The Mayweather Merchant Spat

[Kev]

It seems that this is one of the most controversial moments in boxing this year, and has a lot of people talking.

Also, many people seem to be defending Floyd for standing up to Merchant because he has criticised him for years.

Anyway, for me, although hilarious to watch, it was also alarming that so many people seem to think nothing of disrespecting and threatening elder's like that.

So I was wondering, is that the world we live in now? Where you can get in the face of an 80 year old man and tell him he ain't shit and act in such a hostile way?

I was shocked personally. If that had happened in a work setting it's likely the younger guy would be arrested for threatening an old man, and yet it seems on here many people thought it was fair game.

Are today's youth so morally bankrupt as this?

I think Floyd should be fined and banned for at least six months imo. Arreola got in trouble for using the F word, Floyd should be in court for what he did imo.

He sets such a bad example that if I was a boxing commissioner I'd be fighting to get him banned for a year.

What do others think?

[JT Rock]

I don't condone at all i think it was mortifiying. he didn't threaten merchant in an aggressive way since Floyd was trying to exit the interview I think it was the disgusting verbal tirade he chose. That was the only dirty thing Floyd did Saturday night.

I refuse to feel sorry for Larry Merchant. The guy is 80 sure, but he is antagonistic and puts himself out there and is the farthest thing from a professional interviewer.

If Floyd replaced his foul language and just said his mind than I have no problem with it, but Larry shouldn't been cussed out like that on TV. No one should

I think Floyd told Larry what most fighters, fans and even his own
colleagues been wanting to say.

[Pugilistic]

Look at my sig for LOLs.

[Kev]

I don't condone at all i think it was mortifiying. he didn't threaten merchant in an aggressive way since Floyd was trying to exit the interview I think it was the disgusting verbal tirade he chose. That was the only dirty thing Floyd did Saturday night.

I refuse to feel sorry for Larry Merchant. The guy is 80 sure, but he is antagonistic and puts himself out there and is the farthest thing from a professional interviewer.

If Floyd replaced his foul language and just said his mind than I have no problem with it, but Larry shouldn't been cussed out like that on TV. No one should

I think Floyd told Larry what most fighters, fans and even his own
colleagues been wanting to say.

I would argue that having the greatest boxer on the planet right up in your face telling you you ain't shit is aggressive and intimidating for anyone, especially an 80 year old man. You can see the way Larry's jaw starts to go that it was a stressful situation for him. Not being dramatic but what if the exchange had given him a heart attack? it's not exactly implausible and happens often amongst old people.

[Riggs]

It seems that this is one of the most controversial moments in boxing this year, and has a lot of people talking.

Also, many people seem to be defending Floyd for standing up to Merchant because he has criticised him for years.

Anyway, for me, although hilarious
to watch, it was also alarming that so many people seem to think nothing of disrespecting and threatening elder's like that.

So I was wondering, is that the world we live in now? Where you can get in the face of an 80 year old
man and tell him he ain't shit and act in such a hostile way?

I was shocked personally. If that had happened in a work setting it's likely the younger guy would be arrested for threatening an old man, and yet it seems on here many people
thought it was fair game.

Are today's youth so morally bankrupt as this?

I think Floyd should be fined and banned for at least six months imo. Arreola got in trouble for using the F word, Floyd should be in court for
what he did imo.

He sets such a bad example that if I was a boxing commissioner I'd be fighting to get him banned for a year.

What do others think?

Although not nice to watch and Floyd was aggressive - I don't think he deserves a ban purely because for years the questions and persona of Merchant have been dated and predictable......(yes my personal opinion) Perhaps a fine...but doubt that would hurt him. Overal i say let's just move on....

[Andre]

Been going for a while now.

[Kev]

The issue of Merhcant being irritating shouldn't even come into it though. That's like arguing Chris Brown had some justification for hitting Rihanna because she was annoying as hell.

There are lines that just should not be crossed, and what Floyd said, on American's biggest family network was disgusting imo. I just can't imagine it happening over here in the UK at all.

If a British fighter had started mouthing off like that to Henry Cooper, or maybe a Formula One driver to Murray Walker he would be completely and utterly ostracized.

I'm just amazed that people seem to be accepting of it.

[Andre]

So I was wondering, is that the world we live in now? Where you can get in the face of an 80 year old man and tell him he ain't shit and act in such a hostile way?

I was shocked personally. If that had happened in a work setting it's likely the younger guy would be arrested for threatening an old man, and yet it seems on here many people thought it was fair game.

Are today's youth so morally bankrupt as this?

Funny you write that someone else must have thought the same this came up..

[PaulG]

I was shocked personally. If that had happened in a work setting it's likely the younger guy would be arrested for threatening an old man, and yet it seems on here many people thought it was fair game. Floyd should be in court for what he did imo.

When did Floyd threaten him? He said he wasn't shit and that he should be fired but those are not threats. The only threat made was by Merchant to Floyd and even this was not really a threat since it was qualified by only being valid 50 years ago.

Fair enough, it was an unedifying spectacle and Floyd does not come out of it with any credit at all, but trying to suggest that this is in any way a legal matter is a massive over-reaction and just shows your hatred for the man to be clouding your own judgement.



Sorry, but you asked for opinions...

[Snakey]

Look mate, respect isnt just given but it is earnt. I dont like Larry Merchant, ive heard him give Kostya Tszyu a hard time who is one of the nicest blokes around. He goes out of his way to try and piss fighters off. Fair enough ask the hard questions but dont make the whole interview a negative tirade. If an 80 yr old man i barely know just starts putting shit on me about something he has never done or wasnt any good at, im sure as hell not gonna stand there and take it. 80 yrs old, 70 yrs old, 40, 30, 20, 16...etc, what ever age, if you want to have a go at somebody expect for them to act accordingly. If my grandfather had a go at me of course im going to bite my tongue, hes my grandfather, he has earnt my respect because hes been one hell of a good bloke.

Being old doesnt entitle you to respect, being old and a good person does. Larry is a cunt, the end.

[Kev]

Look mate, respect isnt just given but it is earnt. I dont like Larry Merchant, ive heard him give Kostya Tszyu a hard time who is one of the nicest blokes around. He goes out of his way to try and piss fighters off. Fair enough ask the hard questions but dont make the whole interview a negative tirade. If an 80 yr old man i barely know just starts putting shit on me about something he has never done or wasnt any good at, im sure as hell not gonna stand there and take it. 80 yrs old, 70 yrs old, 40, 30, 20, 16...etc, what ever age, if you want to have a go at somebody expect for them to act accordingly. If my grandfather had a go at me of course im going to bite my tongue, hes my grandfather, he has earnt my respect because hes been one hell of a good bloke.

Being old doesnt entitle you to respect, being old and a good person does. Larry is a cunt, the end.

Yeah this is the alarming thing I guess. I mean I'm almost 40 and in my day being old did entitle to you respect.

People would no sooner go off on an old person than they would hit a woman.

I just didn't realise society had fallen that far.

I remember when celebrity Big brother was on a few years ago and Sly Stallones mum as on it. Some of the other housemates hated her and I can remember Lisa I'anson openly telling her she thought she was a witch.

I was shocked and appalled, I mean how could you say that to an old woman, let alone the mother of a Hollywood legend. And all because she had to make her a cup of tea.

People today just have no respect for their elders I guess.

The idea that respect is earnt and that it's justifiable to tell an elderly tv institution he's shit live on air is just amazing to me, but it seems it's a pervalent view amongst the young these days.

Sad times imo.

[Kev]

I was shocked personally. If that had happened in a work setting it's likely the younger guy would be arrested for threatening an old man, and yet it seems on here many people thought it was fair game. Floyd should be in court for what he did imo.

When did Floyd threaten him? He said he wasn't shit and that he should be fired but those are not threats. The only threat made was by Merchant to Floyd and even this was not really a threat since it was qualified by only being valid 50 years ago.

Fair enough, it was an unedifying spectacle and Floyd does not come out of it with any credit at all, but trying to suggest that this is in any way a legal matter is a massive over-reaction and just shows your hatred for the man to be clouding your own judgement.



Sorry, but you asked for opinions...

As I said above, having the world's greatest boxer in your face telling you you ain't shit is threatening for most people, let alone an elderly man.

If you saw a young, ripped guy on a bus facing up to an old man and telling him he wasn't shit you wouldnt' see that as threatening?

He should be heavily fined by both the boxing commission and HBO imo.

[erics44]

I was shocked personally. If that had happened in a work setting it's likely the younger guy would be arrested for threatening an old man, and yet it seems on here many people thought it was fair game. Floyd should be in court for what he did imo.

When did Floyd threaten him? He said he wasn't shit and that he should be fired but those are not threats. The only threat made was by Merchant to Floyd and even this was not really a threat since it was qualified by only being valid 50 years ago.

Fair enough, it was an unedifying spectacle and Floyd does not come out of it with any credit at all, but trying to suggest that this is in any way a legal matter is a massive over-reaction and just shows your hatred for the man to be clouding your own judgement.



Sorry, but you asked for opinions...

As I said above, having the world's greatest boxer in your face telling you you ain't shit is threatening for most people, let alone an elderly man.

If you saw a young, ripped guy on a bus facing up to an old man and telling him he wasn't shit you wouldnt' see that as threatening?

He should be heavily fined by both the boxing commission and HBO imo.

i bet he regrets it now

he has probably looked himself in the mirror many times since and shook his head

a fine wouldnt add to the embarrassment

i cant be bothered watching it again but i dont remember the questioning being that probing, he just seemed to lose it

[Snakey]

Look mate, respect isnt just given but it is earnt. I dont like Larry Merchant, ive heard him give Kostya Tszyu a hard time who is one of the nicest blokes around. He goes out of his way to try and piss fighters off. Fair enough ask the hard questions but dont make the whole interview a negative tirade. If an 80 yr old man i barely know just starts putting shit on me about something he has never done or wasnt any good at, im sure as hell not gonna stand there and take it. 80 yrs old, 70 yrs old, 40, 30, 20, 16...etc, what ever age, if you want to have a go at somebody expect for them to act accordingly. If my grandfather had a go at me of course im going to bite my tongue, hes my grandfather, he has earnt my respect because hes been one hell of a good bloke.

Being old doesnt entitle you to respect, being old and a good person does. Larry is a cunt, the end.

Yeah this is the alarming thing I guess. I mean I'm almost 40 and in my day being old did entitle to you respect.

People would no sooner go off on an old person than they would hit a woman.

I just didn't realise society had fallen that far.

I remember when celebrity Big brother was on a few years ago and Sly Stallones mum as on it. Some of the other housemates hated her and I can remember Lisa I'anson openly telling her she thought she was a witch.

I was shocked and appalled, I mean how could you say that to an old woman, let alone the mother of a Hollywood legend. And all because she had to make her a cup of tea.

People today just have no respect for their elders I guess.

The idea that respect is earnt and that it's justifiable to tell an elderly tv institution he's shit live on air is just amazing to me, but it seems it's a pervalent view amongst the young these days.

Sad times imo.

Well having worked in an industry where I primarily the youngest in the company I have learnt that respect is earnt and not just given. If I was to back down to every old guy who gave me shit then I would have to leave my job. I do not get how being old should entitle you to respect to everyone who is younger. Yes you have lived to an old age, but what if this guy was an absolute wanker his whole life, what if he has treated people like shit his whole life....coz ive met old guys like this, does this mean I just bow down and take his shit coz the guy is old? I dont think so. Maybe if we are talking about some teenager, I get your point. But once your an adult I think its up to the person. I will admit right now that I have had some heated arguments with people in there 60's and 70's...did I start it? No but the fact they were being rude meant I could stick up for myself.

[Kev]

Look mate, respect isnt just given but it is earnt. I dont like Larry Merchant, ive heard him give Kostya Tszyu a hard time who is one of the nicest blokes around. He goes out of his way to try and piss fighters off. Fair enough ask the hard questions but dont make the whole interview a negative tirade. If an 80 yr old man i barely know just starts putting shit on me about something he has never done or wasnt any good at, im sure as hell not gonna stand there and take it. 80 yrs old, 70 yrs old, 40, 30, 20, 16...etc, what ever age, if you want to have a go at somebody expect for them to act accordingly. If my grandfather had a go at me of course im going to bite my tongue, hes my grandfather, he has earnt my respect because hes been one hell of a good bloke.

Being old doesnt entitle you to respect, being old and a good person does. Larry is a cunt, the end.

Yeah this is the alarming thing I guess. I mean I'm almost 40 and in my day being old did entitle to you respect.

People would no sooner go off on an old person than they would hit a woman.

I just didn't realise society had fallen that far.

I remember when celebrity Big brother was on a few years ago and Sly Stallones mum as on it. Some of the other housemates hated her and I can remember Lisa I'anson openly telling her she thought she was a witch.

I was shocked and appalled, I mean how could you say that to an old woman, let alone the mother of a Hollywood legend. And all because she had to make her a cup of tea.

People today just have no respect for their elders I guess.

The idea that respect is earnt and that it's justifiable to tell an elderly tv institution he's shit live on air is just amazing to me, but it seems it's a pervalent view amongst the young these days.

Sad times imo.

Well having worked in an industry where I primarily the youngest in the company I have learnt that respect is earnt and not just given. If I was to back down to every old guy who gave me shit then I would have to leave my job. I do not get how being old should entitle you to respect to everyone who is younger. Yes you have lived to an old age, but what if this guy was an absolute wanker his whole life, what if he has treated people like shit his whole life....coz ive met old guys like this, does this mean I just bow down and take his shit coz the guy is old? I dont think so. Maybe if we are talking about some teenager, I get your point. But once your an adult I think its up to the person. I will admit right now that I have had some heated arguments with people in there 60's and 70's...did I start it? No but the fact they were being rude meant I could stick up for myself.

How does backing down equal not telling someone they ain't shit?

Floyd looked like an idiot who couldn't defend himself intelligently and so had to resort back to his hood mentality.

Merchant won that exchange hands down, he totally tooled Floyd who looked like a complete moron.

Talking to an old person like that isn't standing up to them, it's the opposite. Like beating your children or your wife, it's the sign of a weak person who cannot who cannot behave in a civilised way.