Comments Thread For: Larry Merchant on Floyd Mayweather, History and Legacy

[edubb121]

How could you possibly blame Mayweather for asking, when all Manny had to do was accept, the same way Shane did.

because the test is a cop out. why didnt he test marquez??? the only reason mosley had to take it is because 1 mayweather cant say shane mosley doesnt have to do it after negotiations with pac broke down over steroid testing. 2 mosley has confessed to taking steroids in the past. shane mosley accepted because he wanted the fight. he begged for it. he went on national television and literally begged for the fight.

the tests are bs. now hes saying everyone he fights from here on out has to take tests because he dug himself into a hole with his mouth and the only way to keep people from calling him a puss is to make everyone do it. now i hear he wants blood taken all the way to a day before the fight. another way to escape man.

[Tony Z]

hey im replacing my speedbag, another oned warped on me, two in a year
an everlast and then a title.

anyone have any advice on a good brand?

Yes Everlast sucks sorry I know they're a boxing staple but as far as their double end bags and speed bags they pop every other day. I would imagine a Title bag will hold up pretty well although I never had one I had a ringside bag for both and the quality of the bags was great. I also was recently looking at the Lonsdale equipment on their site and the double end bag and speed bag are both cheaper and the quality looks top notch you can just tell from the pictures. Good luck and let me know how they work for you.

[LeadUppercut]

because the test is a cop out. why didnt he test marquez???

Who cares? And what is the point in even asking that question? Don't you want to see this fight get made?

Why would you be more concerned with giving Manny a lame excuse to not accept the fight, than you are with asking Manny for an acceptable reason as to why he will not agree to a reasonable cut-off date for OST's?

BTW..... the term "cut-off" date, didn't exist before the Pac/Mayweather negotations. There is no such thing as a "cut-off" date for OST's. Olympic Style Testing is ANYWHERE/ANYTIME.

A "cut-off" date for OST..... is a "Manny'ism". WTF?

Also, of all the different excuses that Team Pac came up with for not agreeing to the cut-off date - LOL, that manny'ism "cut-off date" sneaked back into the conversation again - throughout the negotiations..... they never used the "but you never asked Marquez" excuse..... that is a brand new one. A fan-based excuse.

"BUt you never asked Marquez" is kinda like something my 7yo would say after I have asked her to clean her room..... "but you never told Toby to clean his room". That is no reason at all to walk away from $40,000,000.

the only reason mosley had to take it is because 1 mayweather cant say shane mosley doesnt have to do it after negotiations with pac broke down over steroid testing. 2 mosley has confessed to taking steroids in the past. shane mosley accepted because he wanted the fight. he begged for it. he went on national television and literally begged for the fight.

Again, who cares? Who cares why Mosley accepted. And who cares why Mayweather asked. Both points are irrelevant, and both points are not worth walking away from $40,000,000 because of a few harmless blood tests.

For every fighter that says to Pac "I will not ask for testing", there are 10 fighters telling Floyd that "you can have all the blood you want".

And again, why would you accept that as an excuse? Don't you want to see this fight?

the tests are bs. now hes saying everyone he fights from here on out has to take tests because he dug himself into a hole with his mouth and the only way to keep people from calling him a puss is to make everyone do it. now i hear he wants blood taken all the way to a day before the fight. another way to escape man.

I agree, Floyd Mayweathers "I'm going to clean up the sport" position is absolute bullshi7. It's tactical posturing following the failed negotiation with Pac, and the successful negotiation with Mosley.

Mayweather only insisted upon OST's after he heard rumours from people who trained at Wildcard, and many renowned boxing experts have commented that Manny's rise from lightweight has been extraordinary. It is also a well-known fact that steroid abuse has been commonly used among top athletes for decades. But yet again..... WHO FKN CARES?

Who cares why Mayweather asked? He asked for nothing. A couple of measly tests. Measly tests that are taken by dozens of World Champions representing different sporting codes every single year.

In 40-50 years time, OST's will have been standard-issue throughout the sport of boxing for decades. OST's will become mandatory in World Title Fights at least, guaranteed. When you and I are old men and we reflect back on boxing history.....
who's legacy will be affected by the fact that the Pacquiao/Mayweather fight did not happen because Manny wouldnt accept a 14-day cut off date for OST's ?

Dont you want to see this fight ?

[Rome-By-Ko]

Good points but, the truth is racism is still here. It's just in more suttle ways and behind closed doors. Everything else you said is pretty on point. If you looked at Floyd before he became "Money" and before he became and ******* before fights he got "0" recognition from the casual fans. He had no hype who the hell wants to see a pure boxer other than true boxing fans? Why do you think MMA is doing so well? People want to see blood and guts not skill.

People say that MMA is doin well because of the blood and gutz fighting style they have I don't buy it.The thing about MMA the best fight the best in their respective Div that's why so many tune in.The top dogs fighting the top dogz.

[Rome-By-Ko]

Didn't ALI do the same thing? What do you think Joe Louis and SRR thought about that? Floyd is doing everything ALI did and getting hated on the same way ALI did.

Wrong Mr.Smith Ali said he was the greatest but said SRR was the greatest fighter that ever live.Oh and said he got his fighting style from him not the same as what Floyd is doing.I should also add that Ali proved his greatness by fighting the top prime monsters.Floyd has not.

[apollocreed]

Larry may be a grumpy old man, but he is a grumpy old man who has forgotten more about boxing than most people know. He's an educated professional and as a result offers an "educated" opinion, there is a difference between someone who has experience combined with education, when they offer an opinion it's taken more seriously than someone on the opposite end of that equation. Larry is the issh.

I really don't agree with the whole 'Merchant's been around the sport for 50 years, so everything he says is right' ****. Just because you've watched a lot of boxing, that doesn't mean you understand it properly.
To truly understand boxing, and have a valid, 'educated' opinion, you need to have fought yourself, or at least sparred a handful of rounds. Being a historian doesn't mean you actually know anything. Sorry, but its true.
Its the same deal with that 'RA Tha Rugged man' ****head trying to tell Mayweather whats what on the radio - he thought he was a boxing expert, because he 'knew his history'. Just because you've read some books and watched some tapes, that doesn't make you the oracle on boxing.

This clip of Roy Jones telling Merchant whats up sums it up for me. Merchants opinion doesn't mean any more than any other armchair fan, regardless of how old he is.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88v5JHDLRHw&feature=related

[amayseng]

I give you props on that and it was embarrassing for the sport indeed. It's just every causal fan I talk to only talks about wanting someone to shut him up. Sometimes I want Floyd to just shut up! We live in America and most people choose trash over class...

On the rascism note...we are blessed not to see it as much. That includes all races..

yes but are those casual fans dropping 55.99 on the ppv?

i dont think they are
i know many casual fans that didnt even watch the fight let alone buy it.

those revenues came from boxing fans alone

[amayseng]

People say that MMA is doin well because of the blood and gutz fighting style they have I don't buy it.The thing about MMA the best fight the best in their respective Div that's why so many tune in.The top dogs fighting the top dogz.

that is exactly it

even dana white who was in boxing his whole life said he did the opposite of what boxing became as a greedy business and

his company has now flourished because he sets up the best to fight the best and offer highly competitive fights

in addition, his cards are stacked with numerous good matchups for the ppv price,

not 55 bucks for one fight

i like mma, there are some good fighters out there, 90% i would say are amateurs fighting pro with good matchups


however, boxing is the sweet science, the true art and it is suffering from its greed.


and floyd has not brought the right attention to it to the casual or outside fan like he is CAPABLE OF

[amayseng]

[QUOTE=apollocreed;8364037]I really don't agree with the whole 'Merchant's been around the sport for 50 years, so everything he says is right' ****. Just because you've watched a lot of boxing, that doesn't mean you understand it properly.


understandable about fighting and not fighting. look at kevin loles dumbass along with dan rafeal...he is another goofball


the thing with merchant is that he has had the pleasure of watching some of the greats and he was in that era when the best FOUGHT the best

that is something we are missing

[apollocreed]

[QUOTE=amayseng;8364171]

I really don't agree with the whole 'Merchant's been around the sport for 50 years, so everything he says is right' ****. Just because you've watched a lot of boxing, that doesn't mean you understand it properly.


understandable about fighting and not fighting. look at kevin loles dumbass along with dan rafeal...he is another goofball


the thing with merchant is that he has had the pleasure of watching some of the greats and he was in that era when the best FOUGHT the best

that is something we are missing

Obviously it would be great if everyone fought everyone, like it used to be, but i just think times have changed since then, unfortunately for boxing. This is due to a lot of different factors, not just one. (PPV, 4 different belts, so many weight classes, the way the media works etc). I just think its a bit naive to expect it to be just like it was in the 50's and 60's, even though it would be great if it was. I guess i'm more of a realist than an idealist - I would prefer it if it was that way, but i understand why it isn't.
If I was Floyd, I would probably steer my career the same way he has.
It would have been great if he'd beaten Cotto, Margarito, Williams etc as well, but I can see why doesn't think he has to. He's proved how good he is - you don't have to fight everyone there is to prove youre the best. Boxing is a hard, hard sport. The fans don't tend to take into account the damage that it does to a fighter in later life - look at Ali now, he's my hero, but he's in a bad way now, because of boxing.

It would be great for boxing if everyone fought everyone, but i think those days are gone.
The really big fights still get made most of the time. If Pac v Floyd doesn't, that really would be a crime.