The Contender: Season Four, Episode Nine Recap

By Jake Donovan

 

Teams no longer matter, as it is now every fighter for himself as we are one bout deep into the quarterfinals. Recaps are shown of last week's episode, which features Troy Ross on the delivering end of his first round knockout of Felix Cora Jr. There have been two knockouts this season, both delivered by the muscular Canadian, having previously stopped Lawrence Taussa in two rounds.

 

Seven boxers remain alive in this Contender cruiserweight tournament, with nine eliminated.

Troy Ross; Deon Elam; Rico Hoye; Akinyemi Laleye; Ehinomen Ehikhamenor; Ryan Coyne; Alfredo Escalera Jr.

 

Mike Alexander; Richard Gingras; Lawrence Taussa; Erick Vega; Darnell Wilson; Joell Godfrey, Tim Flamos; Jon Schneider

Felix Cora, Jr.

 

This week begins with Ross discussing only on last week's win, but the possibility of wearing a bullseye for as long as he can remain in the tournament.

 

"For these fighters, to see me knock out two good guys – it's definitely going to make them step up their game 100%."

 

The camera cuts to Contender housing, where the other six remaining fighters show why they are boxers and not accountants.

 

"Damn, Troy averaging – what 2 ½ rounds so far."

 

Sure –if totals equal average.

To his credit, Deon Elam corrects the crowd that the average is closer to 1 ½ rounds.

 

Cut to Alyssa Milano, who professes her love for Boxingscene.com's own Cliff Rold, wondering why it's someone else's fingertips and not his, banging out this week's blog.

 

Just seeing if you're still paying attention.

 

After marveling in Ross' second knockout, what's left of the Blue team reflects on losing one of their past members. Escalera insists that life must go on, while Coyne comments on how the room is getting lonelier by the fight.

 

A commercial break – apparently Flomax not only cures BPH, but allows grown men to share a tub of popcorn at a baseball game.

 

The show resumes, with host Tony Danza summoning Coyne to the doctor's office. Concern over swelling in his right eye is the cause for the visit. The doctor gives him a thorough look, and detects bruising, as well as an internal infection in which he predicts puss will begin to leak out. The final prognosis is that he believes Coyne should not fight.

 

Danza empathizes with Coyne, knowing he wants to fight, but forced to obey the doctor's orders.

 

Obviously, it's the last thing Coyne wanted to hear.

 

"I can take solace in the fact that I had an impressive win, but never thought it would come to this.

 

"When I got here, I was a bit anonymous, flying under the radar. People know who I am now. I'm going to hang my head high; I'm not going to let this discourage me."

 

The gloves are placed on the Wall of Shame – and then there are six.

 

Danza briefs the remaining players, explaining that Coyne was forced to leave on doctor's orders. This leaves Rico Hoye without an opponent, which only means one thing – The Contender magically bringing back previous castaways, even with the sales pitch of "Win or Go Home."

 

It is explained to the room that Hoye can choose from the three exiled fighters who are medically cleared to fight – Joell Godfrey, Erick Vega or Mike Alexander, the last of whom lost a decision to Hoye in the opening round of competition.

 

The group must vote on who comes back, at which point they hold a roundtable discussion. Names are mentioned until Ehikhamenor states, "I choose nobody." He qualifies his response by saying that he's cool with whomever Hoye selects. The rest of the room agrees – except for Escalera, who now believes Hoye will go for the softest touch.

 

Fighting words.

 

The two have to be separated by the other four, ending with Escalera leaving the room to the tune of Hoye referring to him as a coward.

 

Back to the meeting room the fighters go, where they inform Danza that Joell Godfrey will be the fighter flown back to Singapore. In the meantime, the next fight must commence. What a coincidence that it involves a now enraged Escalera, who will face Akenyemi Laleye.

 

Before that fight begins, an old face returns. Godfrey comes through the doors, lifting his gloves from the hook on which he last left them upon departing. The room is thrilled to see him, and Godfrey is thrilled to be back, promising to make Hoye regret the decision.

 

Next scene – intense pre-fight training. Esclaera is jumping rope. Laleye is hitting the double-end bag. Godfrey is ordered by trainer John Bray to stick with the jab and fight tall. Good thing Teddy Atlas isn't around or he'd have a coronary.

 

Onto fight night. Laleye enters his dressing room, drops his gym bag and poses, taking in the moment.  On the other side, Escalera is far mellower, stretched out and thinking about what he's going to do before the opening bell rings. Flashback sequences reveal his desire to measure up to his fighting father Alfredo Sr, a long time super featherweight champion before being dethroned by the legendary Alexis Arguello in 1978.

 

The two are in the ring and ready to throw down (in heavily edited format, of course).

 

The opening round shows both fighters working behind the jab. Trainer Tommy Brooks is pleased with Laleye's work, while Bray wants Escalera to keep up his hands more often and also work the body. In real life, Bray is actually one of the best trainers in the game. For whatever reason, the Contender fighters he trains rarely if ever follow his advice, which is to say "Fredo" didn't work the body or commit to his jab. Laleye makes him pay, landing digging body shots along the ropes. The round ends with both fighters trading upstairs, much to the delight of the Contender crowd.

 

Round two begins with Bray screaming for Fredo to close the gap and work the body. It doesn't happen. Laleye takes control, cracking Escalera with a left hook upstairs and getting the better of all of the inside exchanges. Escalera attempts to hit the body, but Laleye is steady throwing. A right hand upstairs has Escalera in trouble, but the Puerto Rican recovers and rallies down the stretch.

 

Another round, more demands for body work from John Bray, but it's Laleye unloading downstairs. Hit the body, the head will follow. The old adage plays true as Escalera finds himself on rubber legs after getting nailed with consecutive head shots. Laleye is in complete control, as Escalera's punches no longer have any snap on them. Both trainers sense it.

 

"This guy has nothing left," shouts Brooks in between rounds.

 

"Listen baby, you gotta find it somewhere," Bray pleads Escalera.

 

All Escalera finds is more leather in his face as Laleye commits to the stick. The sequences repeat themselves – Escalera throws a lazy left hook, Laleye slips it and counters him into Bolivian. Escalera attempts one last stand, letting his hands go as Laleye attempts a clinch.

 

Bray doesn't sugar coat it as the bout heads into the final round. "You need a knockout."

 

Laleye doesn't need it – but Tommy Brooks wants one. "You got anything left, baby?" he asks before pointing out that Escalera is the proverbial dead man walking.

 

The final round confirms his suspicions. Laleye lands at will throughout the round, with Escalera able to do little other than clinch and hold behind the head, the latter for which he receives a warning. His defense gone, Escalera is unable to block the incoming. Laleye finishes him off, cracking him with a perfect left hook that forces the Puerto Rican to collapse to the canvas in cartoon-like fashion.

 

The official time was 1:51 of the fifth and final round.

 

Laleye improves to 12-1 (6KO), and moves on to face Troy Ross in the semifinals.

 

Escalera falls to 16-2-1 (11KO) and throws himself a pity party in reflecting on the loss.

 

"I wish I would've known how to overcome the odds I was facing going into tonight; one guy against the rest of the house, so to speak. I thought I knew how to handle it."

 

Bray reminds him of his failed effort to handle it.

 

"You're a much better fighter than that. You let all of those feelings overwhelm you and control you, rather than you controlling them. You have to learn discipline and controlling your emotions."

 

Of course, the advice was given in love, followed by Bray's insistence that he went out like a soldier.

 

Escalera doesn't believe it, fighting back tears as he wonders if he felt his father would look down on him for running out of gas in the end.

 

That question will have to be answered another day, but what can be confirmed is that Escalera has run out of screen time.