Text Edward Chaykovsky, Video Interview by Chris Robinson
Boxing analyst Larry Merchant is tired of seeing some of boxing's top fighters involved in easy televised bouts. He says the media should apply a serious amount of pressure on boxers like WBA super middleweight champion Andre Ward, and WBC light heavyweight champion Adonis Stevenson.
Merchant was left with a bad taste in his mouth after watching an HBO televised fight where Ward decisioned an overmatched Edwin Rodriguez, and another HBO televised fight where Stevenson beat up an overmatched Tony Bellew - and the winners of those bouts called for fights which Merchant believes are presenting them with the least amount of danger.
"I think it's time that the media calls out the fighters who are calling the easiest opponents they can foresee and their feet should be put to the fire - that they fight the toughest opponents. Ward wins another easy fight, and looks great doing it, and then calls out Froch, who he's already beaten in a one-sided fight, and calls out Chavez in which he would be a 20-1 favorite - instead of calling out any of the light heavyweights like Stevenson or Kovalev. What does a fighter do when he dominates a division...he moves up," Merchant said.
"Now Stevenson wins and who does he call out - Froch and Hopkins - which is another way of saying 'I don't want to fight Kovalev.' Somebody has to stand up for the fans who want to see competitive fights. We all understand the economics of boxing - the hope of fighting the easiest opponent for the most amount of money - but it's time the media stood up and start letting these guys have it. What we as fans want to see are competitive fights."