Underdog Brewer is Contender Champ!
Wednesday September 27, 2006
Grady Brewer, an underdog throughout season two of The Contender, continued to defy the odds by scoring a 10-round split decision over former champ Steve Forbes. Brewer used his size to his advantage and did just enough to win most of the close rounds. The fight had its share of exciting exchanges but there was also lots of clutching and holding that would have been left on the editing room floor if this fight had taken place earlier in the tournament. In an unusual twist, Brewer and Forbes would have had to fight one additional round to determine a winner if the fight was even after ten rounds. After the first two cards were read - 97-93 Brewer and 96-94 Forbes - it appeared as if the extra session would be necessary. Fortunately, the third judge got it right and also gave the fight to Brewer (96-94). Brewer takes home the $500,000 first prize - by far the largest of his professional career.
On the undercard, Cornelius Bundrage scored a completely one-sided seventh-round TKO over Norberto Bravo to take Contender bronze; Walter Wright scored a fourth-round TKO over Vinroy Barrett when Barrett was unable to continue due to a shoulder injury; Nick Acevedo won a six-round unanimous decision over Nurhan Suleyman; and Freddy Curiel edged Aaron Torres over six.
Comments
I guess Brewer was right when he said all he needed was a chance to train for a fight rather than taking matches at the last minute as a stand-in which had been the case for him during most of his career.
I will not be surprised if many Contender fans who haven’t been long-time boxing fans complain that the fights were boring, especially the main event, since the bouts were unedited. But for me this is the better way to watch a fight. The edited versions always leave me wondering if I might have missed something that would have changed my mind about an outcome.
I didn’t watch much last season, but I watched all the fights this season. I have to say the show exhibits poor taste.
Most of the fighters were poor, I thought the show focused too much on the money. I might would have rather watched pitbulls fighting for a bone. Giving the fighters a DVD player or a big screen TV, come on, do something productive for their familys future.
I understand the winner will get a big paycheck, but I think it was in poor taste.
Rocky Balboa did not fight for money; he fought because he loved the sport. He also fought for respect, when you fight for respect and not moving out of poverty, a boxer can’t lose.
Every fighter should have been paid an appearance fee; Americans tuned in to see the fighters, not Sugar Ray. Give the fighters a nice pay check they all deserve it; none should leave with just a DVD player or a big screen TV.
I love the show. I like the way it gives anyone an opportunity to show their skills and include the families we never see in real life. I watched all of last season and this season, and can’t wait for next season show. However, I did miss Sylvester and the conversation at the end of each episode.
Does anyone know if ESPN picked the contender up for another season?
The Contender is a “reality” show, let’s not lose sight of that. It’s not a show for “boxing” fans, and I doubt it creates any genuine boxing fans. We get to see hokey dialogue between the families in the locker rooms, every boxer on the show is the “greatest dad ever”, not to mention they all have wonderful marriages and great families! If they had everything together, they wouldn’t need a reality show, they’d just go out there and fight.
Editing is part of “show biz”, and not part of boxing. Every fight can’t 10 rounds of non-stop boxing action. It can be boring. It can be uneventful. But that can be true with any sport… have you ever watched bowling, or golf for crying out loud!?!?! Zzzzz
I took the show for what it’s worth last season, and this one. I follow the careers of Gomez and Brinkley from season one, and I will pass on following anyone from this season. I think Surgar Ray needs to hang up his boxing gloves next.
I think last season was slightly better than this one because the final bout was better.
The thing that angers me most about boxing is holding and how it goes mostly unpunished. I have seen heavyweight bouts with less holding than this season’s final bout on The Contender.
Grady Brewer should be happy that he won, but ashamed at how much he held to do so. When you are the bigger guy and all you do is hold the little guy when he gets into punching range you are not skilled. Every time Steve Forbes got inside Grady would tie him up, walk him backwards to the ropes and hit with a free hand until the ref broke them up. That is just pathetic! And not a single point taken away for holding, it is against the rules for Pete’s sake!
I am not saying Steve actually won the bout, I am just saying Grady only won because he held so much.
Brewer looked like he had been taking lessons from John Ruiz.
show was a fix grady brewer is crap i cud beat him
hey, kids – rocky balboa isn’t real!
sure the fight got tangled but brewer outstmarted the better boxer. who can truthfully say that they tipped brewer to win? and k9 looked damn good over bravo – a fight i expected to be much closer. The contender may not be ‘purist’ boxing but if it gets fans in from the other side of the fence well that’s damn fine by me. Boxing needs more fans – and shows like this might just get them for us. PS. Lee i think youre talkin’ out yr butt.
did anyone happen to notice when they showed the pictures of steve forbes and grady brewer it definately was not grady and they had him listed as “BRADY BREWER” what the hell?
I think the final was fixed, everyone could see that holding isn’t boxing and that’s all Brewer done, Forbes was better he didn’t have a chance with Brewer holding every second. I think if Brewer lost points for holding u would have seen Forbes the winner. I just don’t think it was a fair fight!!!!!
I think the final bout wasn’t very entertaining, but the show overall was good. Yes they edited things, but it’s television of course they edit it to appeal to viewers more. And though Grady held a lot he forced steve to fight his fight and that’s why he won. K-9 also looked splendid in his match our bravo looked really bad.
Some people keep saying Grady forced steve to fight his fight and that’s why he won. And those people also admit to him holding a lot.
Therefore Grady’s fight is all about holding. Which is against the rules and should be punished by points being taken away.
If anyones “fight” involves holding to the extent it would make John Ruiz proud they are not a good fighter and have no place in a boxing ring. Go do MMA or some other garbage like that.
I loved watching the contender show on ESPN. My hat goes off to both fighters. They really put there heart and soul out. To make the championship fight a great one.
Grady,You did a out standing JOB. You never once said, anything about who you would want to fight or who you didn’t want to fight. The fighter from Nashville. Let his mouth do his talking not his Boxing GLOVES. I am so glad you beat him.
Sugar Ray, You did a outstanding Job. Putting the show together. Plus letting the fighters know that If you put your Heart and Soul into it. Everything and anything is possible. I look very much forward to seeing and watching the CONTENDER show III.
Big improvement as far as format without the competitions between teams draining the fighters. Though the talent was at about the same level, heartfelt stories like Stewart picking Elder as his opponent was a classic between the wives. I did not see one bad decision like last years final. The ring announcer is the same big mouth who does not know the meaning of “split decision”. Except for the first round all the rounds were close but to give Forbes more than 2 or 3 rounds would be a stretch. Brewer probably the oldest, and the worst record was the big underdog. K-9 added to the show with his weekly “barking”. Shame Elder went out in the first round because he certainly would have added to the show. Seeing Mora’s sitting next to Sugar Ray was not pleasing since his gift decision from the judges last year over Manfredo.
title fight stank!! brewer shouldnt even been there BRAVO got ROBBED bravo-forbes would have been a better fight though forbes would of came on top i would not go against my man bravos heart & determination
UGLY fight!!!half of 500,000 should have been forfeited for all that holding brewer done he shouldnt even been there BRAVO got robbed I think bravo-forbes would have been a better match
DREAM PayPerView fight!!!! K9 bundrege vs John Ruiz bet all u boxing fans loved this one
The Contender is a great show. I hope ESPN continues this into Contender III. I enjoyed waiting every Tuesday to see who was going to fight next. It was a great distraction from the IRAQ War, killings going on in schools and the price of gas.
i thought it was a load of crap
Josh C, I think u must have bet on the fight,cause u sure as hell sound like a loser.K-9 beat da crap out of Bravo and u say he was robbed by Brewer. Forbes was over rated and the best men won. Get some damn crackers to go with all the damn whining!!!!