RSSHarold Lederman
Friday, June 08, 2007
HBO Reveals Broadcast Booth Schedule
NEW YORK – Veteran HBO Sports boxing commentator Larry Merchant has agreed to a new contract, it was announced today by HBO Sports president Ross Greenburg.
“We are delighted to have one of sports television’s most respected broadcasters continue to call them as he sees them,” said Greenburg. “Larry is an institution at HBO. Sharing the workload with Larry will be Max Kellerman, which essentially gives us two formidable broadcast teams on ‘World Championship Boxing’.”
Max Kellerman, who joined HBO Sports in April 2006, will also work “World Championship Boxing” events, alternating the workload with Merchant. Among Kellerman’s upcoming assignments are: the June 23 Hatton-Castillo fight in Las Vegas; the Atlantic City portion of the July 14 “World Championship Boxing” tripleheader; and the July 21 HBO Pay-Per-View event from Las Vegas, featuring Bernard Hopkins and Winky Wright.
“It’s exciting to have Larry continue with his unique perspective on our telecasts and to expand the role of Max Kellerman,” said Rick Bernstein, executive producer of HBO Sports. “We feel the winners are our subscribers, who will continue to get honest and insightful commentary from all our broadcast talent.”
Upcoming HBO announcer assignments include: Jim Lampley, Larry Merchant, Emanuel Steward and Harold Lederman for the June 9 HBO Pay-Per-View program from Madison Square Garden; Bob Papa, Lennox Lewis and Lederman for the June 16 “HBO Boxing After Dark” card; Lampley, Kellerman, Steward and Lederman for the June 23 “World Championship Boxing” presentation from Las Vegas; and Lampley, Merchant, Lewis and Lederman for the July 7 “World Championship Boxing” HBO show in Cologne, Germany.
With two sites for the July 14 “World Championship Boxing” tripleheader, Lampley and Merchant will be working from Carson, Cal., while Papa and Kellerman are in Atlantic City. For the July 21 HBO Pay-Per-View presentation from Las Vegas, Lampley, Kellerman, Steward and Lederman will be on hand.
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Tuesday, January 02, 2007
Interview With Harold Lederman
This interview was conducted in June of 2004. I would again like to thank Harold for his time.
What would an HBO boxing telecast be like without the voice and input of guest judge Harold Lederman? Harold has become a mainstay with the popular HBO broadcast team. He lends an opinionated yet objective view from an expert and an astute observer. Like a good umpire he “calls them as he sees them.” No hold barred. The voice that you hear has been judging boxing matches for close to forty years! Believe me, he knows what he is talking about.
When I called Harold to conduct this interview, I quickly learned that he was a man who had a true passion for the sport. It wasn’t just a job to him. He was a fan first and foremost. That is what led him into judging. He was still a fan but now he has just had a better seat. He has come up through the ranks and paid his dues from the four and six rounder in small clubs to the main events in major venues. If he hasn’t seen it yet, it’s doubtful that it is going to happen. Yet Harold seem to approach every fight with a fresh outlook. It has given him a chance to travel and meet some of the most influential people in boxing.
In the whole time I talked with Harold he did not utter a negative word about anyone as a person. He is a true ambassador for the sport.
Harold was born on January 26, 1940 in the Bronx where he was raised. Among his childhood friends were Vinnie Rinnone, Joe Santarpis, and Tony Perez. All three along with Harold are highly respected in the boxing community. Harold had nothing but immense praise for his long time buddies.
You could hear the pride in Harold’s voice when he spoke of his wife Eileen and their daughters Julie and Iris. Success has not gone to Harold’s head. He’s your everyday boxing fan who just accepts that fate has handed him one hell of a great job!
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Friday, March 17, 2006
Filling Prescriptions for Victory
For the last 20 years, Harold Lederman has been scoring some of boxing’s biggest bouts on HBO - all while filling prescriptions at the nearby pharmacy. Lederman has never quit his full-time job as a pharmacist, even though 25 annual trips to boxing events around the country sometimes force companies to make the decision for him. The only former pro boxing judge to currently score televised boxing will be on hand Saturday night to lend his help with the Toney-Rahman title bout.