The Final Call: Larry Merchant

I can't think of a specific example at the moment mate but I just associate the man with my love of the sport.

Over the last twenty years I purchased loads of my fights from those 'businesses' advertised in the back of Boxing Monthly.

I spent hundreds of pounds (most likely more though!) on fights from the USA in particular and I was always so excited to watch them when they arrived (this was before fights were so 'accessible' on the internet) .

Just about all the big ones were on HBO and I loved the style of the american broadcasts; Larry and Jim just made it all so special for me.

For me he is forever linked with my formative years of falling in love with this the greatest of sports.

 

Awful commentator,takes 2 minutes to say a few words,**** commentator who use to come out with random gibberish,then after a fighter has fought his heart out gets in the ring and disrespects them with wise ass remarks and little digs and stupid questions,first time I ever heard or seen Larry was around 1998 and I couldnt believe this guy was on Hbo,old guy who speaks really slow,sounds drunk a lot of the time,and the majority of fighters hate Larry..

 

Merchant was always a really good commentator. With most commentators, you either get a good personality or boxing knowledge. Guys like Gus Johnson are good to listen to, yet they don't know much about the history of the sport. Guys like Bob Mee are knowledgeable yet dull. Merchant was one of a very small group who was knowledgeable about the history of the sport and yet put his opinions forward in an entertaining way.

The commentary team of Merchant, Lampley, Steward and Lederman was perfect, I think. The best commentary I've ever heard in boxing. Those four had so much enthusiasm and experience in the sport, and all were easy to listen to.

 

No matter if you liked him or not, you could respect that he called it like he saw it. If it was a **** fight, it was a **** fight, and Larry made those **** fights a bit more enjoyable.

 

I respect Merchant for his undoubted knowledge of the sport but I can't wait to see him go. He'd be a good boxing journalist IMO, writing articles for magazines or newspapers covering fights like Steve Bunce or Jeff Powell. Being on TV as an actual commentator though, he's always been God-awful and it's amazed me why HBO have had him on for so long.

When he talks it's like he's speaking in slow-motion, that's no good for a commentator, especially when a fight is high-paced. His voice could be used to put baby to sleep.

Apart from Manny Steward I've never liked HBO's commentary team at all, Jim Lampley and Max Kellerman are a pair of absolute clueless gobshites. Roy Jones isn't bad though.

 

I wish I was 50 years younger and Id kick your ass.

 

I was unaware that this was his last call. That is so sad. I love Larry. I understand he is usually drunk and his stories are sometimes slow and don't make sense but he is entertaining.

Sometimes he crosses the line but that just makes for good TV.

One time after Wlad lost to Brewster (maybe it was Sanders) Larry said something like:
A disgrace to his trainer, his country, and his family.

 

Exactly. I'm sick of people like Adam Smith bite their tongue all the time. If it's a boring fight, Merchant would rip the fighters for it whereas someone like Smith will say "not the most entertaining fight between the young prospect and teak tough Ghanaian" in his typical dull fashion. You need characters on TV and Merchant is one.

 

i don't care if he 'said it as it is' he is ****ing awful and i for 1 will be glad when he is retired:hi:
everytime he comes on to interview fighters i turn off :deal

 

He was a ***** ..... But a funny ***** !

 

He was decent. A bit too much of a curmudgeon at times for my taste but he struck me as fairly knowledgeable and honest. Better than many but not in the Al Bernstein or Reg Gutteridge league.

 

x2

 

What a genuinely awful, ignorant post. Incidentally, Merchant was an excellent print journalist before moving to TV.