Thread: How come it seems to me only in boxing

Are most of the color commentators who have been involved in the sport of boxing know way less then they should about the sport. I mean when you watch American football, or Basketball, or European football, Hockey, etc. People know their sports inside and out to a large degree(Besides Boomer). I don't know if its because boxing is a simpler sport(sorry, but its true) or that they pick the wrong people, but I have only found a few of the boxers to be good commentators in terms of knowledge, Tyson, Atlas, RJJ, Gil, and Leonard are the ones that come to mind, but guys like Foreman, Steward, Lewis(to a degree) are idiots who shouldn't be on the air. Foreman was wrong many, many times when he was commentating, there are more times then I can count where he saying one thing only to have it proven wrong while he is saying. Same with Emanuel Steward. Lennox isn't bad, but he isn't interesting to listen to, and he hardly says anything that isn't obvious. It just irritates me, almost as much as I irritate most of you.

How about Bobby Czyz?

Boxing is probably the least "cut and dry" of all competitive sports. Open to opinion and interpretation. With almost all other sports it's who's runs faster or lifts more, or scores more runs or baskets or touchdowns. Get the drift?

I agree to an extent. Foreman is good sometimes, and other times it seems like hes watching a different fight altogether. I liked Roy Jones (im biased cuz hes my fav fighter of all time) once he got comfortable, but for the most part they seem to pick the wrong guys.

BUT.......They're all better than that piece of shit Larry Merchant. I cant stand that negative prick. All he does is criticize everything, like nothings ever good enough for him. That may be a little harsh and exagerated, but ive had contempt for him for years...lol.

Originally Posted by CGM

Boxing is probably the least "cut and dry" of all competitive sports. Open to opinion and interpretation. With almost all other sports it's who's runs faster or lifts more, or scores more runs or baskets or touchdowns. Get the drift?

They don't just analyze those sports on a purely stastistical basis though, they know the ins and outs of the sports. In both types of football, you can't just watch where the ball is, you are watching where everybody else is, how the midfielder are controlling the flow of the game, how good their crosses are, etc. In AF(american Football) when defensive strategies, what audibles, what formations, etc. Basketball has it to. If you break down these sports they are just touchdowns, but if you break down boxing it is just one guy hitting another guy.

I think Larry Merchant sometimes confronts boxers like nobody else does. I remember when Lennox Lewis lost against Raham and during the interview Lewis said something about being knocked down with just a flash punch that didn't do much but Larry Merchant responded by telling him that it was more than a flash punch if he couldn't get up .
Same thing with Mayweather. He said he had legions of fans and he could have arenas sold out or something. Larry Merchant later mentioned how people left the fight half way and Mayweather got angry at Merchant.

That's not offering good insight into a fight. In all honesty I have no idea why Merchant is even a commentator for boxing, he was a football player not a boxer, and it shows. For somebody who has been watching boxing so long he knows almost nothing about the sport. You still don't find commentators explaining the intricate footwork, balance, really elaborating on punching technique or defensive technique. If I was a commentator inbetween rounds I would be talking about Mayweather's great defensive technique, how Cotto is able to set up the perfect body shot, How Hopkins uses great footwork to maintain distance, How Roy doesn't just use speed, but angles and combinations to overwhelm an opponent. How Whitaker used reflexes, but also head movement and unothordox stances to make himself very hard to hit. The commentators touch breifly on these things, but many of them, especially Larry Merchant, don't appreciate what they are watching. When Mayweather fought Baldomir he was putting on a complete exhibition that would have gotten Leonard, ALi, Robinson tons of respect, but Mayweather was booed? I think Merchant cares way too much about the politics of the sport, and not enough about hte sport itself.

Originally Posted by Chino

I think Larry Merchant sometimes confronts boxers like nobody else does. I remember when Lennox Lewis lost against Raham and during the interview Lewis said something about being knocked down with just a flash punch that didn't do much but Larry Merchant responded by telling him that it was more than a flash punch if he couldn't get up .
Same thing with Mayweather. He said he had legions of fans and he could have arenas sold out or something. Larry Merchant later mentioned how people left the fight half way and Mayweather got angry at Merchant.

He just seems to go out of his way to be negative.

Originally Posted by Chino

I think Larry Merchant sometimes confronts boxers like nobody else does. I remember when Lennox Lewis lost against Raham and during the interview Lewis said something about being knocked down with just a flash punch that didn't do much but Larry Merchant responded by telling him that it was more than a flash punch if he couldn't get up .
Same thing with Mayweather. He said he had legions of fans and he could have arenas sold out or something. Larry Merchant later mentioned how people left the fight half way and Mayweather got angry at Merchant.

I remember Merchant about pissed his pants when he interviewed L Lewis after his bout with Klitchko. Merchant was being a prick and Lewis grabbed the mic, holding on so Merchant couldn't pull it away, And staired Merchant down and finished what he had to say. It was classic stuff.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oK2BLeYprfg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNAa5bAy7Tc

Larry reminds me of the crazy uncle who says the truth as he sees it, and comes across rude in doing it.

What makes them wrong...and you right?

George Foreman had some of the most astute observations during Mayweather - Corrales

Originally Posted by wesrman

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oK2BLeYprfg

Best video clip f***king EVER!!! Ole Man Merchant threw that clown away. Merchant takes a lot of heat but I really like the guy. I think he just tells it like it is. For those who thinks he is negative all the time, I don't see that. When a fight isn't living up to what it should or what we think it should be, he lets it be known how he feels.