Larry Merchant "fell asleep" during Rigondeaux fight

Stay at home then, and curl up in bed with a nice fat 750ml of Smirnoff.

Do not continue to disgrace the profession of commentating on prizefighting (at which you were really never any good, let's be honest...and you only got the job for having been a so-so but ubiquitous newspaperman despite having never fought a day in your life or had the least bit of profound original insight regarding the sport...) - in any capacity, even international or non-televised PPV undercard broadcasts playing second fiddle to Bob Sheridan - if you can't even be troubled staying awake while on the clock.

You stupid old *******.

 

Better fighters than P4P ranked Donaire who got humiliated?

 

Fighters aren't judged on what they can't do though. Its like saying could foreman have fought with a shell defense off the back foot? If he couldn't then I can't really consider him great...see how illogical that is?

Rigo does what he does and it works very well he doesn't have to do anything else unless he wants paydays, which I don't think he cares about.

 

+1

 

This

 

HBO is in the business of viewer subscriptions, Larry doesn't give a **** about boxing, he cares about viewership - its his job. Larry isn't interested in covering every amateur Cuban match that displays great talent, he is trying to entertain fight fans. Saying he fell asleep during a Rigo fight is a clever way of telling the audience, "Don't blame boxing, don't blame us - blame Rigo for the lack of entertainment you just witnessed."

 

larry merchant is an old fart that probably falls asleep while taking a ****. like floyd mayweather said....the man clearly doesn't know **** about boxing. period.

 

foreman..."larry you see boxing....i know boxing."

i miss big george. fcuk larry.

 

:roll:

Larry doesn't work for HBO anymore, first of all. He does international broadcasts and Top Rank PPV non-televised prelim cards. No professional ties with HBO whatsoever.

So you don't even know WTF you're talking about.

...and second, when he pulled that line during his actual HBO tenure, it was lame even then. If people want to see two meat-heads slinging fists wildly at each other they can get their fix watching MMA or looking up guys like Kimbo brawling in front yards on Youtube.

The minority who appreciate the science of boxing don't feel that anyone needs to apologize for it, and the majority can go screw themselves. Don't pull the "boxing is a business" crap, either. No television network on earth makes a substantial profit off boxing and haven't in most our lifetimes. Boxing is what in retail is called a loss-leader. It draws some mainstream viewership - largely for its anachronistic novelty - but is absolutely by no means the make-or-break focal point of any network's business model. HBO and Showtime could axe boxing programming completely and they would be fine, as the chief two juggernauts in premium cable (primarily because of their movies and original series - their sports divisions being a tertiary consideration at best)

Boxing is on TV by the grace and generosity of some execs at the various networks that deign to air it. Boxing is a niche sport and has been for decades. There is a built-in hardcore fan base who always have tuned in, and they always will - even for those labeled by the ignorant majority as 'boring'. The sport is on for our benefit. People who think only slug-fests belong on TV aren't the intended demographic for boxing. Go ahead, change the channel. It won't change a thing and won't spell doom for boxing on TV. GTFO and leave the contests fought at higher skill levels to people who appreciate them - and who form the steady bedrock of the bare minimum of consistent ratings (small contribution that indeed they are) that has kept boxing cost-effective to keep on the air for years. It's exactly you casuals who ***** and moan at the first sign of defense that execs don't want to cater to, because you are so fickle and undependable. :deal

Nobody is expecting that if sluggers are paired in every main event (like Rios vs. Alvarado every night, basically) that boxing is all of a sudden going to reclaim its faded status and bump off the popular team sports to become #1 in the US again. Never going to happen. It's a niche sport - and the niche is made up of the reliable hardcore gang who know, understand, and like boxing - not the fools who just wanna see a bit of rumbling. :hi:

 

If boxing is full of Rigo's Floyd and Ward and BHOP curling and lacross will have more viewers in the next 10 years.

 

best post on the matter!!! amen.

 

Maybe its a strategy to diskredit Rigondeaux. These HBO idiots losing competition to Showtime.
Rigondeaux vs Agbeko Cuba vs Ghana .... not exactly USA vs Mexico ??? 500 000 and Kirkland Vs Tapia 720 000.

 

Shut up.

People act like boxing is "losing" its status among major sports.

It lost that status already. Decades ago. Over and done with. Boxing is relegated to like eleventh place (being kind!) and nowadays suffers the indignity of being a sub-tab under "UFC/MMA" on sites like ESPN.com

The histrionics and demagoguery regarding pure technicians being 'dangerous' for boxing and potentially disruptive to its standing in mainstream culture because they might alienate some idiots who don't get what they're doing are freaking ridiculous. Boxing lost its war (or at least, ceded most of its empire) and has its little niche territory carved out in the sporting landscape and it's absolutely fine and not going anywhere.

 

Rigo is boring, but he does win and that is the aim of the game.

He'll never be a PPV attraction, but he might go down as an ATG.
Legacy over money any day of the week.

But from an entertainment perspective, Larry was spot on.

 

The guy is like 90 years old. He probably falls asleep while taking a dump.