In this video interview with FightHub, longtime boxing commentator Larry Merchant talks superstardom in boxing, saying that even really good fighters like Terence Crawford and Andre Ward are unlikely to ever become true superstars. Check out what he had to say below...
On who the next superstar in boxing will be:
“To me ‘superstar’ is — ok — Oscar De La Hoya was a superstar. He wasn’t as great as the greatest fighters, but he was a superstar. A superstar is a helluva good fighter who has made some connection and people are moved by them. Manny Pacquiao is a superstar, I think.
“I don’t know. Does [Terence] Crawford have the ability to be a star? As a fighter, yes. A superstar? I’m not sure. Probably not. That’s the rarest thing. A superstar is rarer than a champion -- even a helluva good champion doesn’t necessarily become a superstar. Is [Andre] Ward a superstar? A helluva good fighter...
“I think, for example, I think Canelo Alvarez wants to be great. I think he comes from a culture that values that. The culture, the fans of Mexico, identified him as a teenager as the next great standard bearer. And he wants to be great, he wants to be worthy of that. I don’t know that that can happen here anymore. But we’ve been surprised in the past and my guess is somebody will come along who strikes a nerve.”