The Contender Start Tonight

[jbmagic]

The Contender Start Tonight.

"The Contender", the latest, must-see unscripted drama produced by Mark Burnett Productions, Inc. and DreamWorks TV about the lives of 16 talented boxers. The boxers hail from all over the USA and represent the best and most promising talent available. Executive Producer Sylvester Stallone and 5-time world champion boxer Sugar Ray Leonard serve as hosts and lead a group of the best talent in boxing in mentoring, training, and evaluating the 16 fighters. "

Looks like its going to be pretty good.

[Ksyrup]

What makes this one different from the one that got moved to Fox Sports Channel half-way through? Don't tell me people are going to watch simply because the Survivor guy produced it...

[Ksyrup]

This is the one with the guy who commits suicide, isn't it? Yet another "draw"...

[rkmsuf]

What makes this one different from the one that got moved to Fox Sports Channel half-way through? Don't tell me people are going to watch simply because the Survivor guy produced it...

They will. It's gotten good buzz from the press.

Personally it doesn't interest me in the least.

[QuikSand]

...the latest, must-see unscripted drama...

Pass.

[Ksyrup]

I might consider watching this is they hire Survivor to follow each "contender" around town singing a personalized Eye of the Tiger to them like they did in that commercial for...(I forgot, of course).

[rkmsuf]

Slip the jab! Slip the jab!

Go for it!

Eye of the tiger baby! Eye of the tiger!

[HomerJSimpson]

...All of the fights are edited for the MTV generation, so it looks pretty good.


Pass.

[Ksyrup]

I didn't and don't watch Survivor or Apprentice, and I would have liked to have seen Reuben beat Clay with that Mikalah chick.

Otherwise, I don't see the draw. Will Larry Merchant and George Foreman be providing commentary?

[Raiders Army]

Looks good to me. What isn't there to like about it? In Survivor, didn't you want to see Johnny Fairplay and Rupert box? In American Idol, wouldn't you have liked to see Reuben beat on Clay? In the Apprentice, wouldn't you watch anyone beat on Omarosa? In this show, it'll happen. Also, from what I read on ign it seems that everyone is coming back to fight on the undercard on the show's finale. All of the fights are edited for the MTV generation, so it looks pretty good.

[rkmsuf]

They should do it like bugs bunny did. No judging crap. To advance you must knock your opponent out.

Round 172...Round 173...

[Franklinnoble]

They should do it like bugs bunny did. No judging crap. To advance you must knock your opponent out.

Round 172...Round 173...

I'd pay money to see that.

[rkmsuf]

I'd pay money to see that.

Mark Burnett...pfft.

[Arles]

No Carl Weathers?

[Franklinnoble]

No Carl Weathers?

http://www.fullmoonsales.com/ProductImages/dvd_images/big_actionjackson.jpg

[sabotai]

I'll probably watch, but I don't have high hopes for it.

[Recoil]

Who's the moron at NBC that scheduled this during the timeslot of 24? Not watching.

[jbmagic]

Who's the moron at NBC that scheduled this during the timeslot of 24? Not watching.


that why you need to get a TIVO. :)

so you can record once channel and watch other channel.

or record two different channel at same time.

[CHEMICAL SOLDIER]

As long as it shows all their training it will be worth the watch. I dont think this one will fly though. But at least American Dreams shows on wednesday. Alright...

[Blackadar]

I'll probably check it out.

As long as they show the COMPLETE fights. That drove me nuts about the other one. They showed about 15 seconds of each round...I didn't know who was winning the fight beyond them telling me and it really pissed me off. I don't want to be spoonfed the results.

[Ksyrup]

"Only about six minutes from the five-round bout that concludes each episode will be shown. The goal is to get viewers -- including non-fans -- to watch and care about the boxers, the producers said."


This is the Olympics, man, not some real boxing show.

[Joe]

is this the one with stallone or de la hoya?

[SunDevil]

stallone. Hence over this weekend they had Stallone on like 20 channels.

[JeeberD]

Possible spoiler
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Not a bad first episode with a major upset in the first fight...

[Ajaxab]

I found the show pretty compelling, but the actual fight itself was pretty melodramatic. It is extremely difficult to tell who's winning. I guess boxing just isn't interesting enough in and of itself so they need to interject shots of important people, put the 'scoring' punches in slow motion and cue crescendoing music in the background. The lead up was better than the fight.

[sabotai]

My reaction was "meh". It wasn't bad....wasn't really good, but it wasn't bad. I'll probably watch again next week to see where it goes.

[Suicane75]

If yall are truly interested in the concept of this show than I suggest checking out "The Ultimate Fighter" Monday nights at 11PM on Spike TV.

[jbmagic]

My reaction was "meh". It wasn't bad....wasn't really good, but it wasn't bad. I'll probably watch again next week to see where it goes.


new espisode this Thursday

[ShaqFu]

Mark Burnett's track record is pretty good. He did blow it with "The Casino" and a second season of that chef show. Burnett does a good job playing out the story and this one is good so far. I'm sure they will show the entire final fight, since it will be in front of a real crowd in Vegas. My guess is it will be live, much like other Burnett finales.

[PilotMan]

I loved this show. I was drawn in to it from the very begining. I felt that they did a good job of building the character of the fighters. I liked the cuts to the crowd during the fight. I felt that they were showing the emotion of the fight. If you couldn't tell who was winning each round from that then I don't know what it would take. The end was a shock, and the ramifications of these being sanctioned pro fights make it even better.

I love boxing, I hate the way boxing is today. I like the human drama, especially where the families are concerned. I have to make tough decisions about my life for my family just like they do so I can relate.

I am torn now this thursday with it against survivor. But at the very least I will tape it.

I would have given it 4 stars.

[Poli]

I kept waiting to see a product placement for Stallone's Instone products.

[Raiders Army]

I loved this show. I was drawn in to it from the very begining. I felt that they did a good job of building the character of the fighters. I liked the cuts to the crowd during the fight. I felt that they were showing the emotion of the fight. If you couldn't tell who was winning each round from that then I don't know what it would take. The end was a shock, and the ramifications of these being sanctioned pro fights make it even better.

I love boxing, I hate the way boxing is today. I like the human drama, especially where the families are concerned. I have to make tough decisions about my life for my family just like they do so I can relate.

I am torn now this thursday with it against survivor. But at the very least I will tape it.

I would have given it 4 stars.
I agree completely. I felt as if I knew what was going on in the match, and while it was a surprise win, I felt like I knew who won before they announced the winner. I thought it was on after the Apprentice on Thursday. That sucks.

[Poli]

Or his new magazine?

Oh yeah. With the Jenna Jameson interview. We sold every copy in our store within 2 days.

[PilotMan]

I kept waiting to see a product placement for Stallone's Instone products.
Or his new magazine?

[Raiders Army]

Wait...just checked NBC's site. It does come on after the Apprentice...so Thursday for us will be Survivor, Apprentice, Contender. I'm such a Burnett whore.

[Ragone]

Or his new magazine?


Or rocky 64.. back from retirement.. yet again?

[Blackadar]

I loved this show. I was drawn in to it from the very begining. I felt that they did a good job of building the character of the fighters. I liked the cuts to the crowd during the fight. I felt that they were showing the emotion of the fight. If you couldn't tell who was winning each round from that then I don't know what it would take. The end was a shock, and the ramifications of these being sanctioned pro fights make it even better.

I love boxing, I hate the way boxing is today. I like the human drama, especially where the families are concerned. I have to make tough decisions about my life for my family just like they do so I can relate.

I am torn now this thursday with it against survivor. But at the very least I will tape it.

I would have given it 4 stars.

I don't watch much TV. I don't watch any "reality" TV.

But I watched this...and liked it. The stories seemed real, the competition not rigged and the intent of the program on the up-and-up.

[hhiipp]

I don't really even like boxing but I was able to get into this. Enjoyed the challenge they had to do for the right to pick the fighters, and thought it was funny that one of them didn't listen to the rules (not elaborating so I don't ruin anyones late viewing of the show).

Personally I enjoyed the cut scenes to the crowd during the fight and seeing what they were saying, kind of gives you an inside look on what it's really like to be there and involved in it. Show me 2 random guys on espn and I'm disinterested, give me some insight on their lives and cut out the boring parts of the fight and suddenly I become a fan.

[CHEMICAL SOLDIER]

I just wished they showed the whole fight.
Does anyone know if its an officially sanctioned fight or just a tv fight.
I mean will the winner get an official win on his record and vise versa.

[Raiders Army]

I just wished they showed the whole fight.
Does anyone know if its an officially sanctioned fight or just a tv fight.
I mean will the winner get an official win on his record and vise versa.
In two places last night they said it was an officially sanctioned fight. One with Sugar Ray Leonard telling them that it's real, and the other when the announcer for the fight said it before they started round one.

[jbmagic]

This show is way better than then the Oscar D. one they did on Fox.

[PilotMan]

This show is way better than then the Oscar D. one they did on Fox.
I second that.

[JeffNights]

that why you need to get a TIVO. :)

so you can record once channel and watch other channel.

or record two different channel at same time.



Fuckin' Elitists have everything!! DAMMIT!

[bosshogg23]

I was really suprised the show was decent. I saw it on while I was flipping through channels and it was interesting. Im a huge boxing fan and that hook lead me in, but its much more a drama than a boxing show. I will definitely try to catch some more of it.

[Ksyrup]

From an article on CNN about March's new shows:


"The Contender" reached only 8.4 million people in its Monday debut, a slow start for a high-profile series."

[PilotMan]

I am telling you people. It is the perfect show for the sports/reality show entusiast. Is is just a good show all around. Catch it tonight. 8.4 million people can't be wrong, can they?

[bosshogg23]

I didnt get to see what happened, anyone want to fill me in?

[JeeberD]

Spoiler alert
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Wow, two big upsets in a row! I really didn't see this one coming at all... :eek:

[PilotMan]

Spoiler alert
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Wow, two big upsets in a row! I really didn't see this one coming at all... :eek:
Me neither Jeebs. In fact after the first round I thought that Reed was going to figure him out. He was slipping the punches and seemed to be worlds faster from the start, and I would have given him the first round, but the kids power came through. I think that having been out of boxing for as long as he had been was tough to come back from. Both men counterpunched well, and there was lots of action. The power punches definately went to the kid.

Tell you what, the hardest part of the show is watching the loser in the lockeroom with his family. Last and this episode were hard to watch.

I still love this show. Now the 2 fighters with the best records are gone from the East. Who will step up and lead them now?

[JPhillips]

Last night was the first time I watched the show. I was really impressed with Brinkman. Not only did he step up and fight, he picked the East's best guy. I thought he'd get killed, but really stepped up and took it to Reid.

All in all a good show. Mark Burnett knows reality shows.

[Raiders Army]

Although I thought the fight and human drama wasn't as big as it was last week, it was a pretty good show. Ishe is one of those people who I just want to see knocked out. While they're trying to play up the rivalry between Ahmed and him, I see a subplot of Ishe backstabbing his team to get ahead.

Really though, I don't see this as a "team" sport like they're trying to set it up as. Boxing is one on one. Don't really know who I'm pulling for now.

[JeeberD]

I liked Ishe to begin with, but his constantly running his mouth and them not stepping up this week have me down on him now.

I'm not sure what individual I'm rooting for right now.

[PilotMan]

I think that he is considered one of the top fighters in the West. I think that you are right Raiders. When you tell your teams opponent that you hope he wins it is certainly going to cause some problems.

On Ishe's behalf, I don't think that he is entirely to blame. If you are there you don't want to leave. Cerainly he doesn't want to be out so fast. Just because he was tauting Ahmed doesn't mean that they have to fight. I don't recall him saying "If we win I will call you out." That was much more on Ahmed for that. I am sure that the rest of the West was happy when all of this started. It was an easy out for them not to have to fight this week. Not all of the blame should rest with him. His team sort of called him out against his will.

[bosshogg23]

How is everyone deciding who they feel is the best on each team? Ishe Smith is by far the most famous boxer on the show but I havent seen him mentioned.

[JeeberD]

You haven't seen him mentioned? Are you watching the same show as me? He seems to be the centerpiece of the show so far...

[Ramzavail]

Ishe is the biggest punanny.

[bosshogg23]

You haven't seen him mentioned? Are you watching the same show as me? He seems to be the centerpiece of the show so far...

I havent seen him mentioned as the best boxer.

[PilotMan]

On right now for anyone interested.

[PilotMan]

I think that Ishe is going to fight Ahmed this week. To much set up for this not to happen tonight.

[PilotMan]

That was a fuckin awesome fight. I love this show.

[Raiders Army]

That was a fuckin awesome fight. I love this show.
Well said.

[PilotMan]

Who do you think will get a chance to come back? In case you missed the preview for next week, someone leaves the show early and someone who has been beaten gets a chance to take their place.

One would think that they might consider Peter, who left in the first week, but if you are looking to win why would you bring back the best. I really hope its not Ahmed, I loved his fiance, but could not stand his premaddona ways. i mean how do you lose and the first thing you say is "Look at me, damn, I look good. how did I lose?" I bet it will be J Reed. Just a hunch though. I think that he was well liked, and still seen as not unbeatable.

[Solecismic]

This show's better than I thought it would be. I think they did a good job showing how the fight went, but for all we know, we saw every single one of Ahmed's highlights and it wasn't close.

It would be nice to see all five rounds in their entirety.

But, I've gotten so sick of the NCAA tourney and the incessant commercial interruptions that I'd almost welcome that approach to basketball. I haven't seen a single basketball game from tip off to final buzzer in about 5-6 years.

So I flick on ESPN for a minute, and there's everybody's favorite blowhard, Dick Vitale, yapping about how it's a travesty that Notre Dame didn't get a bid. The other "analysts" seem to agree. I look at the ratings, and the Irish have an RPI of 92, a strength of schedule of 109 and a 17-11 record. Yeah, right.

[Solecismic]

Wouldn't be hard to program. There are only about 8 or 9 things he has to say during a game, bay bee.

But, no, there's no basketball game in the foreseeable future.

[Easy Mac]

So is there going to be a Dick Vitale analyst in your basketball game... hint hint?

[sabotai]

Scratch basketball off the list.

And they got me used to watching the show a 10, so when 8 o'clock came around, I didn't think it was on.

[Raiders Army]

I think Reed will come back. He seemed to be the "father-figure" for the East team, so he seems like the logical choice. What's more interesting is why would they do that? I think somebody will quit due to injury or family reasons, so they'll bring back one guy.

[Poli]

Did I miss an episode last night?

[hhiipp]

Yes you did AE. Pretty good one too :)

[PilotMan]

Sunday at 8pm Eastern is the scheduled time slot for the show now.

[Poli]

Gah. That stinks. I saw the Reid fight a few days back. I didn't think they'd show a new episode on Sunday.

[Loki]

I hate this whole genre, but The Contender is flippin' awesome.

[JeeberD]

Dammit, I had no idea that there was an episode on last night. :mad:

So Ishe fought the Euro-trash dude and beat him? Was it pretty lopsided?

[hhiipp]

I'm no boxing critic by any stretch of the imagination, but the fight started out pretty good for Ahmed but then from there it went downhill. Ishe just started whalloping the bejesus out of him, after that pretty much the only good shots Ahmed got in were when the ref was trying to seperate them. If I were a judge my card would have been 4 rounds for Ishe 1 for Ahmed.

Ahmed just didn't look like he was experienced in the ring and didn't have a real plan, just throw punches.

[PilotMan]

Ahmed came out and practicelly ran across the ring and send Ishe into cover up. Threw a ton of punches. Once Ishe got some space he returned the all out pounding. There was some definate dirtyness to the fight as well. At least one round Ahmed continued to punch after the bell. Ahmed also pushed Ishe to the floor by pushing on the back of his head while the ref was trying to break them. In the early stages of round 1, Ahmed's finace (who was quite hot) was happy and cherring him on. At one time Ahmed, gave the finger (arms crossed version) to Ishe's wife, who was yelling at him about the push, and other things. It was a pretty rough first couple of rounds. The first round was close, I would have scored even.

Rounds 2 and 3 belonged to Ishe. He let off huge punches and huge numbers of punches, really handing it to him. Ahmed's corner was yelling at him to get going, but he looked like a fighter who had thrown everything at the guy and he was still standing there.

Do to the editing, there were still quite a few heavy punches thrown by both fighters. By looking at the crowd and family you could tell that things were not going well for Ahmed. His fiance had the look that he was losing, she was worried. Ishe seemed to grow stronger, as his timing was getting better and he was slipping and counterpunching better.

By the 5th, you could tell that Ahmed really needed something big to stay in the fight. Ishe pounded him again. Both fighters stood and let go on each other. Ishe seemed to be getting more off and landing more. Both fighers were taking some really good hits, both were feeling it. In the end both fighters rasied their hands in victory, and Ahmed went and stood in the corner to the crowd.

The decision was unanimous for Ishe. Ahmed went to the lockerroom and said, "Look at my face, not a scratch on it. " And something to the effect of how good he looked and that he thought that the replay might show that he deserved to win.

Earlier in the show, Sugar Ray had gotten in for an informal sparring session. Neither was wearing headgear and it was supposed to be light touching and just a show session. Ahmed ended up throwing hard punches and landing a lot to the head. Even as the other boxers were jeering him and telling him to lay back and relax. Ray and the other boxers mentioned that it was unprofessional and Ahmeds basically said that he felt like he made Ray look stupid and old, and that ment that he was the better figher. Fuck Stick.

The competition was a dodgeball match. The east got out to a significant lead, then one from the west just started to dominate. He eliminated all the east players until it was 3-1 and Ahmed was all that was left from the east. Needless to say he lost and had a little temper tantrum.

The reward for the west winning the challenge last week was a ride in a Hummer limo to a very upscale suit shop in Beverly Hills. The trainer basically said to all the fighters to pick out what they wanted. It was really moving to see the guys talk about the first time ever owning a suit and having this opportunity. They got decked out and all felt good about themselves.

After that Ishe pulled the team together, apologized and said he didn't know where his head had been. He was ready to make the fight happen.

The order of things may be wrong, but it all happend. That should get you all reasonably caught up on what happened.

[JeeberD]

Thanks for the recap, guys... :)

[hhiipp]

You left out the part where Ishe called Brent to the line, all the guys on the West were starting to get pissed because they thought he was going to fight Ahmed... then he just asked Brent to pray for him, and sent him back, then called Ahmed. That was sort of a dramatic point for the West since they were starting to think Ishe had taken the easy route.

[PilotMan]

You left out the part where Ishe called Brent to the line, all the guys on the West were starting to get pissed because they thought he was going to fight Ahmed... then he just asked Brent to pray for him, and sent him back, then called Ahmed. That was sort of a dramatic point for the West since they were starting to think Ishe had taken the easy route.
The thing about that too was that Stallone was getting pissed because of the legality of everything. Something could be argued that he should have been his opponent for doing that. Stallone was yelling at Ishe while he was wispering to Brent. It was a really awkward moment.

[jbmagic]

I think Reed will come back. He seemed to be the "father-figure" for the East team, so he seems like the logical choice. What's more interesting is why would they do that? I think somebody will quit due to injury or family reasons, so they'll bring back one guy.


i think it would of been better if they brought an alternate boxer to join the show, instead of a person that lost.


on the Oscar D. realty show they brought a boxer back that lost and he ends winning the whole thing.

[jbmagic]

Was Ishe the one that committed suicide after the show was all over?

[bosshogg23]

No that was Najal Turpin.

[bosshogg23]

Dola

Ishe is pissed that a guy he beat, David Estrada, is fighting for big money next month vs. Sugar Shane Mosley. Ishe was too busy taping the show and Mosley made the fight with Estrada.

[hhiipp]

For anyone that missed it, looks like you can catch part of the fight from the website.

http://www.nbc.com/nbc/The_Contender/boxers/ishe.shtml

Just watched it, you can see Ahmed's fiance in it too, smokin.

[Ksyrup]

FYI:

NBC's highly anticipated boxing series "The Contender" was seen by 8.9 million people in a Thursday showcase, or half what "ER" does in the same Thursday time slot. Its Sunday audience of 6.7 million was barely more than a third of what Ty Pennington drew to redo a house.

[hhiipp]

If they'd stop changing days maybe people could get used to what time slot it is in. Going to be disappointed if they pull this off the air before the whole season plays out. :(

[Ksyrup]

I don't watch the show, I'm just interested to see whether this one gets any different reaction than the first one. And it appears so far as though neither show is going to be a hit.

[sabotai]

Just a heads up. THey replay the episodes a couple of times on CNBC. I was able to catch the third episode this way. So if you miss it, make sure you check your tv listings to see when it gets replayed on CNBC.

[PilotMan]

Bump. NBC good show.

[PilotMan]

Tonight was I think the most emotional show for me. A good and very entertaining fight. I was surprised to see Peter come back. As a father it was hard to watch Turpin with his little girl. Just knowing what his future was for him and his family was hard to deal with. I cannot imagine leaving my family like that. But he seemed like "damaged goods." A phrase that I usually save for people who have been through so much hurt that they fail to function in normal life. His eyes were so blank. I don't think I have ever seen a fighter with less emotion than that. So very sad.

[Miller Time]

Tonight was I think the most emotional show for me. A good and very entertaining fight. I was surprised to see Peter come back. As a father it was hard to watch Turpin with his little girl. Just knowing what his future was for him and his family was hard to deal with. I cannot imagine leaving my family like that. But he seemed like "damaged goods." A phrase that I usually save for people who have been through so much hurt that they fail to function in normal life. His eyes were so blank. I don't think I have ever seen a fighter with less emotion than that. So very sad.


Agreed. Very sad episode tonight! I felt terrible for his little girl, and just wondered what was going through his head when he decided to take his life.

[jbmagic]

i didn't like how they brought a fighter that lost back to the show. Now he the only one that gets a 2nd chance to win the million dollar prize.

What they should of done, is bring another new fighter that wasn't on the show.

[Raiders Army]

i didn't like how they brought a fighter that lost back to the show. Now he the only one that gets a 2nd chance to win the million dollar prize.

What they should of done, is bring another new fighter that wasn't on the show.
Agreed. How long does chicken pox last? I think that they should've let Jeff continue after his bout with the chicken pox was over. It's not going to last a couple weeks, right?

Also, I thought it was sad with Najai and his little girl. My wife, surprisingly, didn't feel as if it was sad. She said he wasn't strong enough, and had no pity for him since everyone has their troubles. I was like, whoa. I still feel bad for the guy.

[sachmo71]

Najai may have been at the end of his rope, but you could easily see how much that little girl meant to him. That just made it all the more sad and confusing as to why he would take his own life. I realize when you are in that state you can't see any way out, but his daughter...he just made it that much harder for her.

Very sad, but galvanizing in a way, too.

[hhiipp]

I didn't think it was right that they put in the thing about the foundation for his daughter without saying that the guy had actually commited suicide and didn't just fall over dead. If he really loved his daughter and all he cared about was her future he wouldn't have killed himself. Sure, he may have had a hard life, but now he just ruined his daughters life as well, good job, father of the year material right there.

[Raiders Army]

While one side of me agrees that he shouldn't be father of the year by committing suicide, the other side believes NBC (or Burnett, whoever) made the right choice in not publicizing the suicide on the show. As the end of the hour drew nearer, I was thinking about how they would tastefully deal with his suicide. I think that what they did was appropriate since his family was probably watching the show and they probably didn't need to see a show portray him as a "loser".

[JeeberD]

Dammit, the show had better not get stuck on Sunday nights. I always work on Sunday nights... :mad:

[ShaqFu]

Agreed. How long does chicken pox last? I think that they should've let Jeff continue after his bout with the chicken pox was over. It's not going to last a couple weeks, right?

Chicken pox usually passes rather quickly for children, but it can actually be quite deadly for adults if not treated properly.

[PilotMan]

shameless bump for one of my favorite shows.

[PilotMan]

Catch it on NBC. Now.

[Raiders Army]

Decent one tonight. I didn't watch the recap show, but the main show wasn't bad. Wasn't particularly great either, but it bucked the trend of how they showed Manfredo's family and he won. In previous episodes, you could pretty much guess who would win by how much of their family they would show.

I wonder who they'll stop the fight against next week. Will it be for illegal punches or because somebody is getting beat down? In any case, the West looked like they wanted to stop the fight.

[Blackadar]

I loved tonight's show. Looked like a great fight and Manfredo, beaten once and looking like he was on his last legs, dug waaaaay down and kicked ass the last two rounds. If this kid gets in shape again, he could win it all.

As for next week, the show's already ruined for me. Someone gets knocked out and you see the West saying to stop the fight. If they're saying that, it's because the guy from the East is getting floored. So I'd bet it's another big West victory.

[PilotMan]

I loved tonight's show. Looked like a great fight and Manfredo, beaten once and looking like he was on his last legs, dug waaaaay down and kicked ass the last two rounds. If this kid gets in shape again, he could win it all.

As for next week, the show's already ruined for me. Someone gets knocked out and you see the West saying to stop the fight. If they're saying that, it's because the guy from the East is getting floored. So I'd bet it's another big West victory.
Well, yeah, a fight stopped and the West yelling is a pretty big givaway. No fighter in their right mind would want the fight stopped and it NOT in their favor.

Tonight was a good fight. I was impressed with Manfredo. He is such a dangerous fighter. Even if he is out of shape, his punches were so much more powerful he really turned the fight.

In that last round he was raining blows. Big blows. Miguel just could not do anything against that power.

My question is: When they get down to 4 fighters and the last 2 are chosen, it pretty much makes the challenge obsolete, will they have both fights the same night?

Is Manfredo going to get back into his game? Is he the guy to beat? Miguel made the terrible mistake of trying to go toe to toe. I didn't see hardly any slipping, no jabs. It makes for great entertainment, but not a good strategy when you can't match power with your opponent.

[Raiders Army]

Exactly. It seemed as if Miguel thought he could score more points by punching more. His punches didn't seem to have the power that Peter's had. I think that's why the points were so close. I was surprised at the unaminous decision. I thought it would go to a split decision last night.

[Raiders Army]

Pretty decent this week. Anthony looks to be a "good" villain. He's trying to do the right thing for his family, but pissed off his team. Sort of funny. I don't understand why he felt like he had to play it up though..."I'm going to fight Jimmy." etc.

IMHO, he could've been a good guy had he just kept quiet and picked someone else. But because he ran his mouth off, he's definitely despicable.

[Miller Time]

I only caught the fight. Why was everybody so upset with the guy?

[Ajaxab]

Anthony had declared long and loud to all the other fighters on both East and West that he was going to fight Jimmy Lange. His team won the challenge and he stepped to the line only to choose to fight Brent instead. As a consequence, he violated the boxing code and now all the other fighters, East and West, have it out for him. The show seemed to focus on Ishe as the one who was particularly offended by Anthony's actions. Whatever the case, Anthony now has a target on his back.

[PilotMan]

I knew when he started running his mouth like that, that his team was going to be so mad. The teams must really hang out together when they are not training. I think that maybe in the future they need to separate the teams so that the drama of picking isn't spoiled ahead of time.

As far a tonight goes, apparently all of the fighters have paired off for the final matches. Anthony was supposed to fight Jimmy from the east. He was really running his mouth and saying that the west needed to win the challenge so that HE could have the mental advantage of calling out Jimmy. He was really talking some smack to his team. He felt like if he would have been honest with the team that they wouldn't have really won the challenge. That they didn't have to drive without him pushing them to win.

He pretty much lied to all the boxers. The west won, and he called out Brent instead. That just pissed off Jimmy. He was getting mentally psyched and lost a huge mental game as he felt he had totally been fucked with. Which he was of course. All the teammates were pissed, especially Joey, who I think was supposed to fight Brent. Pretty much everyone wanted him to lose.

In the end, the gamble paid off and he absolutly smoked Brent. Kind of surprising though. Anthony knew he was going to fight, but Brent didn't and he just didn't have enough time to get up for the fight. I think that Anthony did what he needed to do.

All this sort of reminds me of the first Survivor season. That started out very innocent and as it has aged the tactics have changed. It seems that everyone wants to make it fair, and as people try and do what is best for them to stay in there will be more surprises and it will be more accepted to do.

[Ironhead]

I think there is a key issue here that will always keep most of the boxers from using the underhanded tactics seen on Survivor: when you lie, cheat and steal on Survivor the other players in the game don't get a chance to beat the ever living hell out of you.

[Raiders Army]

Great fight tonight. The last round looked like a bar room brawl. All it was was haymakers all over the place. I was pretty surprised Juan won. I keep on wondering, is his mother black? His dad looks to be latino, but he looks pretty dark.

[jbmagic]

Juan (Tiger Wood look A like) decides he doent want to fight anymore because of some injuries on his last fight he won. He doesnt want to risk his undefeated career record.


wow they voted to bring a boxer back and next week it will be Ahmed ( wanna be model) back for the final 8 boxers

If you had it Tivo, you can go slow when they show next week episode and it shows him up there standing with the 7 other fighters.


Two fights next week

one fight for next week it shows Ishe vs Sergio

and the other fight shows Ahmed vs Alfonso. (With Alfonso falling back on a punch) i had to go superslow because they show it too fast. it sure look like Alfonso.

[Poli]

Medically cleared to fight. That keeps rolling through my head. Cooper, the kid from Nashville, wasn't listed (at least I think that was his name). I'm not surprised. He had the worst fight out of them all in my opinion. No reason to give him a second chance.

[jbmagic]

Medically cleared to fight. That keeps rolling through my head. Cooper, the kid from Nashville, wasn't listed (at least I think that was his name). I'm not surprised. He had the worst fight out of them all in my opinion. No reason to give him a second chance.

who is cooper? you mean Jonathan. he only guy from Nashville. he was one of the 5 healthy fighers who they could vote on to come back.


Here is Contender Main web page.

http://www.nbc.com/nbc/The_Contender/

[hhiipp]

who is cooper? you mean Jonathan. he only guy from Nashville. he was one of the 5 healthy fighers who they could vote on to come back.


Here is Contender Main web page.

http://www.nbc.com/nbc/The_Contender/
Brent Cooper, the only fight they had to stop.

[jbmagic]

Contender is on 2 hours tonight.

i wish they quit showing what happns when they show next week episode. They reveal too much especially if you have it Tivo and go real slow. look Above what happens Tonight.

[Raiders Army]

Very good shows tonight. I enjoy the Contender more than the Apprentice or Survivor. I'm really pulling for Jesse, since he seems to be taking control more and has been a good guy in the past. He said he'd fight when Ishe wouldn't fight Ahmad. He also brought Joey over to his house.

Also, I think that Sergio is the guy to beat right now. He's intelligent (I forgot how much he read books) and a good boxer. I think he could beat Alfonso easily.

[Raiders Army]

Well, I guess nobody else on FOFC is watching this any more, but FYI. There's a all new Contender on CNBC at 8 EST Wednesday night, if you can't wait till Sunday.

[jbmagic]

Well, I guess nobody else on FOFC is watching this any more, but FYI. There's a all new Contender on CNBC at 8 EST Wednesday night, if you can't wait till Sunday.


CNBC are rerun of past sunday shows they show on NBC.

Sunday on NBC is new episodes.

[PilotMan]

NONONONO! I am still watching this show. I love this show. I live for this show. I sat without moving on Sunday watching and did not move until it was over.

I was so happy to see Ahmed get beat again. He lacks the mental makeup to be any good.

I was dissapointed to see that Juan sucks. He was terrible in his fight and did the right thing left the competition. He would have gotten his ass handed to him by any one of those guys.

I was a little dissapointed to see Ishe lose. To me it really exposes a flaw in the fights. It seems that they benefit the guys who can move better. I bet if Ishe had 10 rounds to find Sergio he would have beaten him. For starters he wouldn't have felt rushed to chase him around the ring. Two, his punches were tearing Sergio apart. He was killing him early. Over the long haul the fight would have been different. The same might be said for the Alfonso-Ahmed fight. Alfonso was so tired, he was starting to get tagged. That fight would not have gone 2 more rounds. Sergio is a good fighter, and he may have that great fighter mentality. He looks like the best fighter....for now.

From here on out, this show gets more and more interesting. Now I have seen all the fighters. I know how they fight, and I know them better. It is going to get real interesting. Especially when they get to the last 4 fighters.

[Raiders Army]

CNBC are rerun of past sunday shows they show on NBC.

Sunday on NBC is new episodes.
True, but Wednesday is a new episode on CNBC. If you watched the rerun last night, a message scrolled across the screen advertising it.

[jbmagic]

True, but Wednesday is a new episode on CNBC. If you watched the rerun last night, a message scrolled across the screen advertising it.


are you sure?

i have tivo and it shows what this Wednesday episode is about. and its about them pulling there loves one around a track. they showed that on this Past Sunday already.

[Raiders Army]

I'm reasonably sure of what I saw last night. I was 100% sure, but now you're throwing some doubts into my mind. :) I went to CNBC's website and there wasn't anything. I believe the message advertised that there would be an unaired episode on Wednesday.

[jbmagic]

I'm reasonably sure of what I saw last night. I was 100% sure, but now you're throwing some doubts into my mind. :) I went to CNBC's website and there wasn't anything. I believe the message advertised that there would be an unaired episode on Wednesday.

i just check my directtv again and the info for Wednesday episode is still the same as above about them pulling there loves one acrosss a track.

i check Wednesday again to be sure. maybe directv didnt update the episode info.


heck i might just have tivo tape it and worse i can do is delete it, if its a rerun.

[jbmagic]

I'm reasonably sure of what I saw last night. I was 100% sure, but now you're throwing some doubts into my mind. :) I went to CNBC's website and there wasn't anything. I believe the message advertised that there would be an unaired episode on Wednesday.


ok i tape the show tonight and it was a rerun show of hour 2 they show this past sunday.

i am on the west coast and last sunday there was a 2 hour brand new episode they air here.

just curious, did they show both hours where you are from?

maybe that why they advertised the message across the screen and only show one hour where you are from

[Raiders Army]

After talking to my wife, she concurred with what you said. They showed both hours on Sunday (back to back), one replay Monday night, and the other last night. Sorry about the mix-up.

[Easy Mac]

Did they stop it because they said a headbut caused that cut on the guy's eye? No way. That cut came from a damn good punch. The headbut came later. They just needed some drama and they saw the kid couldn't go on.

[PilotMan]

Did they stop it because they said a headbut caused that cut on the guy's eye? No way. That cut came from a damn good punch. The headbut came later. They just needed some drama and they saw the kid couldn't go on.
They stopped it because of the cut. I didn't see the punch or headbutt, but if it was from a punch it would have been a TKO, whereas the headbutt gets scored. I don't have Tivo. No way to look again.

It was a bad, bad cut. The kind that come from headbutts, moreso than punches.

There was no way that he should have been able to go toe to toe. Joey was hurt pretty good early. His conditioning was the only thing that saved him.

I cannot imagine fighting with a torn hammy. Jesse is a good fighter. On paper the fight is a blowout. But we will see just how good Anthony really is.

[hhiipp]

Anthony/Jesse next week? I was expecting 2 episodes tonight since there were 2 last week.

[PilotMan]

I wish.

[INDalltheway]

First time was watching it tonight. Very entertaining, and kept me watching. I like the Joey kid. That was a horrible cut. The stitches it took to keep that thing closed was ridiculous.

[Raiders Army]

Great episode last night. I'm still rooting for Jesse. That guy is awesome.

[Scoobz0202]

Fuck.... Anthony was rocking jesse the whole damn fight. I loved Anthony..

[Easy Mac]

Why did his corner man tell him to come out swinging in the 5th? He already won 3 of 4 rounds. All he had to do was play it safe. Instead he walked right into Jesse, who was just throwing big punches hoping to knock him out. I don't know anything on boxing, but that seemed like an odd strategy.

[Blackadar]

That was a helluva fight. I really don't much like Jesse - I think he's a whiner - but that was a heck of a punch.

Peter's fighting next week...wonder if it's against Sergio.

[hhiipp]

My wife for some reason hated Anthony with a passion. I was amazed how good Anthony looked with this supposed major hammy problem.

[SegRat]

It appeared on the scenes for next week that Peter fights Gomez.

[jbmagic]

Its down to the final 4.

and now they have to do 7 rounds instead of 5 rounds.

[Ksyrup]

I haven't watched this show at all, but I have been interested in how it would do in the ratings compared to the other boxing reality show. However, I haven't even kept up with that lately, but I just read that there won't be another season, at least not on NBC.

[jbmagic]

I haven't watched this show at all, but I have been interested in how it would do in the ratings compared to the other boxing reality show. However, I haven't even kept up with that lately, but I just read that there won't be another season, at least not on NBC.

its a great show, but bad time slot.

hopefully another network picks it up and puts it in a good time slot.

Last two show is Next Sunday and Final 2 hour will be on Tuesday.

so at least the final will have a good time slot. will be interesting how the final does in the rating.

[Blackadar]

I haven't watched this show at all, but I have been interested in how it would do in the ratings compared to the other boxing reality show. However, I haven't even kept up with that lately, but I just read that there won't be another season, at least not on NBC.

If that's the case, that's a shame...it's the best show on TV.

Good battle last night. Peter made the finals with a great fight against Gomez. I really didn't like Alfonso when the series started, but the guy was a class act all the way. Kudos to Peter for winning the rematch!

Now it's Sergio vs. Jesse. Jesse has the experience and the power but Sergio is a pretty good tactician and beat Ishe. In a 7 round fight, Sergio may have the advantage.

Go Peter!

[jbmagic]

Jesse vs Sergio Tonight Sunday.

the Final 2 will be live in Vegas on Tuesday May 22, 2005. (2 hour show)

[Blackadar]

Sergio has one of those styles that helps in competitions like these. He's very smooth and doesn't take a lot of damage.

Peter vs. Sergio 4 teh win!

[Raiders Army]

I'm rooting for Sergio. Seems like a really great guy and is a smart boxer to boot. BTW, you can log on to amazon.com to send in your email address for the Contender so you know when it comes out on DVD. Also, it lets them know how many people are interested in DVD sets (I guess that's how Saved By the Bell came out on DVD).

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00005JO4T/qid=1116846226/sr=1-2/ref=sr_1_2/103-7247016-8647839?v=glance&s=dvd

[Blackadar]

I'm rooting for Peter. I know that we only see what they show us, but he came back from a loss, looks like he's finally his own man and has fought with a lot of heart.

But I think Sergio is really skilled. He's very smooth, very quick and doesn't get hit a lot. Peter's really going to have to use his jab to win.

[PilotMan]

I unfortuantely will not be able to discuss last nights fight,as I taped it since I was on the road, and won't be home until Wednesday. I still havn't missed an episode yet though. Simply great.

[jbmagic]

Don't forget the final is on tonight. 2 hours

who you think will win the million dollar?

[Scoobz0202]

I think Sergio will win the final.

ps. Am I the only one that thinks the close up shots of the fight suck? I think the camera is too damn low.

[Scoobz0202]

*SPOILERS*







Aha.... damn.. To see Jesse knock Alfonso out as he was raising his hands up in victory with that big ass punch at the end would have been the greatest thing I have ever seen....

[hhiipp]

Man...can Stallone say rematch any more?

[hhiipp]

Dola,

And if I wanted to see nothing but a couple guys hugging I would have downloaded gay porn.

[Scoobz0202]

Man...can Stallone say rematch any more?
I was about to post something about Stallone and that. Jesus, at least let the match finish before you start getting excited about a rematch. He said it in round 2 for christ's sake.

IMO, though, this match was fricken awesome. Mora is a machine.

[Tigercat]

Stallone loves sequels. I'm still waiting for Over the Top 2.

[Blackadar]

I cannot frickin' believe NBC didn't pick this show up for another season. Great, great show.

[LloydLungs]

And if I wanted to see nothing but a couple guys hugging I would have downloaded gay porn.

You should have seen the first fan favorite bout today with Brent Cooper and that chicken pox guy. God what an awful fight. Both "fighters" completely exhausted by round four and spending most of the fight slumped all over each other. Gah.

[ShaqFu]

That was a great final fight tonight, with the exception of the constant talk of "rematch." I really wanted Sergio to win this thing from the start. Looking forward to seeing more of him in the future.

I hope they find a way to bring this show back on some other network. Perhaps NBC Universal can put in on one of their cable units like USA or Bravo.

[Raiders Army]

Great, great, great fight. Stallone is not the one to MC this show, but regardless it was truly emotional and insightful into the boxers' lives. Had there been a Trump (not the Trump of Apprentice 2 or 3) instead of Stallone or had Sugar Ray had more airtime and been in charge, I think the ratings would have been different. I'm not even sure Sugar Ray was a good choice. Maybe George Foreman would've been good for the public consciousness.

[jbmagic]

I cannot frickin' believe NBC didn't pick this show up for another season. Great, great show.

yep

hopefully another major network picks it up and puts it on a good night.

itiwll be interesting to see the rating for the final that air Tuesday.

i tought Sunday night was a bad time slot for the show.

[Raiders Army]

A few things:

Just finished watching the Bonsante/Ishe fight on yahoo (it's there in its entirety). Bonsante is a very dirty fighter: two punches to the back of the head, a bodyslam, and pushing Ishe down to the canvas when they were separated. After each time he did something dirty, he stuck he glove out there to show "no hard feelings."

Spoiler:

















When the fight is immediately over, one of his cornermen puts a hat on Ishe's head that says, "I'M the #1 Daddy". I was rolling!

Also, read in this week's SI that Stallone is shopping The Contender to other networks.

[jbmagic]

Raiders Army

thanks for the tip at yahoo for the fan favorites fights.

those 3 fan favorite fights was not air on television. so if you guys wantto check them out goto

http://contender.tv.yahoo.com/01/index.html

Fan Favorites videos- 3 fights

[jbmagic]

how much did Peter get for losing in the final?

Because Gomez victory over Jesse for the bronz, Gomez Received $200,000

Did Peter and Jesse get any money for losing?

i wonder if the fan favorites fights if the boxers received any money for fighting too,

[Raiders Army]

I believe last night they said somebody got some money ($50k?) in one of the fan favorite fights. I would assume that if Gomez won $200k, Manfredo would get somewhere between $200k and $500k.

[LloydLungs]

Had there been a Trump (not the Trump of Apprentice 2 or 3) instead of Stallone or had Sugar Ray had more airtime and been in charge, I think the ratings would have been different.

Sugar Ray wasn't too good either. His narration of the challenges sounded like a mid-90s video game announcer.

"And... Ishe... has to go back... to the start..."

[Antmeister]

Sugar Ray wasn't too good either. His narration of the challenges sounded like a mid-90s video game announcer.

"And... Ishe... has to go back... to the start..."

I know what you mean. I kept thinking of Tommy Davidson playing Sugar Ray Leonard (from In Living Color) whenever he spoke.

[sabotai]

Yahoo has the Gomez-Jesse and Sergio-Manfredo fights too.

I just watched the Gomez-Jesse fight. Damn, Gomez beat the piss out of Jesse. The first two rounds were a little sloppy, but in the 3rd and 4th round, Gomez just laid a beatin' on him.

[Scoobz0202]

There are talks that ESPN could bring back the show.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8008963/

NBC's "The Contender" may not have been a smash hit, but it had a solid base of about 6 million viewers per week, and it has rabid support among fans. Still, in mid-May, host and producer Sylvester Stallone said he didn't think the show would be returning for a second season. He cited the show's time slot — 8 p.m. on Sundays, opposite ABC's powerhouse "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" — as one reason that it didn't take off. Now that the series is over, however, there appears to be hope.

Executive producers Sugar Ray Leonard, Stallone, and Mark Burnett are reportedly talking to ESPN about taking the series to the cable network for a second season. And NBC has said they haven't officially turned down the show yet. Last week Burnett told the New York Times that a renewal announcement was "highly likely" last week. There hasn't been word yet, but all of these seem to add up to a return for "The Contender."

The first series' boxers may also make a televised comeback. There are also rumors of a July 5 pay-per-view bout in Las Vegas that would reunite the final four: Sergio Mora, Peter Manfredo, Alfonso Gomez, and Jesse Brinkley. Peter's father told the Providence Journal that a July date would be too rapid a return to the ring, although he hadn't yet heard anything from producers.

[Blackadar]

That would be sweet. ESPN could really make this thing fly.

[CHEMICAL SOLDIER]

I would be delighted if the networks grew the balls to televise fights on primetime tv.

[Raiders Army]

Apparently Ahmed was on Showtime on July 22. There will be a new Contender on ESPN in April.

http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/boxing/news/story?id=2131600

[PilotMan]

Sergio Mora - Manfredo Jr II is going to be on ESPN2 on Saturday, October 15th. FYI