By Osman Rodriguez
WBC welterweight champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. is still holding some animosity towards HBO expert analyst Larry Merchant. Over the years, the two men have exchanged verbal punches during Mayweather's post-fight interviews.
Merchant has been very critical of Mayweather's in-ring style and his selection of opponents. Last September, after Mayweather knocked out Victor Ortiz in four rounds at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, tempers exploded when Merchant criticized Mayweather for striking a defenseless Ortiz, who earlier intentionally head-butted Mayweather.
"HBO needs to fire you, you don't know sh*t about boxing. You ain't sh*t," Mayweather lashed out during the live HBO pay-per-view interview.
Merchant infamous response - "I wish I was 50-years-younger, then I'd kick your ass."
During a recent interview with the Orange County Register, the subject of Larry Merchant came up. Mayweather was asked for his thoughts on Merchant, and the pound-for-pound fighter gave a short response to close the subject.
"From what I used to see as a kid watching Larry Merchant, he used to be drunk, on air," Mayweather told the paper.
Their post-fight reunion will be interesting, when Mayweather faces WBA 154-pound champion Miguel Cotto in an HBO pay-per-view main event at the MGM Grand on May 5th.
