Merchant was the best at what he did. Maybe someone like Bernstein has a firmer grasp on the technical nuances of the sport, but Merchant gave great analogies and really added to the mood. Fanboys of a certain fighter don't like him very much - but then again they don't like a lot of people.
Merchant was definitely coloful. He brought a lot of entertainment to the sport that was uniquely his alone. I always looked forward to Larry blathering about. More often than not he made some insightful observations to go along with some brutal commentary.
Merchant is knowledgeable, honest, blunt and not a shill.. and he loves a good scrap as much as the next guy. I wish we can have him back
Most don’t really understand how much he knew about both the art and the science of boxing. Never mind the experiences he had watching the greatest fighters of all time while sitting ringside...next to DiMaggio. He’s more famous and had more impact on the sport than lots of fighters in the hall of fame. But what I love about Larry, is he wasn’t afraid to just be himself, **** the plastic.
Larry was a good commentator not a great commentator.... he seemed to be the most impressed by his own anecdotes more then anyone else. At times he was spot on and other times he could leave you scratching your head.
from a scientific point, which my experience tells me is true, is that we see beauty in balance and symmetry. you cant build a face around an odd shaped nose to make it as beautiful as one around a finely carved honker. or combine enough different features to make a weak chin attractive. we all have different preferences, but we seem to agree on whats attractive within those specific preferences. luckily, the variety of preferences can be so wide, that even an ugly guy like me, will have someone think hes hot.