Did "The Contender" fail?

**TommyGunn.** · 04-25-2008, 05:13 AM

These guys are fighting on that show for a reason. They would do nothing in boxing if it wern't for it.

Steve Forbes is the only good fighter ive seen on that show, got robbed in the final when he was way out his weight class (you reading this Oscar?)

**Ras44** · 04-25-2008, 05:17 AM

I think this thread should be answered by the people who did the casting for the series. I highly doubt they knew much about boxing, but did knew about marketing.

The Contender was a show aimed at the mainstream, not the hardcore boxing fan. If you see it that way, well, it wasn't such a disaster. It did fail to catch up, but if it was made for the mainstream, it was properly engineered.

However, if for some strange reason Leonard or Stallone come up and say the show tried to satisfy the hardcore boxing fans... then it should be considered a failure.

**Eff_Ehl** · 04-25-2008, 05:25 AM

no it didn't fail because it was a huge series

you think they care about anything other than viewing figures?

**KESSLER** · 04-25-2008, 05:25 AM

Originally posted by Ras44

I think this thread should be answered by the people who did the casting for the series. I highly doubt they knew much about boxing, but did knew about marketing.

The Contender was a show aimed at the mainstream, not the hardcore boxing fan. If you see it that way, well, it wasn't such a disaster. It did fail to catch up, but if it was made for the mainstream, it was properly engineered.

However, if for some strange reason Leonard or Stallone come up and say the show tried to satisfy the hardcore boxing fans... then it should be considered a failure.

Sure it was aimed for mainstream, it's a reality show.

But hardcore boxing fans will watch, 'cause it's boxing and they'll call it a failure.

**Pullcounter** · 04-25-2008, 07:28 AM

Originally posted by Kessler

By failed I mean to live up to what the show kinda was gunning for: Producing new stars to the sport... It gave boxing some good exposure and probaly a few extra fans, but they never really produced that mega star.

Season 1 is probaly the one that had biggest sucess, you had guys like Alfonso Gomez, Sergio Mora and Peter Manfredo Jr.

Gomez - Beats Gatti and Ben Tackie, fights Cotto and gets humiliated.

Manfredo - Since his 1st fight in the Contender back in '04 against Gomez, he has fought 14 times to this date.
1 of them being against Calzaghe.. I remember people on the boards picking Manfredo over Calzaghe (

) all we all know how that fight ended (no suprise). The stoppage was controversial, but it would've happend a few rounds later anyway.

Mora - Ducks Jermain Taylor in a once in a life time opportunity. Finally grows some balls to get back in the ring and fights Elvin Ayala in a DRAW.

The show never really produced anything else than those 3 guys, those are the 3 dudes they probaly had most sucess with.
-

Season 2 - They act like that one never happend.. Grady Brewer? wtf
-

Season 3 - This was probaly the best one, since they can't produce stars, bring some known people in! but Sakio Bika? wtf.. Look at Leonards face when he gives Bika that belt or whatever he gives him (can't remember) you can tell he wanted Codrington to win! haha.

the contender failed to produce any good contenders.

**muppetman** · 04-25-2008, 07:34 AM

Originally posted by Kessler

By failed I mean to live up to what the show kinda was gunning for: Producing new stars to the sport... It gave boxing some good exposure and probaly a few extra fans, but they never really produced that mega star.

Season 1 is probaly the one that had biggest sucess, you had guys like Alfonso Gomez, Sergio Mora and Peter Manfredo Jr.

Gomez - Beats Gatti and Ben Tackie, fights Cotto and gets humiliated.

Manfredo - Since his 1st fight in the Contender back in '04 against Gomez, he has fought 14 times to this date.
1 of them being against Calzaghe.. I remember people on the boards picking Manfredo over Calzaghe (

) all we all know how that fight ended (no suprise). The stoppage was controversial, but it would've happend a few rounds later anyway.

Mora - Ducks Jermain Taylor in a once in a life time opportunity. Finally grows some balls to get back in the ring and fights Elvin Ayala in a DRAW.

The show never really produced anything else than those 3 guys, those are the 3 dudes they probaly had most sucess with.
-

Season 2 - They act like that one never happend.. Grady Brewer? wtf
-

Season 3 - This was probaly the best one, since they can't produce stars, bring some known people in! but Sakio Bika? wtf.. Look at Leonards face when he gives Bika that belt or whatever he gives him (can't remember) you can tell he wanted Codrington to win! haha.

ALL it did was help out our sport a little but when it came to the contenders fighting the elite in the real game they pretty much got

**Clegg** · 04-25-2008, 07:50 AM

Originally posted by Ras44

I think this thread should be answered by the people who did the casting for the series. I highly doubt they knew much about boxing, but did knew about marketing.

The Contender was a show aimed at the mainstream, not the hardcore boxing fan. If you see it that way, well, it wasn't such a disaster. It did fail to catch up, but if it was made for the mainstream, it was properly engineered.

However, if for some strange reason Leonard or Stallone come up and say the show tried to satisfy the hardcore boxing fans... then it should be considered a failure.

I agree. The training stuff was interesting sometimes, but showing Manfredo with his wife and kid, talking about his life etc...that was pointless.

I also hated the way they edited the fights. How can we know if someone really deserved the decision if you only see part of a round? It was also annoying when, in the middle of an exchange, they'd cut to a crowd shot, as if watching the guy's friends cheering for him was more interesting than the fight itself...

To be honest I wish the show hadn't happened. The Gomez-Cotto fight was very one sided and everyone knew that it would be. The guy took too much punishment and could've been seriously hurt.

Did "The Contender" fail?