief executive officer has been criticized for years by several members of the eight-member commission, as well as those who work directly under him. Gray alone, for example, on the commission staff, supports the existing neurological testing program.

Testifying this week at Denkin’s appeals hearing, Gray waffled at a key point in his testimony. The subject was Gray’s opinion on Denkin’s possible guilt on bribery charges after seeing an investigator’s report.

He testified Wednesday that he believed Denkin innocent at the time. But when State Attorney Christopher Foley read to Gray, from his own deposition, that Gray believed Denkin had accepted a $1,300-necklace from a manager, Gray said: “Yes, that does refresh my memory. I believed he accepted it.”

State law requires Gray and his staff to make regular checks of licensed boxing gyms, to see if all boxers, trainers and managers present are licensed, and to make sure amateurs are not sparring with pros. Such checks are seldom made, and in fact amateurs spar with pros routinely in gyms.

--Weigh-ins.

Denkin’s attorney, Jerome Mandel, said in his closing argument Friday at Denkin’s hearing that “there was nothing improper” about Denkin’s authorizing two boxers to be weighed in at separate locations for a 1988 Forum fight.

He is wrong. At issue was whether Denkin was present at the commission office when a fighter weighed in.

Commission staff member Carlos Lopez testified that he had been ordered by Denkin, during a phone call, to “note” a false weight, while the other fighter weighed in at the Forum.

Denkin maintains that he weighed in both fighters at both locations. It is up to administrative law judge Byron Berry, who ran Denkin’s hearing, to now decide who is lying.

But the point is, the very concept of pro boxers weighing in at separate locations for a fight is unheard-of. It should never be permitted. Chuck Minker, executive director of the Nevada Athletic Commission, this week was asked if such a weigh-in had ever happened during his stewardship.

“Never,” he said.

The same question was put to Randy Gordon, New York State Athletic Commission chief, who said:

“Never. Under no circumstances would I ever allow that. It is inconceivable, to not have both fighters and both managers, standing right there and watching the same scale.”

The weigh-in in question at the Denkin hearing, before the Jorge Ramirez-Jorge Diaz fight at the Forum in 1988, was not the first Denkin has been accused of running irregularly. A charge was filed with the New York boxing commission in 1988 that Denkin conducted an improper weigh-in at the Forum involving New York fighter Tim Burgess.

Burgess’ manager, John Grinage, protested at the time that when he brought Burgess to the scale, Denkin was there but not Burgess’ opponent, John Montes. Grinage, in his complaint, said Denkin told him Montes had weighed in early and left.

Denkin called the charge a lie.

Grinage further said that Montes was near by but that Denkin still would not put him on the scale to show Grinage that Montes had made the 140-pound limit.

Section 297 of California’s Boxing Rules and Regulations: “Contestants shall be weighed in at a time and place (singular) designated by the commission, in the presence of a commission representative on scales approved by the commission. . . .”

Opinion: Section 297 should be rewritten by the commission to include the phrase: “Under no circumstances shall a weigh-in be permitted without the presence of both boxers and both managers. . . . “

The Forum should be the first to insist on by-the-book weigh-ins. It’s the state’s busiest boxing venue. Yet, the accuracy of two weigh-ins held there has been challenged.