The Contender – Recap – Episode 14

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After Manfredo defeated Alfonso in a rematch to win his integrity back, he brags of a newfound opportunity to make his family’s life all the better.

This episode focuses on the the relationship between our next two combatants: the cocksure Sergio, who sees Jesse as just another opponent in a streak of victims on his way to the championship. Sergio tells us he wants to eventually use his brain to “make a difference” by writing. He also wants to hand the new keys of a house to his mom so that she can “live life right”. Meanwhile, Jesse is learning to set his priorities straight, realizing that by winning, he can spend more time as a role model for the kids. (Good to see the show is getting REAL exciting down to the pinch).

Jesse notices it is ghostlike to walk around the emptiness of the Contender household.

Sly gives Manfredo the congrats for making it to the final two. Sugar Ray lets us know that these kids take him back (flashback style) to his own former career, when he was trying to make a name for himself; that these guys can’t really appreciate it until they’re older.

Instead of focusing on the drama, the producers decide it’s time for a character flashback (the sort of thing generally saved for a drawn out season finale). They walk by the tapestry-banners of the losers and reminisce about the good times. All were “great fighters”, of course, except for Brent, who was really just a nice guy “you just didn’t want to hit”. They all deserve the best in everything, and will be successful in whatever they try to do.

The melodrama is churned and churned with the same ol’ repetitively good music, looking back at the escapades that never happened. The trainer makes metaphorical references to the glory of the Roman gladiators that he forgets the Contender contestants won’t understand.

Peter is pulling for and hoping that Jesse wins and fights him in Caesa’s Palace in front of millions and for a million.

At the press conference, Sergio lets the crowd know that he is ready to win, and he’s, if you could believe it, destined to win. Jesse, the only one with a bit of savvy personality does ironically mention that if he were his own coach, he would’ve made different decisions about the fighting order he’d chosen.

Sergio is worried about Jesse’s power, and claims Jesse should be worried about his speed. Sergio is 100 % confident he will win tonight, he just does not know how. If Sergio wins, apparently you WILL see a different man, one who can change his life. Translation: who really cares?

Crowds are ambling in like zombies at thirty minutes to the fight.

Jesse is much stronger, so must push Sergio all over the ring. He is the first to the arena. Sergio blabs about the need and desire to win while we tune out.

Will it be another KO?

Round One: Sergio is dodging a lot of Jesse’s strong blows and instead lands some powerful hits of his own. The clear victor of the first stage is Sergio.

Jesse is out of it with no idea he even lost that round. So he takes some advice and lays a flurry that Sergio stands no chance of stopping.

For the third, Sergio appropriates Jesse’s style of strength over speed and sends in a fury of hits. Though not quite as forceful, they’re nonetheless ceaseless.

In the 4th, it’s like Jesse’s given up until about halfway when he seems to give it his technical all. It’s difficult to discern the victor of this round.

Sergio seems to have cheaply targeted Jesse’s eye. Someone mentions that “they used to be friends”. Oh, the drama.

Going into the fifth round, it seems sure to be Sergio. Will Jesse summon up the powerhouse spirit? He completely unloads on him, and while it certainly isn’t a KO, it’s definitely a step in the right direction.

Round number six, Jesse lands a nice gut-shot while his annoying wife squeals like a pig. In revenge, the Latin Snake inserts some devious venom and seems to infuriate Jesse by the end of it.

Jesse is the only one capable of KOs and seems to need one for this seventh and FINAL round. The crowd cheers just like NBC tells them to as the slow-mo editing ups the ante and suspense. They’re both cut. Jesse misses an opportune uppercut. Sergio takes a doozey of a hit. The crowd is loving it. Sergio runs away but is the clear loser here. However, it seems apparent overall, the technical winner is most certainly Sergio.

The scorecards are in. The winner by unanimous decision: Sergio. They tried to edit this one as best as they could, but the blander Latin Snake had to come out on top, over the man seeming to doubt himself. Sergio is the one person to never have the experience of hanging up his gloves. (brag, brag, brag, the only chance we had of a charismatic boxer coming out on top is officially gone). The good news, when Sergio inevitably defeats Peter on Tuesday’s grand finale, the second season (if it ever happens) will have a nicely cocky villain to dethrone.

Of course, this does imply the notion that anybody is watching or caring about this show. Which is not the case. If you disagree, I dare you to let me know.