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(Good Read)
By William Dettloff
Kassim Ouma may be a spent bullet, but Cornelius Bundrage’s win over him last Friday night is not without significance.
Bundrage’s victory demonstrated that, increasingly, contestants from The Contender reality show are growing up, taking risks, and behaving like, well, real prizefighters. For a vehicle that has been characterized in some circles as, at best, meaningless, and at worst, damaging to the sport, the show has produced viable (if unexceptional) fighters—not just reality show TV stars. Consider:
On April 12, Alfonso Gomez will face the presumed second-best welterweight in the world, Miguel Cotto. Will he win? Almost certainly not. But he was superb against Arturo Gatti last year, and in my view beat Ben Tackie in much better form last October than did Kendall Holt, a “legitimate” contender. His struggles with Jesse Feliciano are more forgivable in light of Feliciano’s win over Delvin Rodriguez, and in the wake of Feliciano’s stubborn challenge of Kermit Cintron in November.
A little more than a week ago, Brian Vera, who fell apart against Jaidon Codrington in Season Three, scored a shocking stoppage win over the relentlessly hyped and well-connected Andy Lee. (Jeff Wald says a rematch won’t happen; I say he’s playing hard to get.)
Season One finalist Peter Manfredo bombed against Joe Calzaghe, but was reasonably competitive against comebacking Jeff Lacy on the Floyd Mayweather-Ricky Hatton card and appears to be a full level above the clubfighter types with whom he is frequently associated.
Season One winner Sergio Mora, despite recent struggles, is slated to face the still-formidable Vernon Forrest in June. Forrest will be favored, and rightly so. He represents a huge jump in class for Mora, who demonstrates in taking the fight that he is as serious about this business as is anyone in the junior middleweight division.
A month later, Season Two finalist Steve Forbes (who admittedly was a bit overqualified for the show) will try to upset the world order when he takes on Oscar De La Hoya in De La Hoya’s tuneup for his rematch with Mayweather. Fights don’t come much bigger than that.
Season Three’s David Banks got starched by Edison Miranda, but at least he got in there with him. The far more experienced Mikkel Kessler—another “real” fighter—couldn’t be enticed into a fight against Miranda, even with a contract that promised him everything but between-round foot massages. Good for Banks. Professional fighters fight.
And, finally, last year’s season finale, which featured a thrilling slugfest between Codrington and Sakio Bika (won by Bika in the eighth round), was one of the best fights of the year. No one could reasonably question the authenticity of either guy.
There’s no doubt The Contender, like all reality shows, makes TV stars out of people unworthy of the attention. That’s our culture. And I’m doubtful anyone on the show will ever be a world champion. But that applies to 99.9 percent of the fighters on the planet. It doesn’t make them any less real.
Some miscellaneous observations from last week:
I’ve always rather liked Ouma, but if his departure from the game means I don’t have to hear his story again, for the 3,118th time, I’m okay with it. Really, did we need to hear it every single time he stepped in a ring?
It’s not often I applaud state boxing commissions, but Texas’ licensing of Edwin Valero, whatever their reasoning, is brilliant. Valero now gets to decide for himself how much personal risk he is willing to accept in the pursuit of his goals—a right every competent adult should be able to exercise.
No truth to the rumor Floyd Mayweather will delay a fight with Miguel Cotto until after he beats Bob Backlund, Bruno Sammartino, and Oscar De La Hoya, in that order.
I like Joe Tessitore as much as the next guy, but Brian Kenny was damned good doing blow-by-blow. Is there anything this guy can’t do behind a microphone?
It’s hard not to be happy for Verno Phillips, one of the real hard-nosed, competent veterans in this business. But is he a three-time world champion? Not by a long shot.
Bill can be contacted at dettloff@ptd.net.
By William Dettloff
Kassim Ouma may be a spent bullet, but Cornelius Bundrage’s win over him last Friday night is not without significance.
Bundrage’s victory demonstrated that, increasingly, contestants from The Contender reality show are growing up, taking risks, and behaving like, well, real prizefighters. For a vehicle that has been characterized in some circles as, at best, meaningless, and at worst, damaging to the sport, the show has produced viable (if unexceptional) fighters—not just reality show TV stars. Consider:
On April 12, Alfonso Gomez will face the presumed second-best welterweight in the world, Miguel Cotto. Will he win? Almost certainly not. But he was superb against Arturo Gatti last year, and in my view beat Ben Tackie in much better form last October than did Kendall Holt, a “legitimate” contender. His struggles with Jesse Feliciano are more forgivable in light of Feliciano’s win over Delvin Rodriguez, and in the wake of Feliciano’s stubborn challenge of Kermit Cintron in November.
A little more than a week ago, Brian Vera, who fell apart against Jaidon Codrington in Season Three, scored a shocking stoppage win over the relentlessly hyped and well-connected Andy Lee. (Jeff Wald says a rematch won’t happen; I say he’s playing hard to get.)
Season One finalist Peter Manfredo bombed against Joe Calzaghe, but was reasonably competitive against comebacking Jeff Lacy on the Floyd Mayweather-Ricky Hatton card and appears to be a full level above the clubfighter types with whom he is frequently associated.
Season One winner Sergio Mora, despite recent struggles, is slated to face the still-formidable Vernon Forrest in June. Forrest will be favored, and rightly so. He represents a huge jump in class for Mora, who demonstrates in taking the fight that he is as serious about this business as is anyone in the junior middleweight division.
A month later, Season Two finalist Steve Forbes (who admittedly was a bit overqualified for the show) will try to upset the world order when he takes on Oscar De La Hoya in De La Hoya’s tuneup for his rematch with Mayweather. Fights don’t come much bigger than that.
Season Three’s David Banks got starched by Edison Miranda, but at least he got in there with him. The far more experienced Mikkel Kessler—another “real” fighter—couldn’t be enticed into a fight against Miranda, even with a contract that promised him everything but between-round foot massages. Good for Banks. Professional fighters fight.
And, finally, last year’s season finale, which featured a thrilling slugfest between Codrington and Sakio Bika (won by Bika in the eighth round), was one of the best fights of the year. No one could reasonably question the authenticity of either guy.
There’s no doubt The Contender, like all reality shows, makes TV stars out of people unworthy of the attention. That’s our culture. And I’m doubtful anyone on the show will ever be a world champion. But that applies to 99.9 percent of the fighters on the planet. It doesn’t make them any less real.
Some miscellaneous observations from last week:
I’ve always rather liked Ouma, but if his departure from the game means I don’t have to hear his story again, for the 3,118th time, I’m okay with it. Really, did we need to hear it every single time he stepped in a ring?
It’s not often I applaud state boxing commissions, but Texas’ licensing of Edwin Valero, whatever their reasoning, is brilliant. Valero now gets to decide for himself how much personal risk he is willing to accept in the pursuit of his goals—a right every competent adult should be able to exercise.
No truth to the rumor Floyd Mayweather will delay a fight with Miguel Cotto until after he beats Bob Backlund, Bruno Sammartino, and Oscar De La Hoya, in that order.
I like Joe Tessitore as much as the next guy, but Brian Kenny was damned good doing blow-by-blow. Is there anything this guy can’t do behind a microphone?
It’s hard not to be happy for Verno Phillips, one of the real hard-nosed, competent veterans in this business. But is he a three-time world champion? Not by a long shot.
Bill can be contacted at dettloff@ptd.net.
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