REVIEW

The Contender (NBC) Chisels Down to Its Final Five Boxers

Written by Eric Berlin
Published May 04, 2005

Joey Gilbert ended up not being the Machiavellian threat he thought himself to be, losing to the tough but beatable Peter Manfredo, Jr. in the closing moments of a five-round bout. Unfortunately, the fight was stopped not due to a punch but rather an accidental head-butt that made Joey's eye look as though it had just come face-to-face with a cross-town bus.

So Peter got the car thanks to Joey last week, and the win over Joey this week thanks to the fortuitous location of his forehead.

Such is the uncertainty of the boxer's life.

Now let's take a quick look at the remaining Contenders:

Jesse Brinkley and Anthony Bonsante are set to fight next week to finish up the second round and bring the competition down to its final four. Let's look at them first.

Jesse Brinkley
He's bald, he's little, he's quick and agile, and he's kind of conniving and annoying.

And he just might have the qualities needed to pull off the whole shooting match. He certainly has the ego and the mental angle on his side, which he displayed to perfection this week in the house by psyching out a bewildered-looking Joey with "It's just a game, fighting is" kind of talk.

Anthony Bonsante
He wears a #1 Daddy hat most of the time, and likes to talk about his kids, what it means to be a dad, the importance of being a parent to children, and the kind of dad (or father) a parent should be, particularly when one is a boxer and one is the father and/or parent of said children.

And so on.

The winner of the epic Kids v. God contest several weeks back, Bonsante has been hampered under a bad hammy which may make him an easy target next week in the ring against Jesse.

There's something about Bonsante, though. Something kind of crazy. But not the good crazy, he's gonna go nuts on him crazy kind of crazy.

More like the he's looking at me through the television kind of weird and he's talking about his kids way too much variety. So we'll see.

Alfonso Gomez and Sergio "The Latin Snake" Mora have already fought their way into the Final Four. Both are good and tough Latin fighters. While Mora employs classical philosophy, psychological warfare, and a flair for the dramatic reminiscent of the great Sugar Ray Leonard himself, Gomez is a dogged, rugged, and determined fighter with a strong punch and determined heart.

A Gomez and Mora finale would be a fine finale to watch, featuring two of the best fighters and decent souls in the competition. The clash of styles could produce a great ending to a fine first season for this reality series that is actually really real (for once).

For more on this and every other topic under the sun, check out:

Dumpster Bust: Manufacturing Miracles from Mind Trash, Since 2003

EBb-dayEric Berlin is the Executive Producer of Blogcritics.org and publisher of Online Media Cultist. He's also prone to referring to himself in the third person in author bios in an attempt to make it look like someone Less Important wrote it for him. Contact: dumpsterbust@gmail.com
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The Contender (NBC) Chisels Down to Its Final Five Boxers
Published: May 04, 2005
Type: Review
Section: Video
Filed Under: Video: Television, Video: Reality TV
Writer: Eric Berlin
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Comments

#1 — May 4, 2005 @ 08:58AM — Patrick Vu [URL]

Yeah, it's was pretty disappointing when the fight was called short. Peter hasn't impressed me that much and Joey looked like he had a chance. I agree that there's something wrong with Bonsante. Watching his first fight, you could see a maniac in the ring capable of really hurting someone. The previews to the next episode kind of elude to that as well. I'm pulling for Gomez and The Snake also. Thanks for the review.

If you have a second, check out my review of the premiere episode.

#2 — May 4, 2005 @ 12:31PM — Eric Berlin [URL]

I see Mora as the favorite at this point. His elusive style is a step above all of the remaining fighters. Bonsante is a little old and stiff even when healthy (though if he gets you in his crazed sights, it could be lights out), Monsante is good but not great (he's squeaked out his two wins and already lost to Gomez, I believe)... which leaves Gomez and Jesse. I think Mora beats Gomez in a tough, close fight. I don't see Jesse making the finals, but he could surprise.

My overall point is that this is great television because you have professional athletes hungry for a tangible and meaningful goal (fame and $1 million). The fights have been tremendous so far and stand to only get better.

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