koenigt2 if you want to see a real reality show , The Contender is what you want to see. It has it all , bravery , honor ,camaradery , the spirit to fight, real determination ,great show , great fights , great guys. Even thou men these days are not men anymore because of pollution( it affects testosterone level)but there still are men out there who haven't been affected by pollution and they haven't turned into pussy , those men that like to watch box they are real MEN. It's not about being violent it's about being the best at everything . This show really lifts my spirit up , it awakens the competitive side of me , so If you're real MEN have a competitive spirit then this is something you want to see. It might not have the budget or the script writers that other serials have , but it sure packs a punch for it's money , facts not words makes someone great unless you are in showbizz , or in this polluted world we are living now .

John T. Ryan "Pugilism", "Fisticuffs", the "Sweet Science", "Boxing" or just the plain old "Fights", no matter what we call them, they go on and on, and seem to be thriving now, long after so many pundits had predicted their eradication.Their brute primativity and link to our primordial past surely must have a lot to do with Boxing's seeming longevity and its appeal. It seems that the more sophisticated and "civilized" our World becomes, the more popular the Prize Ring becomes. And now with the influx of $how Bu$ine$$ Mega Buck$ via Broadcast and Cable TV Revenue$, we find there is more money than ever. As someone had observed, "...and there's even some money left-over for the Fighters!" With the growing popularity of the so called "Reality Shows" the coming of a Boxing Series chronicling all the behind the scenes happenings and preparations leading up to a Prize Fight was bound to come along. These guys on Creator Mike Burnett's team did it! They deserve the credit as well as the fruits of their labour.Anyone who has been a Boxer or has been around them or known Boxers know just what an exclusive fraternity that they are. A man may have been retired from the Ring for years and years; and yet, when he observes a fight, he is all eyes for each round. His expertise and instincts dissect each bout, round by round; reporting his observations and suggestions for technique and strategy.* The Mike Burnett Production team knew that as little 'Star Power' can mean a lot to a series. So, they went out and sought to bring some very well known Name Performers on board for the shaping of the series. Ideally, they would have recognition in Movies/TV, the Sporting World as well as to the General Public.The selections of the Multi-time Welterweight & Middleweight Champ, Ray Leonard gave the series a real solid foundation. With his background of accomplishment and youthful, still fit appearance he would be an ideal subject for a Television Host. His pleasing personality, his highly articulate speech all added up to the absolute right man for the right job.As far as the second half of the co-host tandem, the Producer chose everyone's favourite fictional Boxing Champ, Philadelphia's Favourite (Fictional) Son, "The Italian Stallion"-Rocky Balboa (Himself), Sylvester Stallone. Sly, a life-long, super-fanatical devotee of Athletics, Physical Conditioning and Bodybuilding,was a near perfect companion co-host. Together the pair served as a conduit between the audience and the two camps of competing fighters.Meanwhile, we are treated to the selection process, the training and the normally off screen occurrences are captured and chronicled by the all-seeing eye of the camera. We see the winning, the losing, the joy and the heart break experienced by the 'Contenders'. To borrow the most famous motto from "ABC's WIDE WORLD OF SPORTS", ".....the Joy of Victory and the Agony of Defeat!"** As far as a good crossover for those who are both into the Sporting World and Movies/TV, "THE CONTENDER" really nails it. It's our favourite (the 'our' being possessive case of the 'Editorial We'.)series of the 'Reality Type.' Here's hoping that it continues for some time.NOTE: * This writer happened to be working in the Chicago Loop as a Foot Traffic Cop in the mid 1970's. During this Period(1973-78) I had the good fortune to meet and be able to visit with Mr. Leo Rodak, who was a former WORLD'S FEATHERWEIGHT BOXING CHAMPION. Being about the same age as my own Father, I found Leo to be sharp, highly energetic and very fond of telling stories of his Boxing Days and of his experiences in the Army in World War II. But, that's another Story!

Nirav Modi If you box this the perfect show for you, if you don't box its still a perfect show for you. Mostly males don't get caught into reality TV but me and six of my friends watch it together every week with some chips and soda. This show brings the troubles boxers go through in their life. Their dreams slowly turning into reality. There is nothing missing from this show, you see everything you would expect. You see them evolve,and like real life there is betrayal, deception, hatred, friendship,sportsmanship, love, Heart, "Swagger", etc. The fighting, camera angles, music is very good. No regrets on the trainers, sparring partners? Its a great show for anybody Period.

rockstar78 Usually, I can't stand "reality" shows. I don't care to see average people go through anything to get on television, not to mention the fact that the presence of cameras totally contaminates their behavior. I can survive on an island for over a month, I can eat cattle eyes, and I could cheat on my girlfriend. I just don't think any of it is worth it just to be recognized(for a little while). I know, the money doesn't hurt either but greed isn't any more noble than vanity.So, on to the point. "The Contender" buries all those other shows for a few reasons. First of all, these guys are doing something most of us can't. They are professional fighters. Getting punched hurts, staying in peak physical condition all the time takes way more discipline than the average north American can muster in their dreams. I'm a big sports fan and part of the appeal is athletes(with the exception of some baseball players) are as close to super human as you can get. The second reason this show stands above is because their behavior wouldn't change much without the cameras. The only exception is there would be no Sly, but don't forget, he's just an actor anyway. And finally, at there is a fight at the end of each show, again, I'm a fight fan so knowing there will be a professional boxing match with elimination on the line is really exciting to me.My only criticism is the cheesy over-dramatization, but it's network TV and they would jump off a building before presenting something at face value(think Superbowl)._D