Actually he never fought Daniels. That fight, along with others listed on his record, never happened.
I have to reiterate what I wrote here seven years ago. Il Duche who started this thread was/is a notorious liar. Since I first made my response Ive gotten an interview with Merritt just before the fight and contrary to the idea that he was a before hand he actually looks as healthy as Ive ever seen him look. He looked big, strong, healthy, clear eyed and confident. Clark had taken their first fight on short notice as a replacement and still managed to do quite well. It was a close fight. He made a lot of hay about this and stated that now, in the best shape of his career, he would beat Merritt. Merritt said something to the effect of “He can run up and down every hill in Oakland and chop down every tree in California and he wont beat me!” Oh how wrong he was. Clark had been George Foremans chief sparring partner as he prepared for Norton and you really couldnt get better prep for Merritt who was a poor facsimile of Foreman. Merritt was well prepared for Clark as well because he had been sparring with Ali and Clark was nothing but a very cheap Ali imitation.
Im not sure what Graziano-Zale has to do with Jeff Merritt but some, including Boxrec list Merritt has having fought Daniels. That fight never happened. If you choose to believe thats on you but Ive researched that fight and it never took place.
I believe Jeff Merritt stopped Ernie Terrell's comeback in 1973, as Ernie was ranked in the top 10 rankings.
I find it interesting that there are (apparently) fake fights on his record, especially the last two with Billy Daniels (where BoxRec has another bout on the card) and 'Memphis' Al Jones (where Boxrec has a venue listed and several other bouts on the card, including one with Earnie Shavers). Are these cases where SOMEBODY fought under the name "Jeff Merritt" on these cards, but it wasn't the former contender? So the Stan Ward bout, on the Foreman - LeDoux undercard, is Merritt's last fight (?).
The Memphis Al Jones fight is legit. It was promoted by Bundini Brown, who was close with Merritt, at a honky tonk in Tulsa.
https://tss.ib.tv/boxing/featured-b...53592-jeff-candy-slim-merritt-a-fighters-life https://tss.ib.tv/boxing/featured-b...693-jeff-candy-slim-merritt-a-fighters-life-2 https://tss.ib.tv/boxing/featured-b...ghters-life-part-three-of-a-three-part-series
