According to a report, Larry Merchant, a veteran boxing commentator, was admitted to a hospital in Los Angeles last night and is in intensive care.
The 92-year-old broadcaster, best known for his long tenure at HBO, was admitted to a Los Angeles hospital around 6pm PT on Thursday, according to TMZ, which consulted sources with direct knowledge of the situation.
Merchant was a fixture on HBO’s boxing coverage from 1978 until his retirement in 2012. He provided commentary for HBO shows such as HBO World Boxing Championship, HBO Boxing in the Dark and various pay-per-view box-office telecasts from HBO.
After HBO dropped its regular boxing coverage in 2018, ESPN boxing analyst Dan Rafael, who considered Merchant one of the best boxing broadcasters of all time, quoted Merchant on HBO’s boxing coverage: “Once upon a time there was a promising boy. Then a challenger. Then a champion. A great champion. A longtime champion and then one who finally retired. Goodbye, champion.”
Handelaar’s time at HBO included working as a commentary team with Max Kellerman, Sugar Ray Leonard, George Foreman, Roy Jones Jr., Lennox Lewis and many others.
Merchant is no stranger to controversy: In 2011, he clashed with boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr., who in an infamous on-air interview accused Merchant of never “properly” shaking the boxer in an angry, with a profanity-filled rant saying HBO should fire Merchant. The commenter replied: “I wish I was 50 years younger and would kick your ass.”
Source: Deadline
Joseph Fearn is an entertainment and television aficionado who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a keen eye for what’s hot in the world of TV, Joseph keeps his readers informed about the latest trends and must-see shows.
