By Cliff Rold
Following the two-round sparring comeback of Tony Danza and five rounds of dominant combat for Alfredo Escalera Jr. over a now-departed Jon Schneider in episode two, week three of the latest Contender series got under way with a recap and then the ever-epic opening credits. Flags from around the world, horns, and slow motion let every viewer know…this is real dammit!
Post-show previews in week two promised the best fight so far. Will the clipped highlights meet the hype and, more important…Will THIS be the week Danza is reunited with 80s TV daughter Alyssa Milano?
If not, we still have 14 Boxers alive in this Cruiserweight tournament. The Blue Team controls the board once again with rosters currently at:
Blue
Mike Alexander (12-2, 8 KO)
Felix Cora Jr. (19-2-2, 9 KO) - Advancing
Ryan Coyne (9-0, 3 KO)
Alfredo Escalera Jr. (16-1-1, 11 KO) - Advancing
Richard Gingras (9-1, 5 KO)
Lawrence Tauasa (30-5-1, 17 KO)
Erick Vega (8-2-1, 6 KO)
Darnell Wilson (23-7-3, 20 KO)
Gold
Joell Godfrey (9-1-1, 5 KO) - Eliminated
Deon Elam (9-0, 5 KO)
Rico Hoye (20-2, 15 KO)
Akinyemi Laleye (10-1, 5 KO)
Ehinomen Ehikhamenor (12-3, 7 KO)
Tim Flamos (20-4-1, 8 KO)
Troy Ross (17-1, 12 KO)
Jon Schneider (7-3-1, 5 KO) - Eliminated
Cue the Contender music….
Episode Three Recap
Following some victory follow-up comments for Escalera, the losing Gold Team emerges as the early episode focus. Pep talk chatter fills the room and Laleye shadow boxes, hyping himself up and attempting to fire up his teammates. Veteran Rico Hoye looks amused.
The first commercial leads to more focus on Gold, trainer Tommy Brooks walking his charges to a wall with two pairs of their team’s gloves for motivation before engaging in a little friendly trash talk with Blue Team trainer John Bray. A series of interviews suggest Erik Vega would like a shot at Laleye and Gingras at Flamos. Coyne goes a step further, still recovering from a cut, by tying on a head band with “Hino” (a nickname for Ehikhamenor) on it.
The show comes back from another advertising round with both teams assembled in front of the tournament board, Escalera choosing to place himself away from Cora’s bold week two choice of the first round for his quarterfinal. Escalera will compete in the following round instead. The focus shifts to the Blue Team as Bray asks his team to stay humble (no headbands) while Brooks tells the Gold to make some banners and build away from defeat. He promises to go “smooth off” with a third-straight loss.
Back to Blue, it appears Vega or Gingras will be the selection…if so, who will be the Golden choice? Vega steps forward and points at Laleye. A staredown and words of bravado follow before Danza calls for a handshake. Week three has its contest.
Horns play over a darkened sky at sunset as the drama builds for an opening bell.
Vega’s Mom didn’t want him to fight (what Mom ever does?); Laleye recalls growing up in Nigeria. Warm-ups and strategy chatter lead to a packed Contender arena and lonely walks to the ring. Laleye wanders to Vega’s corner right away, bouncing and staring him down. The eye lock again at center ring…they touch gloves…
clang
Round One
Vega stalks while Laleye circles behind his left jab. Some grappling inside leads to an exchange of body shots and they scuffle at mid-ring. Both are having trouble landing the right hand but Laleye gets home with a lead left hook. Vega walks Laleye to the ropes and lands some rights to the body before Laleye, twice, goes Jersey Joe Walcott, walking away before turning back to punch.
Round Two
Vega is more aggressive to start the second but Laleye answers with a right. Boxing at distance, Vega is kept on the outside before reaching with body work. Bray implores his charge to let his hands go while Laleye lands a lead left hook and then an uppercut. Vega goes back to the body but eats a right-left-right inside.
Round Three
Again assertive to start, Vega eats a three punch combination off of another Laleye walk-away and pivot. Vega holds and clips with a right uppercut. Out of the clinch, he is tagged with another right. Vega finally lets loose a hard combination and a finishing right hand turns Laleye almost all the way around. The African turns back to the action but the late surge is Vega’s best moment of the bout (remarkably showing much more of the fight than has been the case in recent weeks…at least it feels that way).
Round Four
Brooks told Laleye in the corner he had him up two rounds with one even. Laleye responds by landing the right hand right away. Vega though has closed the gap and stays with the pressure. Caught head hunting, Vega responds to calls from the corner to go to the body, landing rights to the ribs. Laleye is trapped in the corner but lands a slapping right and left to escape, clearly showing fatigue. Seconds later, Laleye channels another ghost from the past, pulling down Vega’s trunks a la Pernell Whitaker-Roger Mayweather. When the action resumes, Laleye keeps Vega at bay with the jab until the final bell.
Round Five
Warned by Brooks to stay away, that he’s got in won, Laleye enters the final three minutes circling. Vega is still popping the jab but it Laleye with a right to the head and body before Vega lands the shot he’s been looking for. A right hand wobbles Laleye badly and he clinches while Vega fires with both hands. Both men trade power shots and it’s all out war as a right from Laleye spins the momentum in his favor and now Vega is seriously hurt. They continue to fire until the final bell, neither man going down. A left from Vega knocks Laleye off balance and then a final right from Laleye returns the favor. Both teams are going nuts for their guys and the crowd gives both warriors a fitting salute at the close. The winner is clear and formally announced at 50-46 and 49-46 twice for Laleye, but both men showed winning heart on this night. Hype about the best fight so far was met.
Vega, a band aid over a scraped left eye, hits the showers, apologizing for letting anyone down as if defeat in valor could ever be such a thing. He hangs up his gloves, the first member of the Blue Team to see the exits.
Previews for episode four indicate Laleye and Escalera heading towards a war of words…but they won’t be fighting anytime soon. A preview of the quarterfinals? We wait.
Episode One Rating: 9 out of 10
Cliff Rold is a member of the Ring Magazine Ratings Advisory Panel and the Boxing Writers Association of America. He can be reached at roldboxing@hotmail.com