BoxRec

ITV2 are showing the reality Boxing programme The Contender soon, hosted by Ray Leonard and Sly Stallone.

I have just seen the advert.

It starts next Monday at 9pm. ITV2.

Just hope this is on a torrent site somewhere as I'll not be around to see atleast the premiere. Time will tell if this programme is worth watching any further.

What is it about? Some sort of televised toughman contest?

Its a boxing TV reality show a la survivor. Each week one fighter leaves the show after losing a fight, the results of the fights will go to the fighters record.
The boxers on the show and their records (before the show):
http://contender.tv.yahoo.com/index.html

Ahmed Kaddour (18-0, 9 KO) 23 years: (His amateur was not 81-1 as he claims but 67-3)
http://www.boxrec.com/boxer_display.php?boxer_id=020099
Ishe Smith (14-0, 7 KO) 26 yearsr:
http://www.boxrec.com/boxer_display.php?boxer_id=043999
Peter Manfredo Jr. (21-0, 10 KO) 24 years:
http://www.boxrec.com/boxer_display.php?boxer_id=018537
Joey Gilbert (8-0, 7 KO) 28 years:
http://www.boxrec.com/boxer_display.php?boxer_id=085624
Jimmy Lange (24-1-1, 17 KO) 29 years:
http://www.boxrec.com/boxer_display.php?boxer_id=028788
Tarick Salmaci (20-1, 5 KO) 32 years:
http://www.boxrec.com/boxer_display.php?boxer_id=019153
Jeff Fraza (16-2, 10 KO) 27 years:
http://www.boxrec.com/boxer_display.php?boxer_id=031380
Juan de la Rosa (12-0-1, 11 KO) 18 years:
http://www.boxrec.com/boxer_display.php?boxer_id=239085
Jonathan Reid (34-1, 20 KO) 32 years:
http://www.boxrec.com/boxer_display.php?boxer_id=016720
Najal Turpin (13-1, 9 KO) 23 years:
http://www.boxrec.com/boxer_display.php?boxer_id=055282
Sergio Mora (12-0, 3 KO) 25 years:
http://www.boxrec.com/boxer_display.php?boxer_id=036966
Brent Cooper (20-2-2, 15 KO), 31 years:
http://www.boxrec.com/boxer_display.php?boxer_id=020219
Jesse Brinkley (23-1, 16 KO), 28 years:
http://www.boxrec.com/boxer_display.php?boxer_id=022985
Alfonso Gomez jr. (10-2-1, 4 KO) 24 years:
http://www.boxrec.com/boxer_display.php?boxer_id=044511
Anthony Bonsante (24-4-3, 13 KO) 34 years:
http://www.boxrec.com/boxer_display.php?boxer_id=025737
Miguel Espino (9-1-1, 3 KO) 25 years
http://www.boxrec.com/boxer_display.php?boxer_id=015885

Najal Turpin won't be featuring, he killed himself before the show aired.

I read in BN they were still going to show his 'contribution to the program' ?

Just went on his record and seen the date of death is filled in, bit sad really

How is this going to work? I thought there's only one winner, so how can you have a light welter fighting a middleweight (for example) for the prize? It just doesn't seem fair.

Just a reminder, 9pm ITV2 Monday.

Bumped for a little reminder, starting in 5 minutes.

So what did you think fight fans?

my wee bro was watching with me, hes asking what are these guys like compared to british boxers, like would scott dann for example beat them all???

bit too hollywood for me, sounds when the punches connected and only ceertain bits of the rounds shown, also no scores at the end....

any boxing is good boxing though.
looking at the records and the pre fight warm up thought manfreddy would muller gomez

I have to say I enjoyed it alot.

I would have preferred to see the full fights but can totally understand why they didnt do this.

Overall probably better than I expected and I will definetely be watching the following episodes.

Scores were 50-45, 49-46, 48-47 - from Boxrec.

Fair play to Gomez that Manfredo was a handful. Too cocky though I was pleased Gomez won.

Gomez - http://www.boxrec.com/boxer_display.php?boxer_id=044511

bigped wrote:my wee bro was watching with me, hes asking what are these guys like compared to british boxers, like would scott dann for example beat them all???

Nope, seen Ishe Smith before and he is very good. He doesn't seem to be THE outstanding fighter here (one of the better ones though). Ishe would beat any British Light Middle/Middle except Eastman and maybe Richard Williams.

Show was a bit too Hollywood but better than I first expected and look forward to the next one. Was surprised at the outcome of the first fight, Manfredo just didn't seem up for it at all.

I think Gomez hurt him in that first round, he was very tentative thereafter. He took quite a shallacking in that first.

I expected more from that Manfredi guy after the 2nd round, he did well in that round. But apart from that, Gomez was fully in control from what we saw. I enjoyed the show though. Is it a weekly thing or what?

Yes once a week. We're getting it a week behind the US though so try not to read the news about it on the boxing sites!

Better check if its a weekly thing, they showed the 3rd episode in the US on sunday

2 weeks behind then!! Its definitely weekly here.

Just checked my TV guide, ITV2 have The Contender in a slot this coming Thursday night. You reckon this is the repeat of tonights?

In the U.S., we've already saw the first three episodes (and if you enjoy the first, you'll likely enjoy the next ones as well -- I think it's a well-done show).

Manfredo (according to reports leading up to the show) had a lot of pressure on him from his father (who is his trainer) about being on the show. His father was afraid the show would "screw up everything he'd learned" from his dad. That may've played into how things worked out in the first episode -- he didn't seem as if he wasn't "up" for the fight to me -- just that he was overly nervous to be fighting a guy he should easily beat.

By the way, did you guys get Next Great Champ over there?

You've got to love the Mexican mentality. No fornicating about: "I want to fight Manfredo". The others looked at him like he was tapped.

Good on him!