Anybody watch the Contender (Stallone/Sugar Ray)?

[RazorDrummer]

Not a huge boxing fan, but loved the Rocky series.  This new show is pretty cool.  I sort of thought that it was a typical reality show with a bunch of hacks trying to box, but it is actually professional fighters that are looking for a better shot.  The show is set up like a typical reality show where they split into teams and do stunts to determine who fights from each team.  Kind of hokey on the team thing, but makes sense. 

The first team event was East vs West carrying logs up Hollywood hill.  The West won (because the east guy in charge of a combination lock was an idiot) and chose Alphonzo Gomez to fight first.  Gomez is some unknown out of Mexico with an 11-2-1 (4KO) record.  He got to choose which fighter from the East team to fight and the loser goes home. (tournament style, one and done).

Gomez chose Peter Manfredo(sp).  Peter was 21-0 and ranked #3 in the world!  Nobody could figure out why Gomez chose him...but in all of Rocky's glory, the fight went 5 rounds (of 5) with Gomez winning rounds 1 and 3, with round 4 a draw.  Peter won round 2 and got his fanny smacked around in round 5.  It was as good a fight as I had seen in some time.  Of course, you have all the drama of a Rocky movie mixed in and movie-style (edited) camera work (versus live boxing video). 

Go here for episode listings.  http://www.nbc.com/nbc/The_Contender/

If you get to see the replay of the first fight, it was a good one.  Some of these other cats look pretty good, too.  Lot's of drama...

[RazorDrummer]

Another great fight last night.  It all seems like a set-up for TV, but the fight was real.  The underdog calls out the more experienced opponent and beats him in a close fight.  I can do without all the extra drama with the crying kids and the sappy wives and girlfriends and the reality series antics.  The fights are enough drama.  My favorite part is when, during a fight, they use slow motion to capture the better punches so you get a better look.  I think real boxing ought to use this as well.   Makes it much more dramatic.

[maniax22bolts20]

Yes it is good. First non-olympic prime time program I've watched on NBC since they nuttlessly canned the XFL. Its giving these fighters needed exposure unlike the idiots on fear factor etc.

[RazorDrummer]

another good fight last night.  Not as close this time, but the pretty boy (Ahmed) got his butt kicked by the mouthy guy (Ishe) from the West.  West wins first three fights.  Too bad the pretty boy guy from the East lost...his girlfriend was hot.

[RazorDrummer]

another great fight last night.  Najai, the guy that committed suicide, was the loser in the fight.  Might have been what lead him to do so.  He was an introvert that had a ton of heart.  He picked a taller, better fighter with reach and aggression.  Ended up losing bad in the last two rounds.  Lots of drama...

West wins four fights in a row to start the competition.  East sucks, but I am sure Sly Stallone will have them make a comeback.  Since one of the fighters contracted Chicken Pox (odd story line), they brought back Peter Manfredo who got his gloves handed to him by Alfonzo Gomez in the first fight.  Looks like a rematch is being set up.

[RazorDrummer]

Man I really thought the East would put up more of a battle than this....that's the hardest part for me to believe.

That's why I think Stallone is setting this whole thing up for a comeback by the East.  Otherwise, people stop watching.  There are a few fighters the East has that haven't been called out yet, probably due to fear.  Yet, Manfredo was ranked #3 in the world.  Now he is back.  Milkin' it, I am sure.

Maybe you will see some highlights of that last fight.  The last two rounds were ugly.  Najai's was using his head to punch the other guy's gloves.  It was bad...

[RazorDrummer]

Just as I suspected...Peter Manfredo Jr...ranked #3 in the world who was defeated by Gomez in the first fight and reinstated after the Chicken Pox epidemic...won last night in a comeback.  East gets a victory and the comeback is on.  BTW...great fight again.  Camera angles and edits are cool.

Video clips are on the website http://www.nbc.com/nbc/The_Contender/

Cut me, Mick!!!

[RazorDrummer]

Manfredo beat Miguel.  I thought Miguel had a chance to advance when I saw his prelim.  He was winning, but lost the late rounds to a more experienced fighter who had something to prove. 

The replays are showing now on the website.  you can see the fight highlights.  Also, they replay the show twice during the week as well on, like, CNBC and some other NBC affiliates.

[RazorDrummer]

After seeing every movie Stallone ever made, can't help but think this whole thing is scripted to get the same underdog comeback reaction that we do in those movies.  Nevertheless, the fights have been great so far...

Mickey: You know what you are?
Rocky: No, what?
Mickey: A tomato.
Rocky: A tomato?
Mickey: Yeah, and I'm running a buisness here, not a soup kitchen.

Adrian: Why do you wanna fight?
Rocky: Because I can't sing or dance.

Mickey: Women weaken legs!

Mickey: You're gonna eat lightnin' and you're gonna crap thunder!

[RazorDrummer]

OK...this week's Contender update (can't believe I am keeping a boxing thread alive)...

Anthony is the cocky one.  He dissed his teammate's decision to fight Jimmy (arms were too long or something) and called out Brent instead.  Brent kept saying that he was under "God's plan" and all, but when they got into the ring, Anthony looked like that jerk that used to beat up little kids in school and all you could do was watch.  It was sick.  Anthony got the TKO in the third round and Brent looked like a grenade went off in his face. 

Remember those days back in school where all the kids would get in a circle and the two kids would square off in the middle.  One kid would normally get the best of the other and keep hitting him even while he was helpless.  The bigger fighter gets in that rage mode and doesn't quit.  Everybody yells to make it stop...but they keep on getting clean punches in.  That's they way this fight went.  The ref had to stop it after the wife and the other fighters were screaming for a stoppage.  Ugly.  I was expecting a better fight from Brent as he was in great shape with tremendous quickness and with God on his side and all...

After the fight he was sobbing like a school girl...and then his hot wife consoled him.  Brent...dude...don't sweat it...you got a hot wife.  Forget boxing!

[RazorDrummer]

for my buddy, XNA, I feel compelled to keep this thread going.  Another good fight Sunday night.  Not as much drama between these two, but Tarick (old guy on a comeback) lost to Juan (young guy).  Tarick looked tired and Juan had more energy as the two just exchanged wild blows for 5 rounds.  I guess these short fights help keep the action intense.  At the end of the fight, Tarick looked like Yule Brennar in his final days.  So, Tarick gone...par, since he had a hot wife (she looked like a young Hispanic Fran Drescher? photo).  Don't get that part of the show.  All the guys with hot wives and girlfriends are gone.  What are they thinking?

first picture--Tarick before the fight
second picture--Tarick after the fight
third picture -- Yul Brynner
fourth picture -- Tarick's wife
fifth picture -- Fran Drescher
(spooky, huh?)

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[ColoradoHawg]

I hate reality shows, but I loved The Ultimate Fighter on SPike TV

[RazorDrummer]

Man...I had to get the recap off the website as I was consumed with Baseball yesterday.  Gutsy fight by Joey for sure.  You may be right about Jonathan.  I think these guys might be looking at bringing back the weakest fighter since they are so close to the $1m and Jonathan may just be the ticket to an easy W.  He's salty, but just doesn't have the wearwithall to stand up to these young guys.  I am going to catch the replay this week...

[RazorDrummer]

I couldn't wait, so I watched the whole fight online just now.  You were right.  Awesome.  They have to be scripting this whole thing, because there is no way these fights are this great naturally.  But then again, they picked some great fighters and have matched them well so far. 

I got a soft spot for Joey now because he is a fraternity brother of mine (SAE).  So now, I have some one to root for.

[RazorDrummer]

I can't tell if these fights just keep getting better, but after watching last night's fight between the re-instated Ahmed and Alfonzo Gomez, it just seemed like this was another great fight better than the previous.  Gomez is a bulldog fighter and has animal instincts.  Although they didn't really say, he won at least four of the five rounds, but Ahmed had some great moments, too.  Like knocking Alfonzo's mouthpiece clear across the ring.

The show guys were smart by bringing back Ahmed and his hot fiance (photo below), but he ran into another brick wall in Gomez.  I think Gomez is the odd-on favorite now to win, but he has fought two hard fights and might be spent.  It might come down to the fighter that has had the most rest going into the final.  Obviously, one fighter will have just fought a week prior to the final and the other will have had at least two weeks to rest.  Interesting...

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[RazorDrummer]

Best fight yet...again.  This was the first split decision and the first time that I disagreed with the outcome.  Joey vs Peter in an epic battle.  Peter wins the first two rounds and breaks Joey's rib on his left side in the second round.  Joey is physically shaken by the rib injury, but in round three, Joey comes out and literally pummels Peter.  In the fourth round, Joey delivers more punishment to Peter knocking him off balance.  In the fifth round with it all tied up, Joey looks to be the aggressor again but takes a severe accidental head-butt to the right eye which cuts him like Rambo's knife.  The fight doctor steps in and stops the fight and a split decision is made with Peter winning.  I disagree.

My boy Joey is out, but I think he should have won.  He had more heart than most and might have won it outright if the head-butt had not happened.

Drama, baby...

[RazorDrummer]

RR, I have been watching the fights lately here: http://media2.yahoo.com/player/contender/ 

I don't have Sunday nights free lately, so I can watch them when I can on the net. 

xna, I guess we will never know about the Joey-Peter outcome without the head-butt.  All it might have taken was one clock to that broken rib and I would have crumbled to the canvas like the inner'ds of a pinata at the birthday party of the national stick ball champions...

I think the Jessie-Anthony fight will be more about the injury than anything.  Maybe, too, Jesse's manipulation and Anthony being homesick and all...
Yo, Adrian...just get it on and fahgetabout the drama...

Alphonso is the sentimental favorite now...

[RazorDrummer]

Anthony was beating the bejeezus out of Jesse and had the fight pretty much locked up going into the final round.  All he had to do was stay on his feet.  Well...Jesse caught Anthony with a vicious upper-cut that had him so dazed that Jesse landed a second upper-cut to the jaw that sent Anthony to the mat flat on his back, looking for his wallet... 

Clearly, Anthony was the better boxer and by far the aggressor, but it only takes one good shot to change the outcome.  Great fight, again.

[ColoradoHawg]

RR, I have been watching the fights lately here: http://media2.yahoo.com/player/contender/

I don't have Sunday nights free lately, so I can watch them when I can on the net.

xna, I guess we will never know about the Joey-Peter outcome without the head-butt. All it might have taken was one clock to that broken rib and I would have crumbled to the canvas like the inner'ds of a pinata at the birthday party of the national stick ball
champions...

The show comes on on MSNBC sometime around 5 on weekdays, too.

I think the Jessie-Anthony fight will be more about the injury than anything. Maybe, too, Jesse's manipulation and Anthony being homesick and all...
Yo, Adrian...just get it on and fahgetabout the drama...

Alphonso is the sentimental favorite now...

[RazorDrummer]

OK...in the final four and the first semifinal fight is the rematch of the great fight between Alfonso Gomez and Peter Manfredo Jr.  Gomez won the first fight in stunning fashion, but Manfredo was out to prove them all wrong.  Well, Manfredo only proved that Gomez is a great fighter with a ton of heart.  Manfredo won this rematch, but I was not so sure.  7 rounds this time and I thought things were all tied up after 6.  The seventh could have gone either way, but the judges ruled unanimously in favor of Manfredo.  The two boxers went toe to toe for nearly the whole seventh round and I tried to count landed punches and with all the editing, it was hard to tell, but...well...great drama.  Great fight.  This sets up Manfredo to take on the winner of the Jesse/Sergio.  Sergio has had the least amount of attention and drama thus far and could be the sleeper in this whole thing.  Jesse really should have lost his last fight, so he is vulnerable.  Manfredo is probably now the favorite with his experience.  We'll see. 

"Cut me, Mick!!!"

[RazorDrummer]

This thread is probably losing its luster...but it was another great fight last night.  Sergio beats the uppercut man, Jesse, in 7 rounds.  Sergio was just a better boxer.  Jesse only made it this far with a lucky uppercut to Anthony.  Now we are down to Peter Manfredo, Jr. (24-1, 10KO) and Sergio Mora (15-0, 3KO).  Peter's only professional loss was in this tournament to Alfonso Gomez.  Interesting match up.  Peter has the experience, but Sergio is a good boxer albeit a little on the thin side.  I am sure Vegas will put Manfredo to win, but this fight could go either way.  Manfredo with the comeback from the first loss in the tournament...Sergio, the quiet ascention...

Yo, Adrian!  Tune in next Sunday!

[RazorDrummer]

well...it's all over. Sergio Mora is the Contender Champion.  He beat Peter Manfredo, Jr, pretty good Tuesday night.  It looked more like a "real" fight because it was filmed live and not edited like the series was.  No super slow-mo and chilling music.  Just the two of them beating the crappolla out of each other.  Sergio was the aggressor throughout and Manfredo had nothing...nothing left at the end.

Alfonso Gomez beat Jesse in the under-card loser's bracket.

Great series.  I hope they do it again next season.

"Cut me Mick!"

[Hoggy Bear]

Did you know that Jermain Taylor has fought Sergio Mora before?  He beat Mora at the U.S. Olympic Trials in 2000.

[returntoglory]

i absolutely loved this show. i was just wondering if anybody has heard anything about them doing it again next year?