Larry Merchant I Love you

[Carbo]

I know he's not to everyone's taste. Some folks don't like his laconic, measured delivery, but I like the idea about someone who's more cerebral interjecting with thoughts on the fight. I also think his post-fight interviewing is outstanding. He never pulls punches and always asks the tough questions. Too many guys seem starry-eyed when it comes to fighters, and just ask the dumb questions and let boxers get away with platitudes and cliches.

But Floyd doesn't like that, because he likes adoration, and loses the plot when people don't give it to him his own way.

And tonight, he had got right in octogenarian Larry Merchant's face, just for asking a question and not accepting a non-answer. He said that Merchant never gave him a fair crack, that he didn't "know shit" about boxing and that he should be fired. It was disgusting and indecorous and typical of Mayweather. Fantastically, Merchant held his ground, and then, For once, lost his cool, threw off the professionalism and told Mayweather that he wished he was 50 years younger so he could kick his ass.

Brilliant!

Well done Larry. That's one for us all.

[Grilling Machine]

Whatever you say about Merchant, he's not Kellerman.

[GAV]

That was superb from Merchant!

[boxerbob]

with floyd handpicking his opponents i woundt be suprised if it was merchant next

topp class from merchant tonight

[yogi]

Larry Merchant

[BigRed]

i would have loved it if Larry would have said "why i oughta...." mayweather is disgusting. cortez needs to pack it in.

[Gray-Fox]

I love how all you guys are the type who tune in to see Floyd lose, and get happy when some drunken old geriatric has a potshot at Floyd. Floyd should have bitch slapped the old pudendum.

[tobyh5]

Merchant is an over rated tool

As Bunce said, he takes ages to get a question out, bumbles and mumbles and looks and sounds disinterested. Floyd was a dick as Merchant does know his stuff BUT he does disrespect fighters.

Floyd did not cheat, the ref called box on, he was fighting hard and smacking him round and still no respect.

Haters hate huh.

[Quixall]

I think that they both looked a little foolish..............

Floyd should have answered the question and Merchant was trying to act the big man and say something he could never back up whether the jerk was 20 years old or 70 years old. The person who conducted himself correctly interview wise was Victor Ortiz, he didn't look for any excuses which is to his credit, though i think he knew he didn't have much chance after the first three rounds of the fight. I think Cortez is a nightmare of a referee and should never officiate again in a world title fight. He should have made sure that each figter was seperated, but Ortiz acknowledged that you have to protect yourself at all times in boxing. Victor was stupid to butt Floyd when he had no need to at that point, he was getting some shots in, not many, but was getting a little success and then he butts him, very stupid. Ortiz then kisses Floyd and wants to hug him and gets planted with two shots. In all fairness to Ortiz, Floyd should have waited until Ortiz looked like he was ready and not looking at the referee and i didn't hear Cortez say "box" but like i say, you have to protect yourself at all times. Floyd was going to win that fight easy, he would have stepped it up and stopped Ortiz. Finally i wanted Floyd to win tonight and whilst he won the fight it should have been in better circumstances. As for Larry Merchant, i think he is a smug prick and i just hate it when someone makes a statement that they clearly won't and could never back up. There could be a re-match but Floyd would win easily and he did look extremely good tonight, abeit against a game fighter who talked the talk but never had the skills sets to deal with Mayweather.

[crusader]

Merchant is an over rated tool

As Bunce said, he takes ages to get a question out, bumbles and mumbles and looks and sounds disinterested. Floyd was a dick as Merchant does know his stuff BUT he does disrespect fighters.

Floyd did not cheat, the ref called box on, he was fighting hard and smacking him round and still no respect.

Haters hate huh.

You may not think so but many others do, so it is a contentious issue. Merchant wouldn't have been doing his job if he didn't bring it up.

[Carbo]

Merchant is an over rated tool

As Bunce said, he takes ages to get a question out, bumbles and mumbles and looks and sounds disinterested. Floyd was a dick as Merchant does know his stuff BUT he does disrespect fighters.

Floyd did not cheat, the ref called box on, he was fighting hard and smacking him round and still no respect.

Haters hate huh.

How, exactly, does Merchant 'disrespect fighters'? See, this is what I don't understand. Merchant just asks the questions we want asked, and tries to get an answer, as a good interviewer does with a politician. If a fighter doesn't want to answer a tough question, why is it disrespectful to ask him again? I wish there were more like Merchant. Perhaps he's a little more prickly, and less smooth, than perhaps Harry Carpenter would have been, but he's still doing his job in the way I want it done.

If he asks, "Floyd, what do you say to those people who would argue that the knockdown was disatisfactory because Ortiz clearly didn't know that time had been called back in," and Mayweather replies, "I'd like to thank everyone who bought Pay-per-view tonight," I don't think it's being disrespectful to point out that this isn't an answer and to ask the question again.

I'm tired of interviewers of all sports who give fighters, footballers, whoever, a chance to hold a monologue or run a five minute PR speech.

Mayweather ought to remember that HBO money buys all those houses and all those cars he loves so much. He's effectively employed by them. Part of that is fighting; part is being on 24/7; but part is also being interviewed after a fight.

[Grilling Machine]

Perhaps he's a little more prickly, and less smooth, than perhaps Harry Carpenter would have been, but he's still doing his job in the way I want it done.

I like to think Reg Gutteridge would've asked Mayweather to clarify, as well.

[hitman_hatton1]

mayweather completely over reacted.

he knew he took a cheap shot that's why.

i blame ortiz for the whole incident.

but floyd still cheap shotted him.

it was a poor match to begin with.

far too early for ortiz.

merchant KO1 mayweather.

[LION KING1]

Merchant hates BHOP and PBF but he kisses the ass of DLH.

Fcuk Merchant. 50 years younger? MAyweather wold beat you up at any stage of his and your life!

HBO SHOULD SACK THE RACIST DRUNKARD.

[Quixall]

Merchant is an over rated tool

As Bunce said, he takes ages to get a question out, bumbles and mumbles and looks and sounds disinterested. Floyd was a dick as Merchant does know his stuff BUT he does disrespect fighters.

Floyd did not cheat, the ref called box on, he was fighting hard and smacking him round and still no respect.

Haters hate huh.

How, exactly, does Merchant 'disrespect fighters'? See, this is what I don't understand. Merchant just asks the questions we want asked, and tries to get an answer, as a good interviewer does with a politician. If a fighter doesn't want to answer a tough question, why is it disrespectful to ask him again? I wish there were more like Merchant. Perhaps he's a little more prickly, and less smooth, than perhaps Harry Carpenter would have been, but he's still doing his job in the way I want it done.

If he asks, "Floyd, what do you say to those people who would argue that the knockdown was disatisfactory because Ortiz clearly didn't know that time had been called back in," and Mayweather replies, "I'd like to thank everyone who bought Pay-per-view tonight," I don't think it's being disrespectful to point out that this isn't an answer and to ask the question again.

I'm tired of interviewers of all sports who give fighters, footballers, whoever, a chance to hold a monologue or run a five minute PR speech.

Mayweather ought to remember that HBO money buys all those houses and all those cars he loves so much. He's effectively employed by them. Part of that is fighting; part is being on 24/7; but part is also being interviewed after a fight.

I think there is nothing wrong with Merchant re-asking a question that hasn't been answered, but you can go back a long way with Floyd and Merchant post fight scenarios and i think Merchant can get under peoples skin, which is a good thing as an interviewer. I personallly don't like his "I'm Larry Merchant you know....." attitude and i think he is a smug twat and all that "If i was 50 years younger" crap made me cringe, as i doubt he could ever fight his way out of a paper bag. Floyd should have waited, but Ortiz shouldn't have butted floyd either and you have to protect yourself at all times in boxing. I'm just pleased this wasn't an opponent like Pacquiao where a finish like that would have left in doubt what the result would have been if that incident hadn't happenned. As it was, despite the events, Floyd was boxing supreme and was winning that fight all night long. I like Ortiz, but he is just a come forward fighter who can bang a bit and was never going to be in Floyd's league.

[LION KING1]

Merchant is an over rated tool

As Bunce said, he takes ages to get a question out, bumbles and mumbles and looks and sounds disinterested. Floyd was a dick as Merchant does know his stuff BUT he does disrespect fighters.

Floyd did not cheat, the ref called box on, he was fighting hard and smacking him round and still no respect.

Haters hate huh.

Merchant is a cupid stunt!

He must have somnething on HBO for them to keep his senile ass.

[Carbo]

Merchant hates BHOP and PBF but he kisses the ass of DLH.

Fcuk Merchant. 50 years younger? MAyweather wold beat you up at any stage of his and your life!

HBO SHOULD SACK THE RACIST DRUNKARD.

There was only one racist in that ring tonight, and that's Floyd Mayweather, who makes a habit of mixing expletives with racial pejoratives before fights.

I don't get it about Mayweather fans. It's like, anything that's not pure adoration is "hating". Sure, Merchant doesn't give Mayweather a three minute prime time slot for an infomercial, and expects him instead to answer questions, but that doesn't make him a 'hater'.

I've got a whole bunch of Floyd's fights on my hard drive -- every one since Coralles, and some before that -- and this Mayweather - Merchant thing has been bubbling for years. What happens is that Floyd always answers the first question with, "First of all Larry I'd like to thank God... [and] long list of others]". Merchant then re-asks the question. Then he asks something tough, like "when are you going to fight someone in your class," or "do you think you could have done more to get the knockout", or, he asks a nicer, simpler question that Floyd doesn't answer, so Merchant has to push him. Either way, Floyd will get angry and hacked off, because Merchant isn't letting him off the hook, or he's asking what fight fans are thinking.

This has happened before with Floyd at least once before, where he's complained that Merchant hates him and that he never gets a fair rub of the green from Merchant, but that time it wasn't nearly as aggro.

[charlieb]

Brilliant stuff. Quintessential Larry.

Somewhere out there, a perfect universe exists where Larry not only threatens to kick Floyd's arse, but cheap shots him to complete the trinity of bad behaviour.

Ortiz let himself down. So did Mayweather. Larry delivered!

[the truth]

Metchant is shite, try's to undermine a boxers inteligence, t a l k s Realllllyyyy slllooowwwlllyyy it's as if he thinks all boxers are brain dead, never liked him, I'm sure he also had beef with mike Tyson years ago and basically got hbo to get rid of him after the alex Stewart fight and sign Holyfield , he's a prick

[pasty_spud]

thats just the way he talks..

[keithmoonhangover]

I usually like Larry, but to say "If I was 50 years younger I'd kick your ass!" is completely unnaceptable. If I was his boss, I'd fire him on the spot.

[bennie]

[Finn]

I cant stand merchant. The guy asks STUPID questions alot of the time and other times he answers his own question in his question. He reminds me of those old men who try having conversations with you at bus stops. "Do you have the time? my watch says 9 o'clock."

[Final round]

Thanks for that Bennie

[Poncey]

Merchant is an over rated tool

As Bunce said, he takes ages to get a question out, bumbles and mumbles and looks and sounds disinterested. Floyd was a dick as Merchant does know his stuff BUT he does disrespect fighters.

Floyd did not cheat, the ref called box on, he was fighting hard and smacking him round and still no respect.

Haters hate huh.

At no point did Cortez say "Box on".

He said "Let's go".