Image via Complex Original
There's something about asking questions to a person who's just been hit in the head a few dozen times that makes for great drama. The most recent example being Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Larry Merchant's heated exchange on Saturday which culminated with the 80-year-old journalist saying he'd kick Mayweather's ass if he were 50 years younger.
But this confrontation wasn't the first time a post-fight interview has turned bizarre. Adrenaline combined with the confidence of victory can make for some pretty hilarious soundbites. From Mike Tyson to James Toney to Hector Camacho, check out the 10 Funniest Post-Fight Interviews in Boxing History...
10. Naseem Hamed
Date: 8/19/2000
Match: Naseem Hamed v. Augie Sanchez
Craziest Line: "Damn, I'm looking good!"
Not many people can be feeling themselves this much despite having two black eyes. But do you expect anything less from the same dude who had an epic entrance like this?
9. Roy Jones, Jr.
Date: 8/7/1997
Match: Roy Jones Jr. v. Montell Griffin
Craziest Line: "Thank ya everybody in Pensa-co-la! Roy Jones still number one and gon' be that way ba-by! For all these doubters, him [Larry Merchant] and all the rest of them that think Roy Jones is a fluke, now they know!"
After losing his light heavyweight title to Montell Griffin five months earlier due to disqualification (hit while Griffin was still down), Roy Jones, Jr. bounced back in the rematch with a first-round knockout. He starts out this interview by shouting out his hometown (Pensacola, Fla.) then addresses all the haters. And by all the haters we mean Larry Merchant. Do any boxers like this dude?
8. Hector Camacho
Date: 8/10/1985
Match: Hector Camacho v. Jose Luis Ramirez
Craziest Line: "Bring 'em on! Mancini, I don't respect your opinion, c'mon baby, so I can knock you out! And Pernell Whitaker, you could get some baby, you could get some, too. [Livingston] Bramble, Jimmy Paul, Larry Holmes, all y'all niggas, c'mon with it baby!"
Though the fact that Camacho used a slur was pretty controversial at the time, we thought it was more pause-worthy than anything else. Camacho just wanted to let 'em know that anyone could get it. And by "get it," we mean in that accidentally sexual kinda way.
7. Mike Tyson
Date: 10/16/1987
Match: Mike Tyson v. Tyrell Biggs
Craziest Line: "Actually, he was crying in there. Making women gestures like 'ooh-uh-uh!'"
Description: What can we say? Iron Mike definitely knows about women and the gestures they make. Especially when they meet the "wombshifter" as he says.
6. Samuel Peter
Date: 8/3/2008
Match: Samuel Peter v. Oleg Maskaev
Craziest Line: "I want who necks (next)!"
Well, Vitali Klitschko was "who necks" and homie pummelled Peter for eight rounds to strip him of his WBC heavyweight title. The analysts response after Peter's rant is classic: "I didn't understand the answer, I'm not sure what he said." Ya don't say...
5. Larry Merchant v. Floyd Mayweather, Jr.
Date: 9/17/2011
Match: Floyd Mayweather, Jr. v. Victor Ortiz
Craziest Line: "I wish I was 50 years younger and I'd kick your ass."
Don't act like we didn't warn you about this happening a full two days before the fight.
4. James Toney
Date: 8/29/1992
Match: James Toney v. Mike McCallum
Craziest Line: "My birthday was Monday and now I feel like I could go home and enjoy it with some Burger King. Here I come, baby! Burger King! Burger King! And shout out to Bob Arum 'cause he's my man! Don King, kiss my ass!"
So, this would explain why Toney started his career as a middleweight (160 lbs.) and later ballooned to a heavyweight (200 lbs. plus). It can't get any worse than this for him, right?
3. James Toney Part II
Date: 4/10/2003
Match: James Toney v. Evander Holyfield
Craziest Line: "Who's next? I got milk, baby!"
Wrong! In this interview--which is only about a decade after the other James Toney clip we showed--you can see the effects all that Burger King and years of blows to the dome (II) have had on the champ. We're just going to call this dude the black Elmer Fudd. And Toney is still boxing. SMH, please stop and salvage what brain cells you have left. #itaintworthit
2. Larry Merchant
Date: 1/11/1997
Match: Daniel Zaragoza v. Wayne McCullough
Craziest Line: "Excuse me folks, I'm not used to using any strong-arm tactics to get my interviews in."
When one crazy Wayne McCullough fan decided to attempt to sabotage Larry Merchant's interview, the veteran journalist laid him out and kept things moving. Forget 50 years younger, seems like Larry would've thrown down with Mayweather a mere 14 years ago.
1. Mike Tyson Part II
Date: 6/24/2000
Match: Mike Tyson v. Lou Savarese
Craziest Line: "My style is impetuous, my defense is impregnable, and I'm just ferocious. I want your heart. I want to eat his children. All praise be to Allah!"
Iron Mike gave viewers a bit of a history lesson on Alexander the Great, dropped some SAT words on 'em, and threw a bit of cannibalism in there. Simply put this is the most epic post-fight interview of all time.
