Lampley, Manny Steward, & Merchant

[swerb]

These guys are excellent. The team is so much better with Steward in there instead of Roy Jones or Foreman.

IMO, Manny is one of, if not the best trainers in boxing as well. One of the few that shoot straight with his fighters between rounds. Always honest with them where they stand on the cards, and what they need to do to win the fight.

Lampley is excellent. Hard for me to watch a fight without him calling the blows. Doesn't talk too much, uses the inflections in his voice perfectly. Doesn't shill, shoots straight, and calls a spade a spade, even dogging HBO when warranted for why fights are put together.

And Merchant, a breath of fresh air in this politically correct world, even though hes starting to go a little senile a la Pat Summerall circa 1995. This guy marches right into the ring, and without fucking around, asks the exact questions the viewers want to see asked without prepping these guys with a couple ego inflating softballs.

Great trio.

[Guest]

I am in 100% agreement with you
Merchant cracks me up with some of the shit he says.

[The Ko King]

They are the best in the biz. Steward apparently, has replaced Jones on the regular HBO fights, and they have a new crew for Boxing After Dark. Steward is like Foreman, and Jones, he gives great analysis, without telling you how great he is/was, or getting sidetracked. Lampley, who I feel sometimes favors the fighter that HBO wants to win, is always well prepared, and actually gets excited when something big happens. It's not phony with him.
Merchant, is my favorite. He tells it like it is, if a fight is shit, he calls it shit.
He does ask tough questions, but unlike Jim Gray, fighters respect him, because he's been around the fights forever, and they know he's a straight shooter.

[swerb]

Fictional recreation of any random Merchant interview ...

Merchant: "Were you frustrated by the fact you were completely dominated in there and were unable to hit him with any significant punches?"

Fighter: "Personally Larry, I feel I won the fight. I just want to thank God for letting me display my skills, and I'd also like to take this second to promote my new ... (cut off by Merchant)"

Merchant: "This isn't a commercial. Buy some time on UPN if you want to peddle that garbage. Does it make any sense for you to continue a career that is clearly circling the drain?"

Fighter: "Larry, I'm not sure what fight those judges were watching, but I know I won and God knows I won, and really ... thats all thats important to me."

Merchant: "What do you think the likelihood is that the HBO executives that booked you for this fight were high on crack cocaine when making that decision?"

[pup]

Was Merchant the man who kept hammering on Foreman after he won a gift decision back in the day, before Foreman finally gave us this quote of the century..."ahh, shucks, I'm just here trying to sell my grill"?

[swerb]

Yes. That was a classic. Merchant was riding him about why he wanted to keep fighting.

Big George finally broke and said ...

"Oh, well, you've got me Larry. I'm just trying to sell my grill."