The Contender

Fans of boxing will love this series. Even though this is far from the tuesday night fights that our grandfathers grew up with, it is a modern day reality like tournament with a boxing setting. With an Apprentice quality to the production style, The Contender has an devoted audience of boxing fans and fans of reality television. Sylvester Stallone and Sugar Ray Leonard are the hosts of this show which they also helped to create. Although I am a fan of "Sly" and I was a big fan of Sugar Ray when he was Champ, I am far from a fan when it comes to their new careers in television. Much like Donald Trump, both Sly and Sugar Ray need hours of studio time in he editing room when it comes to adding voice over tracks to their scenes. It's one thing when there's bad audio and you need to "dub" a voice track, but when the Hosts of the Show are unable to say their lines (announce the rules) in 1 take, it's time for certain actors to go back to Acting School and brush up on their talents. Otherwise, this is a great series that needs a little "touch up" here and there.

I feel happy but still confused about this show. It has everything I could dream of from a good show. GOOD boxers, Stallone and Sugar Ray, tactics and psyching.

But I can't stand the dramatizing music, slow motions and empty bombastic phrases. And I hate the filming of the matches - lots of audience filming on family and friends, lots of slow motion and the from below angle never gives you a possibility to understand how the fight goes. And I feel uncertain all the time if these fights are really just the boxers doing their best, or following a script to dramatize the match - the matches are swinging forth and back a bit much.

But I just can't help loving the show. I hope that I'm not tricked, but that this show is actually the real thing.

Well we know Mike Tyson cant fight anyone in the Heavyweight category anymore. With all the money he owes the IRS I refuse to believe he will stop fighting. Maybe Mike should challenge someone in a lower weight class. With that said do you think any of the contender's could beat an aging Mike Tyson? I don't think any of them could but it would be fun to watch.

Personally I think Mike should pursue a career in boxing commentary. He could make good money and people nowadays only watch Mike Tyson to hear what comes out of his mouth. It probably wouldn't be intelligent or useful commentary but I guarantee it would be entertaining and I for one would listen to it.

'The Contender' is a show with a genuine reality to it. It doesn't try to create drama- there's enough of that in the ring. It just follows a bunch of lower-class boxers trying to make it in the business. Basically, looking to be the next Rocky. With Sly Stallone and Sugar Ray Leonard training, along with other professionals, they help these guys try to make a dream come true. In the end, the final two boxers will compete for $1,000,000. This show is possibly the greatest reality show in a long, long time. You have the humble, young boxers, like Ishe or Juan, and you have the cocky punks, like Ahmad. It can sometimes be the fight between good and evil, but this time, you don't know who's gonna win. This brings all the entertainment possible: Fighting, shouting, and human emotion. I like it, and so will you.

The first time I HEARD about this show i knew it would be ranked as one of the most watched shows ever! I didn't even have to watch it to like it. And yes, it is WAY better than Tough Enough!

The first thing i liked about this show was that it involves boxing. Each one of the contestants is fighting for what he believes in and what they believe in is that they are better than all of the other warriors in that competition.

Another thing i praise this show for is the casting of the hosts. I think it is an excellent idea to get hosts that have a background in boxing. The hosts of The Contender are: Sylvester Stallone (Sly) who starred in the Academy Award Winning Rocky and Sugar Ray Leonard, the former World Champion.

It had an excellent start because i liked the overconfidence of the contenders early on in the contest. For example: the feud between Ahmed Kaddour of the East and Ishe Smith of the West. Their fight is the most emotional match and the one with most meaning so far in the show.

Each fight is simply awesome. I liked the camera angles that slows down the punches of each fighter so you'll see if the punch hit the opponent or not. And during the end of the fight, it gets very emotional. On the part of the winner: knowing that you're one step closer to realizing your dream, assuring yourself that you're staying in the game for another week, and being proud that you were the one who sent that opponent home. On the loser's part: walking back to the locker room with your head down, taking a shower and pounding on the wall, hanging up your gloves and walking out of the gymnasium.

I recommend this show to all the fight fans and reality show enthusiasts!