By J. Michael Falgoust, USA TODAY
If recent history is a guide, especially the last three decades, making big fights takes patience. No one knows that any better than HBO boxing analyst Larry Merchant, who has intervened in an effort to help bridge the divide between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather. Negotiations are at a standstill because Mayweather wants random blood testing — not required by the Nevada State Athletic Commission which only tests urine. Pacquiao has agreed to three blood tests instead. Merchant, who has been with HBO since 1978, recently talked with USA TODAY:
When negotiations came to a sudden halt, after it appeared March 13 in Las Vegas was all but a certainty, what were your thoughts?
I thought it was just some gamesmanship by Mayweather who has a certain talent for mind games with opponents, creating conflict to help promote events. It appears that it has spiraled out of control. I couldn't imagine why. First of all, since he thinks he's going to win the fight and second of all because he's going to make upwards of 30 million or 40 million dollars, how could you take it seriously?
They seem serious about it. Almost as if they were saying Pacquiao can't be this good on his own. Now it's seems like it's a bloodbath. There's no precedent for fighters who have already decided how to divide the money then find issues that would break up a huge event. It's hard to take seriously even if it appears to be serious.
Do you think Golden Boy Promotions' demand for random blood testing is reasonable?
I see no indications that Pacquiao is anything but an exceptional, elite fighter. There are many precedents in boxing of smaller fighters to move up in weight division and be successful later in their careers.
(Golden Boy president) Oscar De La Hoya himself started out as a 130-pound titleholder and wound up fighting middleweights which is 30 pounds north of that. It seems like its some sort of ploy. But if both sides take it seriously and both sides see it as a test of their will. And then you get involved with personal issues, then maybe it's more out of control than anybody could imagine.
Old feuds have gotten into this between Mayweather and (Pacquiao's promoter Bob) Arum and Arum and De La Hoya. I've always looked upon these types of negotiations as a kind of ritual of dominance. 'I can impose my will on you in the negotiations, therefore I can impose my will on you in the fight.'
Pacquiao turned pro at 106 pounds, but he was only 16 years old. Is it that uncommon for a fighter to compete in multiple divisions, especially with all the sport's "junior" divisions?
Henry Armstrong turned pro at 120. He also fought for a middleweight championship. Alexis Arguello was a bantamweight when he started as a 16-year-old but he wound up fighting in the 140s. Ted "Kid" Lewis started as a bantamweight, and after winning the welterweight championship wound up fighting the top light heavyweights in the world. There are guys who are exceptions to the rule. Pacquiao fights in the low '40s. That means he has breakfast and lunch before the weigh-in where most fighters eat lightly, if at all. He's done a few amazing things. It's not like he's going around knocking everybody stiff with one punch. He's a boxer-puncher who has won on his boxing ability and his quickness. He hit De La Hoya with a flurry of 50 or 60 clean punches and never knocked him down. He's not Superman's son. He's just a helluva fighter who has captured the imagination of the fight world and become a kind of international cultural figure who transcends the sport.
What are the chances this fight happens in 2010?
(Bernard) Hopkins and (Roy) Jones were negotiating for a decade it seemed for a rematch from their 1993 fight. But that was about money. I don't think the boxing world grieves over the fact that it didn't get made. There's so much money involved here, even if irrationality triumphs over rationality, I think eventually the fight will get made. If they can't come to terms for a March fight then I think it'll happen at some later date. I think by the end of the holidays cooler heads will come to a compromise.
After Pacquiao knocked out Miguel Cotto, there was a positive energy looking ahead to him facing Mayweather. While this still would be a megafight, the headlines have a more negative tone. Does that matter?
There was a certain momentum that was moving along at a furious pace. The fact of the matter is, everybody except Pacquiao would prefer the fight to happen later now. The March date was picked out because he's running for political office in May (in the Philippines) and didn't want to fight after the middle of March. It would still be a huge event. Could it lose some of its mojo? Who knows. Maybe so. There's a great deal excitement and awareness about the fight right now.
It seems to be a virtual certainty to break all revenue records. The last fight below heavyweight that created this type of interest was the first pay-per-view fight that was (Ray) Leonard and (Thomas) Hearns. That fight was talked about for well over a year before it happened. People couldn't wait for it to happen. They just let it cook for a while and build up momentum. There's a lot of heat that's been built up around this match.
You tried to help out both sides by asking Sen. John McCain to mediate the dispute?
I suggested they should bring in Senator McCain to arbitrate because he's a regular at big fights. He himself was an amateur fighter at Annapolis in the Navy. Everybody agreed except Pacquiao. I can understand Pacquiao's point: Who's Senator McCain? He's an American politician. He's being insulted and accused of wrongdoing because he's so good.
So what's your final verdict on Pacquiao?
If (his trainer) Freddie Roach says he's clean — and he's as straight a shooter as there is in boxing — I believe Freddie Roach.
Source: usatoday.com
Showing posts with label Larry Merchant. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Larry Merchant. Show all posts
Thursday, 31 December 2009
Tuesday, 10 November 2009
Larry Merchant Interview on Pacquiao vs Cotto, Mayweather Jr, Mosley, De La Hoya, Hatton and so much More!
By David Tyler, Doghouse Boxing
Larry Merchant needs no introduction. He is considered the greatest television boxing analyst of all time. Larry is a member of the International Boxing Hall of Fame. Let’s welcome Larry into the doghouse.
David Tyler – Larry, let’s discuss the Cotto/ Pacquiao mega fight November 14th on HBO PPV. Your thoughts?
Larry Merchant – Well the first thing that comes to mind is that Pacquiao is about a two to one favorite and I think it’s virtually an even fight going in. I think that Pacquiao for the first time since he moved up in weight is fighting a naturally stronger fighter who is a quality fighter in his prime and that will be a really serious test for him.
DT – I agree. How do you see Miguel Cotto presenting problems for Manny Pacquiao?
LM – I think that Cotto unlike Pacquiao is a versatile fighter. He has proven that he can box as well as throw and punch. Maybe the main issue will come down to what happens when Pacquiao hits Cotto with that explosive straight left hand? Also, what speed differential there is between them. Since he has moved up from 130 pounds, Pacquiao has fought three opponents. He had to hit David Diaz enumerable times before stopping him. Everyone remembers his more high profile fights with Oscar who he was just too fast for and Hatton who he just nailed while Hatton was trying to get inside. Hatton couldn’t see the punches coming and lost by a sensational knockout. So going by all that the question is if it turns out to start as a tactical fight who has the edge. Is it the quickness of Pacquiao? If Cotto can handle his punch that may give Cotto the serious edge he needs by being able to put Pacquiao on the defensive.
DT – Cotto has fought some fighters with speed such as Shane Mosley and Zab Judah, they don’t have the speed of Pacquiao. How can Cotto manage the speed issue?
LM – When a fighter moves up in weight and seems to carry his punch with him giving him an edge in speed and punching, that’s difficult to beat and that’s what makes Pacquiao so unusual. What made Ray Robinson so unique was he started as a dominate Welterweight and he was knocking guys out at Middleweight with one punch and that’s not normal. That’s what makes some fighters exceptional and we all know that Pacquiao has that. I don’t think of Pacquiao as a one punch knock out artist. He is boxer, puncher who uses both skills, both controlled in a committed way by that I mean when he boxes he is under full control and when he punches he commits to his punches. So if he can do that to a guy like Cotto then that makes him more of an exception than we already think he is, but I think that Cotto because he can box and has dealt with speed as he did against Mosley and Judah, is what makes him such a serious talent and the question how good does he impose himself on his opponent without endangering himself too much? And near the end of the day in fights like this it often comes down to will and who yields. And that’s something that we don’t know going into this fight.
DT – Larry, the Mayweather/ Marquez fight drew almost a million viewers. Do you expect this bout to draw more than a million buyers?
LM – It would seem to have a chance to do very, very, well because it has the fighters on the card who have such strong connections to their fans. I can’t imagine there is a Filipino in America who wouldn’t want to watch this fight or a Puerto Rican. So that’s two serious ethnic groups that are involved and then you have the Mexican American fans who identify pretty closely with Pacquiao and you have Chavez Jr. on the undercard. So you have those three groups heavily involved plus the rest of us degenerates and even Mayweather fans who will watch hoping Pacquiao wins so Mayweather will have the chance to fight Pacquiao. It seems to me that you have the potential to get into the million range and maybe beyond.
DT – I feel somewhat sorry for Cotto in the fact that Freddie Roach and team Pacquiao have been very media friendly and I can’t find anyone supporting Cotto. It seems everyone has given up on Cotto.
LM – I have seen a couple of interviews on television and I was at the Pound for Pound gym on Tuesday and there was a good media turnout. Pacquiao has become a boxing superstar and a phenomenon that has transcended the sport to some degree so it’s natural that with his sensational victory over Hatton and his unexpected victory over Oscar it’s just normal that there would be more star power radiating from him attracting the media. Plus the fact of his having to deal with the typhoon and other issues in the Philippines. When you get a guy like this it’s like every time he fights the preparation becomes bigger than the fight. Now it’s becoming an event. Just think of two guys from places who are not from the United States mainland coming to fight in Vegas and generating enough interest, we are talking about one of the biggest PPV events ever for a non-heavyweight. That in itself is a phenomenon.
DT – Larry, I just can’t find anyone that gives Cotto a chance………..
LM – I give him a chance. I think that it’s an even fight and that certainly means I give him a serious chance.
DT – If I put a gun to your head and said pick one, who would you pick?
Please read the rest of this Interview at DoghouseBoxing.
***
Special thanks to Chee of Doghouse Boxing.
Marshall N. B., Boxing News World
Larry Merchant needs no introduction. He is considered the greatest television boxing analyst of all time. Larry is a member of the International Boxing Hall of Fame. Let’s welcome Larry into the doghouse.
David Tyler – Larry, let’s discuss the Cotto/ Pacquiao mega fight November 14th on HBO PPV. Your thoughts?
Larry Merchant – Well the first thing that comes to mind is that Pacquiao is about a two to one favorite and I think it’s virtually an even fight going in. I think that Pacquiao for the first time since he moved up in weight is fighting a naturally stronger fighter who is a quality fighter in his prime and that will be a really serious test for him.
DT – I agree. How do you see Miguel Cotto presenting problems for Manny Pacquiao?
LM – I think that Cotto unlike Pacquiao is a versatile fighter. He has proven that he can box as well as throw and punch. Maybe the main issue will come down to what happens when Pacquiao hits Cotto with that explosive straight left hand? Also, what speed differential there is between them. Since he has moved up from 130 pounds, Pacquiao has fought three opponents. He had to hit David Diaz enumerable times before stopping him. Everyone remembers his more high profile fights with Oscar who he was just too fast for and Hatton who he just nailed while Hatton was trying to get inside. Hatton couldn’t see the punches coming and lost by a sensational knockout. So going by all that the question is if it turns out to start as a tactical fight who has the edge. Is it the quickness of Pacquiao? If Cotto can handle his punch that may give Cotto the serious edge he needs by being able to put Pacquiao on the defensive.
DT – Cotto has fought some fighters with speed such as Shane Mosley and Zab Judah, they don’t have the speed of Pacquiao. How can Cotto manage the speed issue?
LM – When a fighter moves up in weight and seems to carry his punch with him giving him an edge in speed and punching, that’s difficult to beat and that’s what makes Pacquiao so unusual. What made Ray Robinson so unique was he started as a dominate Welterweight and he was knocking guys out at Middleweight with one punch and that’s not normal. That’s what makes some fighters exceptional and we all know that Pacquiao has that. I don’t think of Pacquiao as a one punch knock out artist. He is boxer, puncher who uses both skills, both controlled in a committed way by that I mean when he boxes he is under full control and when he punches he commits to his punches. So if he can do that to a guy like Cotto then that makes him more of an exception than we already think he is, but I think that Cotto because he can box and has dealt with speed as he did against Mosley and Judah, is what makes him such a serious talent and the question how good does he impose himself on his opponent without endangering himself too much? And near the end of the day in fights like this it often comes down to will and who yields. And that’s something that we don’t know going into this fight.
Larry Merchant
LM – It would seem to have a chance to do very, very, well because it has the fighters on the card who have such strong connections to their fans. I can’t imagine there is a Filipino in America who wouldn’t want to watch this fight or a Puerto Rican. So that’s two serious ethnic groups that are involved and then you have the Mexican American fans who identify pretty closely with Pacquiao and you have Chavez Jr. on the undercard. So you have those three groups heavily involved plus the rest of us degenerates and even Mayweather fans who will watch hoping Pacquiao wins so Mayweather will have the chance to fight Pacquiao. It seems to me that you have the potential to get into the million range and maybe beyond.
DT – I feel somewhat sorry for Cotto in the fact that Freddie Roach and team Pacquiao have been very media friendly and I can’t find anyone supporting Cotto. It seems everyone has given up on Cotto.
LM – I have seen a couple of interviews on television and I was at the Pound for Pound gym on Tuesday and there was a good media turnout. Pacquiao has become a boxing superstar and a phenomenon that has transcended the sport to some degree so it’s natural that with his sensational victory over Hatton and his unexpected victory over Oscar it’s just normal that there would be more star power radiating from him attracting the media. Plus the fact of his having to deal with the typhoon and other issues in the Philippines. When you get a guy like this it’s like every time he fights the preparation becomes bigger than the fight. Now it’s becoming an event. Just think of two guys from places who are not from the United States mainland coming to fight in Vegas and generating enough interest, we are talking about one of the biggest PPV events ever for a non-heavyweight. That in itself is a phenomenon.
DT – Larry, I just can’t find anyone that gives Cotto a chance………..
LM – I give him a chance. I think that it’s an even fight and that certainly means I give him a serious chance.
DT – If I put a gun to your head and said pick one, who would you pick?
Please read the rest of this Interview at DoghouseBoxing.
***
Special thanks to Chee of Doghouse Boxing.
Marshall N. B., Boxing News World
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Saturday, 31 October 2009
Boxing Points to Ponder
Marshall N. B., BoxingNewsWorld.blogspot.com
1. Joseph Agbeko – he received it from Perez but will he give it to Perez?
2. Larry Merchant – he hasn’t got it, Pacman, go blame the newspaper man.
3. David Haye – new craze in London – wear boxing high heels or own stinky English Mastiffs.
4. Floyd Mayweather Jr – the interview was hot, but not as hot as Chilli.
5. RA The Rugged Man – obviously good in boxing history, but how about Brian Kenny?
6. Manny Pacquiao – tested positive for performance enhancing sleep.
7. Ricky Hatton – one humiliation is enough, a rematch with Floyd or Manny will make people laugh.
8. Nikolai Valuev – y or i, makes me confuse; must stay close to maim Haye’s nose.
9. Freddie Roach – Watch out Miguel Cotto, Pacman and ‘Batman’ are coming at you!
10. Don King – loving upright standing Bush’es.
1. Joseph Agbeko – he received it from Perez but will he give it to Perez?
2. Larry Merchant – he hasn’t got it, Pacman, go blame the newspaper man.
3. David Haye – new craze in London – wear boxing high heels or own stinky English Mastiffs.
4. Floyd Mayweather Jr – the interview was hot, but not as hot as Chilli.
5. RA The Rugged Man – obviously good in boxing history, but how about Brian Kenny?
6. Manny Pacquiao – tested positive for performance enhancing sleep.
7. Ricky Hatton – one humiliation is enough, a rematch with Floyd or Manny will make people laugh.
8. Nikolai Valuev – y or i, makes me confuse; must stay close to maim Haye’s nose.
9. Freddie Roach – Watch out Miguel Cotto, Pacman and ‘Batman’ are coming at you!
10. Don King – loving upright standing Bush’es.
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Wednesday, 28 October 2009
Is The Times Ignoring the Boxing Ring?
By Clark Hoyt, The New York Times
Larry Merchant, a former newspaper sports writer and editor who now comments on boxing on HBO, recently wrote to Tom Jolly, the sports editor of The Times, to protest the paper’s relative lack of coverage of boxing.
Merchant’s letter and Jolly’s reply provide a fascinating glimpse into issues that transcend the immediate question of whether The Times should devote resources to a sport that even an ardent admirer like Merchant acknowledges is no longer mainstream. In many ways, Merchant and Jolly are discussing the role of a general interest newspaper in a dramatically changed world.
I thought readers would be interested in their exchange. Here it is, Merchant first, then Jolly, then a reply from Merchant:
●
●
I’m writing to protest The Times’s policy on boxing. It virtually ignores the sport.
I do not long for the good old days of boxing. I long for present day coverage that acknowledges that it still exists and occasionally flourishes.
True enough, boxing is no longer mainstream. Yet it has a devoted following that 6 to 10 times a year reaches beyond that. Big fights generate big numbers: crowds, TV ratings, pay-per-view dollars.
In contrast to the Times, even the Wall Street Journal covers major events, and another national newspaper, USA Today, covers those and other significant fights. The Post and the Daily News also follow fighters of local interest.
Horse racing is no longer mainstream either, but The Times routinely provides extensive coverage of high-profile races.
The author Tom Hauser, who writes for an online boxing site, recently examined The Times’s sports pages during July, August and September. He found, among other curiosities, just four bylined articles on boxing — three on women in boxing in the coming Olympics and in India, and an apparent rewrite of a press release announcing a tournament on Showtime.
During that period, the Times ignored the comeback of Floyd Mayweather, Jr., the top American fighter, vs. Juan Manuel Lopez, the lightweight champion regarded as one of the best fighters in the world, which was bought in over a million homes. And it ignored the top American heavyweight prospect, Chris Arreola, attempting to become the first heavyweight of Mexican descent to win a heavyweight title vs. Vitali Klitschko, one of the famous Klitschko brothers who have dominated the division in the 2000s, which pulled the highest rating on HBO this year. READ MORE
***********************************************
Larry Merchant, a former newspaper sports writer and editor who now comments on boxing on HBO, recently wrote to Tom Jolly, the sports editor of The Times, to protest the paper’s relative lack of coverage of boxing.
Merchant’s letter and Jolly’s reply provide a fascinating glimpse into issues that transcend the immediate question of whether The Times should devote resources to a sport that even an ardent admirer like Merchant acknowledges is no longer mainstream. In many ways, Merchant and Jolly are discussing the role of a general interest newspaper in a dramatically changed world.
I thought readers would be interested in their exchange. Here it is, Merchant first, then Jolly, then a reply from Merchant:
●
●
I’m writing to protest The Times’s policy on boxing. It virtually ignores the sport.
I do not long for the good old days of boxing. I long for present day coverage that acknowledges that it still exists and occasionally flourishes.
True enough, boxing is no longer mainstream. Yet it has a devoted following that 6 to 10 times a year reaches beyond that. Big fights generate big numbers: crowds, TV ratings, pay-per-view dollars.
In contrast to the Times, even the Wall Street Journal covers major events, and another national newspaper, USA Today, covers those and other significant fights. The Post and the Daily News also follow fighters of local interest.
Horse racing is no longer mainstream either, but The Times routinely provides extensive coverage of high-profile races.
The author Tom Hauser, who writes for an online boxing site, recently examined The Times’s sports pages during July, August and September. He found, among other curiosities, just four bylined articles on boxing — three on women in boxing in the coming Olympics and in India, and an apparent rewrite of a press release announcing a tournament on Showtime.
During that period, the Times ignored the comeback of Floyd Mayweather, Jr., the top American fighter, vs. Juan Manuel Lopez, the lightweight champion regarded as one of the best fighters in the world, which was bought in over a million homes. And it ignored the top American heavyweight prospect, Chris Arreola, attempting to become the first heavyweight of Mexican descent to win a heavyweight title vs. Vitali Klitschko, one of the famous Klitschko brothers who have dominated the division in the 2000s, which pulled the highest rating on HBO this year. READ MORE
***********************************************
The New York Times Building
(Image is from http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2008/06/another_man_is_climbing_the_ne.html)
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