Tributes pour in for famed boxing voice Larry Merchant, in critical care

Larry Merchant had a legendary run calling fights for HBO from 1978 through 2012. Now, the 92-year-old Merchant is in critical care, and tributes from across the boxing world are pouring in for him. Merchant reportedly was taken to hospital by ambulance Thursday evening, as per TMZ:

https://twitter.com/TMZ/status/1738288389684621390

Here are some of the tributes we’ve seen to Merchant from the sports world:

The great Larry Merchant is my friend and one of my heroes. He has been hospitalized at the age of 92, and needs your prayers, along with mine. I spoke to him just a couple of weeks ago and it was, as always, pretty wonderful, because he was wise and funny. Which means still…

— Mike Lupica (@MikeLupica) December 22, 2023

https://twitter.com/BOXINGnBBQ/status/1738236702273962354

I absolutely love Larry Merchant. Prayers up for sure. https://t.co/6FV1qU8SLC

— SportsAngle (@SportsAngle) December 22, 2023

Born Larry Kaufman in Brooklyn in 1931, Merchant started his sports career as a print journalist with several notable papers. He worked at outlets including The Philadelphia Daily News and The New York Post. He then joined HBO’s boxing coverage in 1978, just five years after its beginnings, and was a key ringside voice there as an analyst and interviewer for 35 years.

Merchant left that role in 2012, with Max Kellerman replacing him. He continued to chime in on major boxing news and events after that, and also did commentary on the international feed of some Top Rank fights. His boxing coverage was known for its historical perspective, as well as his willingness to sometimes challenge fighters in interviews, as he famously did with Floyd Mayweather in 2011 after Mayweather challenged his knowledge and called for HBO to fire him. Here’s a video tribute to Merchant HBO put together in 2012:

Our best wishes go out to Merchant and his family and friends.

[TMZ]