The Contender Back on the Air

ESPN has reported that The Contender television series has found a new home for the third time in the past four years.  After a year stint with NBC and two years with ESPN,  the live sports network, Versus, has claimed the rights to the boxing reality series that has produced a somewhat steady following.  

The show will air on Versus this coming December with 11 one-hour episodes culminating with a two-hour episode for the final championship bout.  

This season is apparently heading in a new and much heavier direction.  The 16 man tournament will be filled with cruiser-weight contenders from the 200 lbs. division.  The names discussed as possible contenders are much more prominent than that of any past years. The interested parties range from prospects B.J. Flores and O'niel Bell, to veterans like Darnell "Ding-a-Ling Man" Wilson, to the current undefeated NABO cruiser-weight champ and Kronk product, Jonathon Banks.  

There is a twist this year.  The American cruiser-weights will be facing off against a team from overseas and it looks like all of the gang will be back for the ride. Sugar Ray Leonard is expected to rejoin in his role as supervisor and host. Buddy McGirt will be training the American team and they are hoping to secure the Ring "Trainer of the Year", Enzo Calzaghe, to train the international team.  Now that would make for some good television as Clazaghe runs his mouth with the best of em' (from what we can make out; see here)

The previous Contender fighters, although not consistently the best talent in the biz,  have made the most of the face time they received from the series. (See Contenders on the Main Stage article).  These cruiser-weights will hope to do the same and shed some light on a division that most poeple out side of boxing don't even know exists.

For your listening pleasure the theme song for The Contender (probably the best part about the show) that was created by one the greatest film and t.v. composers of all time Hans Zimmer... Even if the show sucks this year, the music still gets you a little exicted, no?

Also included the theme song from Quentin Tarantino's, True Romance, by Hans Zimmer.