"When Larry Merchant isn't there...it's a little bit of a let down"

I just listened to the Boxing Truth Radio interview with Larry Merchant and one of the interviewers closed it with that line. I couldn't agree more...I'm going to really miss the guy when he's done. After every big fight, the first thing on the agenda is to go and sought out the HBO telecast...because I need to have Merchant there giving his undiluted opinion.

One of my favorite personalities in the Boxing game. A legend of the sport.

 

what was the fight when he quoted the backstreet boys?

 

I agree 100%. Unfortunately I'm not a fan of Lampley but the HBO broadcast is still the best with Stewart and Merchant keeping the bar real high.

Sometimes though, I feel his comments are too disrespectful. I thought in the Mayweather-Mosley fight he went overboard with the pre-fight comments of flat out calling him a dodger, and that when he asks a fighter who just had a fight "why do you think the crowd is booing you", that's too much.

 

Well, compared to the alternative of having Kellerman there yes. I prefer the first team of Merchant, Lampley, and Steward. I know some things can be annoying with them like all commentators, but they are a LOT better than anything other networks have.

 

I agree. I enjoy his personality. I was laughing at an old Larry moment, watching Hagler/Scypion a while ago and after the dreadful star spangled banner rendition (all anthems are tiresome to me, so I thought it might just be me) Larry and co jumped in to my delight.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EThk2eGcRBQ[/ame]

 

watching that video, today's MW division is so sad

 

Merchant can definitely be an *******. He's a little too biased towards or against some fighters. Still better than Kellerman.

 

Merchant's great.

But I grew up listening to Colonel Bob Sheridan and/or Dave Bontempo, on the international telecast of live, big time fights.

They always were the play by play guys, in the Philippine broadcast feed, even up to now.

 

I see nothing wrong with him asking them "why do you think they are booing you". It's open to interpretation, it might have implications, but he's not flat out disrespecting them. Regarding Floyd dodging...was he not just voicing conventional wisdom?

 

He looks so young:yikes He really isnt that old, I forget but only in his 70s he looks 80s for sure. Mayweather's cutman, that old hispanic dude is in his 80s and looks much younger than merchant.

I really like him its gonna be sad when he dies. His random philosophical nonsense comments are hilarious.

 

Conventional wisdom of Mayweather haters. Unbiased boxing fans see that every elite fighter's record/card has some holes and questionable fight selections. Why did Pac fight Cotto and not Mosley? Mosley just beat the top guy and was begging Pacquiao for a fight. This is the same scenario as Mayweather fighting Baldomir instead of Margarito.

Merchant's dodger comments were clearly disrespectful and obviously due to a personal issue with Mayweather. He needs to be more professional.

 

79. The stress of working with the Foreman/Lampley grudge-fest probably took some years off his life too.

 

I'm not a Floyd hater...I just don't think he's as good as he thinks he is.

 

I agree with you on that. But regarding Merchant's comments sometimes even if you believe a comment is true, you shouldn't say it. I mean millions of people are tuning in to see Mayweather vs Mosley. He goes and says to these millions of people, most of whom don't know much about the sport and will take his word as fact, that Mayweather has been ducking opponents which is really more of an opinion that many people disagree with.

And same for the post fight interview. That's a fighters moment of glory, his post fight celebration. You're supposed to ask him "how do you feel" and congratulate him, but not say "congratulations but why do you think the fans were booing you". Leave those kind of comments for the post fight press conference IMO.

Put yourself in the fighter's shoes.

 

No...he doesn't. SEVENTY-NINE. What are they going to do, fire him? Firing a 79-year-old is like threatening a fish with drowning.