While interviewing Floyd Mayweather during his controversial KO of Victor Ortiz last evening, Larry Merchant was confronted by the man known as “Money” for what he feels is an unfair bias. Merchant responded with…well, a bit less than what would be considered appropriate decorum.

The full interview (warning: there’s some cussin’):

Firstly, what Mayweather did to win the fight was crappy but not illegal. Nevada State Athletic Commissioner Keith Kizer confirmed it after the fight. Time was restarted and the fight was on, and they do say at the beginning of the fight “protect yourself at all times.” The fault for the incident has to lie, unfortunately, with the referee Joe Cortez for not separating the fighters and creating confusion.

That said, this was what I call a classic s***-show. You have dirty fighting, bad officiating, and a media member going in the ring and threatening to kick the ass of one of the fighters. Then after, at the press conference, Yahoo! Sports’s Steve Cofield reported on further shenanigans such as “media” members getting into verbal altercations with each other during the press conference, people in the back shouting and hollering throughout, and Tito Ortiz of all people getting up and asking a question.

I want everyone to remember this the next time someone claims MMA is a barbaric and undisciplined sport.

8 Responses to Y’all are lucky Larry Merchant isn’t fifty years younger

  1. Michael Rivest says:

    I’m with you on labelling this a s***-show, Kevin. But, in fairness, it’s a rarity in boxing, which is so much more than the occasional HBO extravaganza. Regarding your last point… While I wouldn’t yet consider myself an MMA fan, I’ve come a long way toward accepting it for what it is, which is very different from boxing. The mistake I use to make was to constantly compare them, and that was unfair. The two are more notable for their differences than their similarities.

    Last night dishonored boxing.

    Instead of wasting money on PPV, folks could have come to the Holiday Inn on Wolf Road to see nine amateur bouts presented by local trainer, Rick Sweeney. For $15 dollars, they would have seen boxers from teams throughout the northeast. Coach Ray Barone and his team from the United States Military Academy came.

    There was nothing but respect from the boxers, trainers, and the fans. But that’s the way it always is. Always. Anybody pulling the sort of nonsense HBO presented last night there – or, for that matter at any pro shows I’ve covered, would never fight again. That’s boxing.

  2. Michael Rivest says:

    hmm…So I’m not accused of overstating the facts, I should clarify. In amateur boxing, they’d be DQ’d and benched. In local pro shows, Melvina Lathan, NYS Athletic Commission Chairperson would give them a lecture they wouldn’t soon forget – that goes for the referee, too. I bet assurances would be given before they’d work in NYS again.

    • And I should clarify, too, that it wasn’t meant as a critique of boxing as a form or sport, but rather the hypocrisy in many circles (especially mainstream media) in the indictment of the sport of MMA due to misconceptions and/or outright misrepresentations of the sport, and relative silence on specifics in other areas, such as boxing and football, where this sort of occurrence is far more commonplace yet (rightfully) doesn’t condemn the whole form to be relegated as a seedy, unwelcome presence.

      And going back to the point about what would happen if that were a pro bout on a lower level versus what last night was, you’re right, and it makes a mockery of the sport as a whole. It’s frustrating to see so many people arguing semantics and giving Jones (and even Ortiz who himself had committed an unjustified foul just before) credit where none is due. It was especially unnecessary given that Jones was clearly winning and going to win that fight. All doubt that had arisen due to his behavior in recent months disappeared in those first three rounds. Yet there it was again, his dysfunction on full display as he knocked his opponent out on a cheap shot, sucker punch, or whatever you want to call it. Exploitation of poor officiating and confusion doesn’t grant him the status of sportsman on a technicality, and seeing so many argue otherwise is disheartening to say the least.

  3. cbrushman says:

    No one to blame but Ortiz, he lost dignity and focus. We all probably ran the tape back more than enough time to see that referee Joe Cortez clapped his hands for the fighters to start fighting. With that said, the fighters touched gloves but Ortiz seemed beside himself, probably still feeling the shame of his illegal head butt, and tried to give Mayweather another hug, you remember the first hug and kiss after the head butt. After the kiss Ortiz was never the same. His focus was gone. Mayweather on the other hand, experienced fighter that he is, psychologically was in fight mode and was now past the kissing and hugging stage. And I ask, Why was Ortiz so jovial after the lost? MY take: 1) he was still guilt ridden for the illegal head butt and 2) he knew that he was loosing in spite of his best efforts. A side note: Larry Merchant has always been entertaining and last night was no exception. His total incredulous line of question to Mayweather vs his coddling of the dirty fighter who started all this mess was lovely. I expected Mayweather to get incensed and do what he did but LARRY that was the best you could do? Tell a guy who makes his living beating up people that you could kick his ass if you were younger. Larry, I’ve seen pictures of you when you were younger, a fly weight at best. Let’s move on, Mayweather vs Pacquioa

  4. Will King says:

    If you were cold cocked twice you’d pribably be blaise too!

    Damn, I wish Ortiz didn’t head butt. The fight was actually competitive and definitely going in a good direction up until then.

    What Floyd did was unsportsmanlike at best, but obviously not against any rules. He seems proud of himself though and that’s a shame. I wouldn’t be proud of myself and I’ll go out on a limb here and say most fighters wouldn’t have taken the opportunity to do what he did. But what do you expect from someone who calls his own father a “faggot”.

    I think Joe Cortez is the biggest problem here. His signature, “I’m fair, but I’m firm!” is apparently not true as he kind of just stood next to the fighters twiddling his thumbs. Not even looking at the fighters themselves, just out into the crowd somewhere.

    At least the Cano-Morales fight was a positive. That fight was an incredible watch.

    • Will - Unfortunately missed the Cano/Morales fight but others have said the same.

      Absolutely right about Cortez. He dropped the ball with that break. Even had his back turned to the fighters. Just awful officiating.

  5. Roger Green says:

    Of course, there are those who find boxing and football barbaric too.

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