filming of the contender starts in a week & 1/2, who wins

[Eric t]

Shelly Horton
July 26, 2009

CHARLOTTE DAWSON has beaten all comers to headline the Australian version of boxing reality show The Contender .

More than a year ago, Dawson smoothly stepped in to host the Australia's Next Top Model finale after Jodhi Meares left. At the time, Foxtel boss Brian Walsh said he was so impressed he would give her her own show - and he has kept his promise.

"Charlotte is one tough cookie and will have no problem keeping those boxers in line," Mr Walsh said on Friday. Dawson is the only female host in the world franchise of The Contender .

"I love boxing and love that world," she said. "I used to watch [it] in New Zealand so I've been busting to tell people.

"In a lot of ways Contender and Top Model are the same. It's a bunch of people in a house wanting to punch the shit out of each other."

The Contender will follow 14 boxers from Australia and New Zealand in an elimination-style competition, while also tracking their lives and relationships with each other and their families.

The winner will then fight Anthony "The Man" Mundine.

It will feature contestants with gritty life stories, including Shannan Taylor, who battled cocaine addiction, Nader Hamdan, who served time in juvenile detention, and Congo national Sonni Michael Angelo, who was locked up in the Villawood detention centre.

Ben McCulloch, a Japanese-speaking vegan who studied philosophy at university, should be a hit with viewers.

New Australian citizen Sakio Bika became known worldwide when he won The Contender in the US.

Foxtel is yet to confirm who will co-host the Australian version with Dawson, but expect it to be a younger male presenter. Filming at Homebush Bay's Olympic precinct starts in two weeks.

[Eric t]

Don't be surprised if oganov wins this, i don't think many fighters in aus around his weight can take his power, danny green and sakio bika maybe but they ain't in it, paul briggs said he hits very hard after sparring him, he said he hits harder than tomasz adamek, adamek lost to chad dawson but floored him.

Don't be surprised if he ko's mundine too, if they fight, mundine might survive and win a UD because he has good defensive skills but can he fight 12 rounds without getting hit with one big shot, that's all it could take, he doesn't look as confortable taking a shot as he use to, he didn't look confortable getting hit by geale, oganov hits way harder than geale.

[Hounddawg]

I like Organov to win, but I'm not convinced of it.

[dan h]

Oganov has been exsposed in recent bouts. He is very limited. Hamden will box his ears off i think. If Hamden is hitting the gym hard I think he will win it.

Junior T is a smokey i think. From confirmed fighters it doesn't look like it will be choc full of world class fighters.

Daniel Dawson would be a chance if he is in it too.

If the rumor that Daniel Geale is in it is true I think he will definitely win it.

[Eric t]

Oganov has been exsposed in recent bouts. He is very limited. Hamden will box his ears off i think. If Hamden is hitting the gym hard I think he will win it.

Junior T is a smokey i think. From confirmed fighters it doesn't look like it will be choc full of world class fighters.

Daniel Dawson would be a chance if he is in it too.

If the rumor that Daniel Geale is in it is true I think he will definitely win it.

He is good enough to land punches on the guys that i know of that are in it.

But he took a lot of clean shots before he was stopped so he has a very good chin, oganov lasted 8 rounds with zuniga, zuniga lost to pavlik but dropped him and the other time he lost he was still on his feet, vic said it was stopped too early he was ok
I don't think hamdan has the power or chin that them guys who stopped oganov have and hamdan got stopped by abraham so how is he going to handle oganovs power, oganov is bigger than abraham.

[dan h]

Oganov has been exsposed in recent bouts. He is very limited. Hamden will box his ears off i think. If Hamden is hitting the gym hard I think he will win it.

Junior T is a smokey i think. From confirmed fighters it doesn't look like it will be choc full of world class fighters.

Daniel Dawson would be a chance if he is in it too.

If the rumor that Daniel Geale is in it is true I think he will definitely win it.

He is good enough to land punches on the guys that i know of that are in it.

But he took a lot of clean shots before he was stopped so he has a very good chin, oganov lasted 8 rounds with zuniga, zuniga lost to pavlik but dropped him and the other time he lost he was still on his feet, vic said it was stopped too early he was ok
I don't think hamdan has the power or chin that them guys who stopped oganov have and hamdan got stopped by abraham so how is he going to handle oganovs power, oganov is bigger than abraham.

I agree with alot of what you are saying but Vic just lets himself cop clean shots too much. As for the abraham thing. Abraham still hits hard and is alot more accurate than oganov. Oganov would not catch hamden imo.

[colin russell]

I would like to know who else is in it . Anyone know.

[Eric t]

I'm looking for a list myself

I think daniel dawson is in america getting trained by justin fortune so don't know if he will be in it, pittman should have definitely got picked, it makes you wonder if mundine has dictated who will be in it, i don't know if he will now even if someone drops out because he has signed with superboxer, he should have waited. Hopefully sheridan and tongia have been picked, they could have got picked , who knows, have to wait and see.
Don't know why they picked ben mcCulloch, he has only had 3 fights.

[Eric t]

I got some breaking news, shannan taylor had to pull out because a hand injury, i'm friends with him on facebook, he write this on his wall.

hopefully geale or someone good will replace him

[Liver Crusher]

organov wouldnt match Geale for speed & skill.ud geale if it happened!

['Frilla]

Geale would clean up if he is in this, n wats this about TAYLOR pulling out??? :?? :??

[foxdog1923]

I hope we get to watch that in N.Z thats fantastic for Australian boxing and I think I read there may be some kiwis in their too, which is great for us kiwis as well. I just hope the winner can either beat or put up a good fight with Mundine cos the winner will be in some ways representing all of the contestants. It'll look bad for the show if the contender got KO'd in the 1st round by Mundine or beaten up throughout the whole fight, if so they might as well call it the MUNDINE.

[Hounddawg]

Well it's going to make the show look bad, because not one of those guys will beat Mundine.

[Soundkamp]

i dont think its Geale, he was talking about a fight in tas in october against a top 10 middleweight from the US