HBO Sports continued to move toward a contract extension with long-time color analyst Larry Merchant. Merchant's contract expired May 31.

On Tuesday, Rick Bernstein, the executive producer of HBO Sports, issued a statement announcing Merchant will be part of the broadcast team for Saturday's pay-per-view telecast of the WBA welterweight title fight in New York between Miguel Cotto and challenger Zab Judah.

“As we optimistically iron out a new agreement with Larry Merchant, Larry has agreed to work Saturday's HBO Pay-Per-View telecast from Madison Square Garden,” Bernstein said.

HBO Sports president Ross Greenburg has said it is his intention to re-sign Merchant and reacted angrily to newspaper columns in the New York Daily News and Philadelphia Daily News that suggested he was pushing the 76-year-old Merchant aside in favor of Max Kellerman.